The Ultimate Guide to Airdrop for iPhone 8
Airdrop is a feature on Apple devices that allows users to quickly transfer files between iPhones, iPads, Macs and other supported Apple products via Bluetooth. However, Airdrop doesn’t work when the receiving device has an iOS version earlier than iOS 7 or if you are trying to send photos from an iPhone 4S to another device.
How Does Airdrop Work
AirDrop uses short-range Wi-Fi technology (the same kind of wireless networking that allows you to connect wirelessly to a Wi-Fi network) to allow you to share files with other Apple devices that are close by. Airdrop isn’t designed to work between iOS devices and Macs, but it is possible if both are using recent versions of their respective operating systems (iOS 7 or OS X Yosemite 10.10).
AirDrop uses two different kinds of identification tokens to establish a connection: an “Ad-Hoc encrypted local network” token and an “Ad-Hoc connection” token. The Airdrop feature on the receiving device needs to be turned on for these tokens to be accepted by your Apple devices, but this is typically turned on by default. Once the ad-hoc encrypted local network has been established, a virtual port is automatically opened on your computer. The ad-hoc connection token allows your Mac to recognize the sending device and establishes a secure connection via the virtual port, while the encrypted local network ensures that no one can see your files but you and the people you are sharing them with.
Where is Airdrop on iPhone 8
Airdrop is built into iOS (but it’s disabled by default) and OS X Yosemite (enabled by default). Before you can use Airdrop, your devices need to be signed in to iCloud with the same Apple ID. Once that’s done, go to Settings > General > AirDrop on your iPhone 8 or iPhone 7/7 Plus and make sure it is set to either “Receiving Off” or “Contacts Only.” The latter will only allow your contacts to share content with you. If you want to be able to share files with anyone using an Apple device, select Receiving Off, but be aware that this option also makes your device visible on other people’s AirDrop menus. You can choose to limit it to just your contacts or disable the feature altogether (Contacts Only is recommended as it limits your device’s visibility).
If you want to make sure others can’t see your iPhone, don’t forget about “Don’t Allow Changes,” which keeps other people from changing the privacy and security settings on your device. Your phone will still show up on their AirDrop menus, but they can’t alter your settings or see your device.
The Benefits of Using Airdrop over Bluetooth
The transmission rate is much faster and just as secure, thanks to its encryption. In addition, AirDrop uses a feature called “Visual Voicemail” on the iPhone 8. What this means is if someone sends you a voice message via AirDrop, your phone will automatically download it and present it as a list of text with an audio player on the left side. As long as you’re only receiving files from people you know, Airdrop is a safe way to exchange documents wirelessly.
Apple’s AirDrop works with devices running on iOS 7 or later and Macs running OS X Yosemite or later (if you want to send stuff). If your friend doesn’t meet these requirements, you can still share stuff with them by using Bluetooth. As long as both devices are connected to the same Wi-Fi network and Bluetooth is enabled on them, sharing files is fairly easy (although not as fast and secure as Airdrop).
How to Troubleshoot Problems with Airdrop
If you’re having problems receiving files, make sure the people sending them to you have selected Contacts Only as their AirDrop setting and that your phone’s visibility isn’t set to Anyone (turn on “Don’t Allow Changes” if it is). If this doesn’t fix things, try restarting your Bluetooth or Wi-Fi connection.
Conclusion
Airdrop is a very useful feature on iPhone 7/7 Plus and iPad that allows you to transfer files among Apple devices without using any third-party tools. It makes the process of sharing documents extremely simple because it automatically detects other devices in your immediate vicinity. Airdrop uses a combination of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, but it’s much faster and more secure than using either wireless networking standard individually. It also allows you to convert voice messages into text if someone sends them to you via AirDrop.
