In this article, I will show you how to troubleshoot Airdrop not working on Mac Big Sur issues.
AirDrop lets you wirelessly beam almost anything from your iPhone, iPad, or Mac to any other recent Apple device. It uses Bluetooth 4.x for power-efficient broadcast and discovery, and peer-to-peer Wi-Fi for swift transfer. The entire process isn’t just simple, it’s pretty secure… when it works. If you’re having AirDrop problems after installing macOS Big Sur though, it can be frustrating. Thankfully, there are a few things you can try to get it working! Below are six accurate solutions to fix the problem of AirDrop not working on Big Sur.
See also: Spotlight Search not Working on Big Sur? Fix
Fixes for the ‘AirDrop not working on macOS Big Sur’ Issue
Fix #1: Restart your Mac
Restart is the first solution you should try if you find airdrop not Working on Big Sur. This is particularly helpful if you have trouble sharing files from iPhone to Mac and vice versa.
To restart your Mac, click on the Apple logo from the top left corner and then select Restart.
Fix #2: Update your Mac
To update your Mac: Open System Preferences → Software Update → Update Now, if available.
Fix #3: Logout and Login – iCloud
There could be a problem with your iCloud login after updating your device to macOS Big Sur. To rule out this as a possible cause, log out of iCloud and log in again. If AirDrop works, that was the issue. If Big Sur AirDrop freeze, check the next solution.
Fix #4: Tap or Click Accept on the Receiving Device
This works both ways. Unless you hit the Accept button on the device receiving the file or photo, the transfer won’t happen and you might think it’s not working. The Accept button established the AirDrop connection, so check to ensure that’s not the issue.
Fix #5: Turn Off Messages and Log In Again
If the other device is not within the range or blocked by a concrete wall, AirDrop might not work in macOS Big Sur. But the problem is not with AirDrop. Make sure that the two devices are within the range – distance not greater than 30 feet (approximately 9 meters.) The closer the better.
Fix #6: Make Sure the macOS Big Sur Computer is ‘Awake’
If you’ve got ‘wake for network access’ enabled, then sleep mode won’t allow wireless communication. Ensure your Mac is awake and connected to Wi-Fi and has Bluetooth turned on. Also make sure the other device is not screen-locked.
Conclusion
These are the tested solutions to fix AirDrop not working on Big Sur issue. I hope one of the above solutions fixed the problem for you.
These didn’t work for me. I figured it was a conflict with file transfer and security, so I started by turning off all of my Startup items and low-and-behold, my Airdrop file transferring worked again. @adrienneibrand | Creative Director, Long Island, New York