I noticed that after updating to Sequoia, AirDrop has disappeared from the Finder sidebar. If I try to add it back from the settings, it appears for a fraction of a second, then the checkbox deselects itself again. If I navigate to AirDrop from the Go menu, all appears normal and it works correctly so I am unsure why this is happening
MacBook Pro 14″, macOS 15.0
I had the exact same issue and it was driving me crazy. Then I read this post from OP (Cannot add AirDrop to Finder sidebar in S… - Apple Community) where he wrote he switched of all iPads and iPhones. So I switched off my iPhone and iPad and restarted my Macbook and it started to work again like a charm. Really weird, but maybe this really depends on interfering devices (maybe running on the same Apple-ID)? After my Mac worked again, I switched my iPhone and iPad back on and it still works.
Reboot again and tell me if it is still there.
To verify, reboot your Mac and report if still OK
Thank you ! Turned off FileVault and the same issue i was having on MacMini M4 is resolved
I can say, using 1 M1, 1 M2 and 1 M3 machines each upGraded from Sonoma 14.6.1 to macOS 15.0 Sequoia
It is not a normal behaviour.
The fact it will work in Safe Mode and Not in Normal Mode
Tends to indicate, there must have been or are some serious System Modifications at play
Download the Application Etrecheck ( External Link ) directly from the Developer.
The Application is Not a " Silver Bullet " and is only a tool to examine the Hardware / Software used on this computer
This is a Diagnostic Tool that makes no changes to the computer Hardware / Software used on this computer
The application is free or paid from added features.
The Report will Not Reveal Any Personal Information.
Post back the Full Report - copy and paste - >>>> using the Additional Text Icon ( 3rd Icon to last ) <<<<
so, out of curiosity, I just tried turning off my iPad and all the iPhones in the house and miraculously the AirPlay sidebar item just appeared, so it would appear to be a bug related to one of these devices. I have turned them back on and restarted a few times and it seems to be remaining now, but I will post an update if the problem reoccurs
Oh, and just one more thing I forgot to say: the only action I found to solve this temporarily, is to force the finder's restart. Then, I can be able to add the airdrop into finder's favorites.
I hope we can see some update on this issue. Thanks again.
Spouse just bought a M3 MacBook Air with factory installed Sequoia 15.1. She also is experiencing the identical problems with AirDrop on the Finder sidebar that I, and others have noted here. Force/quit of Finder corrects it, but a reboot results in the same problem.
Not OK after rebooting. BUT.... I created a new user account to test and the problem doesn't exist in the new account so it's not global. The challenge now is to find what file and where is causing the issue in the original account.
FWIW, even if Airdrop does not show in the Sidebar, you can get to very quickly anywhere in Finder, just by pressing the respective keyboard shortcut: Command-Shift-R.
And if keyboard shortcuts are not easy to remember, it is there in the Go menu:
Clean install is the only 100% working solution. Don't restore your Time Machine backup via migrant assistant. Do it manually. Check my post below, sort this support thread by Newest first.
Force quit lets you add it back in but then disappears next time you boot the Mac. If you never turn your Mac off or need to reboot then no issue. Must be some bug.
Just tested the Airdrop issue on an Intel Mac and no issue. Then tested on two M1 silicon Macs and both have the issue. This may be related to Sequoia only with Silicon Macs. Hope others can comment if this is the case.
I cannot add AirDrop to Finder sidebar either. I first noticed this issue on updating to 15.4.1 on a Mac Studio M2 Ultra. Other shortcuts on the Sidebar were removed as well.
Airdrop works fine on a 2019 MacBook Pro 16" running same Mac OS.
Please fix the glitch. Work around is to add Airdrop to the Dock, which is annoying.
Mine is permanently fixed since I restarted one while my iPhone was switched off.
Cannot add AirDrop to Finder sidebar in Sequoia
