AirDrop has been present in the Apple ecosystem for many years, but for some it may be a great unknown either because they are new to this ecosystem or simply because they have never explained how it works. There are many advantages that we can get from this type of connection and in this article we show you everything you should know about it.
What is AirDrop
AirDrop is a proprietary Apple system that allows you to share and receive photos or documents with other nearby Apple devices. This is a connectivity system that is very reminiscent of Bluetooth, when it was used it does not do so much to transfer different multimedia files. The transfer can be done both with our devices or those of other people. Over time, other uses have been given, such as the transfer of passwords between computers.
AirDrop is a function that is present both on iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch and also on Mac.
Considerations before using AirDrop
Before you start using AirDrop, there are a number of considerations to make it work perfectly. Stands out:
- Need to have Bluetooth and WiFi network activated on both the sending and receiving device.
- Both devices must be within range, which is a few meters.
- Keep in mind that if you are going to transfer a file by AirDrop to another user, this must accept the reception of files from users who are not in the contacts. This should be kept in mind if your Apple ID is not within their contact list.
- In the event that you want to make a transfer between devices of the same property, you must bear in mind that on both computers you must log in with the same Apple ID.
How to use AirDrop
Once we have taken all the previous points into consideration, we can move on to using AirDrop in a very simple way. Simply open the Photos application, choose the photo you want to send and click on the ‘Share’ button represented by a square and an up arrow. The characteristic AirDrop icon on which you must click will appear in the drop-down menu. In the list that appears you can choose the equipment to which you want to transfer a multimedia file. This same operation can be performed in the ‘Files’ application by choosing the document you want to pass and following the same procedure.
Once you have shared some type of content, the other person will see an alert appear on their screen detailing who sent it and a preview. In this same alert, you can accept or reject the transfer of this file. It will automatically be stored either in Files or in the Photos reel.
Set up AirDrop
You are always in control of who can see your device, being able to choose between being visible only to contacts or to everyone. In this way we will save ourselves that if we are walking down the street, we may receive a transfer request from someone random. In order to carry out a configuration in this sense, the following steps must be followed:
- Head to Settings> General.
- Click on the section that says ‘AirDrop’.
- Choose who can see your device:
- Reception disabled: You are not visible to anyone.
- Contacts only : You need to have the other person’s Apple ID in Contacts.
- Everyone: anyone, regardless of whether you have their data or not, can send you content.
You can do the same from the iPhone control center, by pressing and holding the left box where the options for WiFi or Bluetooth appear. One of them is ‘AirDrop’ and if we click on this we can choose from whom to receive the transfer requests in a more comfortable way.
Send passwords with AirDrop
As we mentioned earlier, AirDrop has been evolving. It is no longer limited to just documents or photos but can also be used to share passwords. This can be really useful if we share an account with another person and we want him to have the username and password on his keychain. To do this, simply enter the iCloud password keychain, click on the specific login and make a long click on the password or the user. In the menu that appears at the top select ‘AirDrop …’ and you can share this password safely .
Advantages of using it on iPhone
There are many advantages that we can find to use AirDrop on the iPhone. One of them is the convenience of passing a file or document to another person or to our own computer without having to resort to email or messaging services. With a single touch you can pass any type of document without problem and super fast . Since we are within the Apple ecosystem, what better than using the tools it gives us to work between various Apple teams.
If we have taken a photograph of a person and want to pass it to them with the best possible quality, we must almost completely discard the messaging systems. This is why shipping via AirDrop is the most interesting and also the fastest option.
And you, do you use AirDrop daily?
