PairOnce

AIRDROP · TROUBLESHOOTING

AirDrop not working? What to check, and how to send the file anyway

Check what Apple lists: Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on for both devices, Personal Hotspot off, the receiver set to Everyone for 10 Minutes (or Contacts Only), and the two within about 30 feet (10 meters); then restart and try again.

With iOS, iPadOS or macOS 26.2 or later, someone who is not in your contacts has to use an AirDrop code.

If it still fails, or one device is not Apple’s, open paironce.com on both, pair once and send the file in the browser: it works between any two devices, on any network.

Step by step

  1. Turn on Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on both devices. The sender and the receiver both need them on.
  2. Turn off Personal Hotspot. If either device has Personal Hotspot on, turn it off.
  3. Make the receiver visible. On an iPhone or iPad, touch and hold the connectivity controls in Control Center, tap AirDrop and tap Everyone for 10 Minutes. On a Mac, click and hold the AirDrop icon in Control Center, or click the arrow next to AirDrop, and choose Contacts Only or Everyone.
  4. Move the devices closer. Keep them within about 30 feet (10 meters) of each other.
  5. Restart and try again. If it still does not work, restart the device that cannot see the other one, then send again.

Why “Everyone for 10 Minutes” matters

From iOS 16.2 the Everyone for 10 Minutes setting changes back after 10 minutes: a device signed in to an Apple Account goes back to Contacts Only, and one that is not signed in goes back to Receiving Off. So a phone that showed up a few minutes ago can stop showing up, and the receiver has to turn it on again.

The AirDrop code (iOS, iPadOS and macOS 26.2 or later)

If both devices run 26.2 or later and the sender is not in the receiver’s contacts, the receiver taps Get AirDrop Code and reads the code aloud, and the sender enters it. After that the two can keep sharing for 30 days.

If AirDrop still does not work: send in the browser

PairOnce sends the file in the browser instead, between an iPhone, iPad, Mac, Windows PC or Android phone: open paironce.com on both devices, pair once with the six-digit code or QR code, choose the files and accept them on the other side. Each file can be up to 2 GB when the receiver uses Chrome, Edge, Firefox or Safari on iOS 26 or later; older iPhones take 50 MB per file. All the two devices need is internet.

Limits, and when this is not the right tool

  • A file can be up to 2 GB over a direct connection when the receiving browser saves straight to disk (Chrome or Edge on a computer or Android, Firefox on a computer, Safari on iOS 26 or later). Other browsers take up to 50 MB per file and hold 100 MB of received files at a time.
  • Files over 2 GB need PairOnce Pro on one of the two devices. Then a file can be up to 10 GB, received the same way, and the relay carries 5 GB a month.
  • When the two devices cannot reach each other directly, an encrypted relay carries the data. Each device can send and receive 200 MB a month that way, counted together; a direct connection has no monthly limit.
  • Both pages must stay open until everything has arrived: keep the phone’s screen on and the browser in front.
  • PairOnce moves things between two devices that are open at the same time. It is not cloud storage: nothing waits on a server for later.

Other ways to do it

  • iCloud Drive or a shared album. Works at any distance; needs an Apple Account on your side and goes through the cloud first.
  • Messages or Mail. Fine for a few small files; photos are often compressed and attachments are limited.
  • LocalSend. Free and open source. It mainly works through its app on both devices, on the same network; its web version also stays on one network and does not work with the app yet.

Common questions

Why does AirDrop only work sometimes?

One setting changes by itself: Everyone for 10 Minutes switches back after 10 minutes, so the receiver has to turn it on again. Also check Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, Personal Hotspot and the distance.

Do we have to be in each other’s contacts?

The receiving setting decides who can send: Contacts Only or Everyone. With iOS, iPadOS or macOS 26.2 or later, someone who is not in your contacts has to use an AirDrop code.

Can AirDrop send to a Windows PC or an Android phone?

Apple describes AirDrop as working between Apple devices. Some newer Android phones can reach an iPhone that is set to Everyone for 10 Minutes (see the iPhone and Android guide); for a Windows PC, use the browser route above.

Can PairOnce help when AirDrop fails?

Yes. When AirDrop will not connect, PairOnce sends the file another way, in the browser, between any two devices.