AirDrop not working between iPhone iOS 18 and iMac Sonoma

It seems there a dozens of solutions to this on the internet and forums but NONE work. iPhone iOS18 and iMac Sonoma. Within the last while I haven't been able to Airdrop between iPhone and iMac to transfer photos. This worked fine up until a while ago (maybe iOS 18 update). I have been an Apple user for 25+ years and am pretty tech savvy but can't figure out why this is not working. I am not the only one having this problem. Solutions appreciated.



[Re-Titled by Moderator]

iPhone SE, iOS 18

Posted on Jan 6, 2025 08:28 AM

Reply
1 reply

Jan 6, 2025 09:01 AM in response to fredfromredwater

I use AirDrop between my iPhone with 18.2 and MacBook Pro with Sierra on an almost daily basis, so the issue is with your systems, not generically.


AirDrop requires that both devices be on the same Wi-Fi network, and they be close enough for a Bluetooth connection (but the devices don’t need to be paired).


On the iPhone go to Settings/General/Airdrop and make sure it is turned on.


On your Mac go to Settings/General/Airdrop & Handoff and make sure it is turned on.


Do you have a 3rd party VPN installed, even if you are not using it? If so, delete the VPN profile in Settings/General/VPN & Device Management/VPN. Don't just turn it off; delete the profile. If that fixes it, you can try reinstalling VPN.


And finally, see these support links:


Use AirDrop to send items to nearby Apple devices - Apple Support

How to use AirDrop on your iPhone or iPad - Apple Support


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AirDrop not working between iPhone iOS 18 and iMac Sonoma

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