- 1. Understand how AirDrop works in 2026
- 2. Turn off Personal Hotspot on iPhone and Mac
- 3. Reset AirDrop visibility on both devices
- 4. Fully toggle Wi-Fi and Bluetooth (not just from Control Centre)
- 5. Disable VPN and iCloud Private Relay
- 6. Check “Limit IP Address Tracking” and Wi-Fi network settings
- 7. Relax firewall and sharing restrictions on the Mac
- 8. Reset network settings on iPhone
- 9. Reset Bluetooth module and preferences on the Mac
- 10. Use the “bring devices together” AirDrop mode
- 11. When it’s actually a hardware problem
- 12. Related Bluetooth issues you should fix too
- 13. Quick checklist – fix AirDrop stuck on “Waiting…”
AirDrop is supposed to be frictionless – pick a photo, tap Share, done. Yet even in 2026 it’s still one of the most temperamental Apple features. The classic symptom is simple and infuriating: your iPhone says it’s sending, your Mac appears in the list, and then the status just sits on “Waiting…” forever.
This guide walks you through real, practical fixes for AirDrop stuck on “Waiting…” between iPhone and Mac using the latest iOS 18 and macOS Ventura / Sonoma / Sequoia. We’ll focus on the stuff that actually breaks AirDrop in 2026: Personal Hotspot, VPNs, Private Relay, mesh Wi-Fi steering, firewall rules and corrupted Bluetooth / Wi-Fi preferences.
1. Understand how AirDrop works in 2026
Modern AirDrop is a three-layer system:
- Bluetooth LE – used for discovery and proximity.
- Wi-Fi Direct – used for the actual file transfer.
- Ultra Wideband (UWB) – used on newer iPhones for “bring devices together” proximity sharing.
If any of these layers are blocked or misconfigured, you get the never-ending “Waiting…” state. That’s why fixing AirDrop is mostly about unblocking radios and privacy features, not reinstalling apps.
2. Turn off Personal Hotspot on iPhone and Mac
Personal Hotspot is one of the biggest AirDrop killers in 2026. It hijacks the Wi-Fi radio and stops the peer-to-peer Wi-Fi Direct link from forming.
On iPhone:
- Go to Settings → Mobile Data → Personal Hotspot.
- Toggle Allow Others to Join to OFF.
On Mac (if applicable):
- Open System Settings → Network → Personal Hotspot.
- Disable any hotspot sharing options.
Once hotspot is fully off, retry AirDrop. If it suddenly works, you’ve found your culprit.
3. Reset AirDrop visibility on both devices
Apple tightened AirDrop defaults for privacy in recent iOS and macOS releases. If discovery is misconfigured, devices either don’t see each other or endlessly wait.
On iPhone:
- Open Control Centre and long-press the network tile.
- Tap AirDrop.
- Set to Everyone for 10 Minutes.
On Mac:
- Open a Finder window and click AirDrop in the sidebar.
- At the bottom, set “Allow me to be discovered by” to Everyone.
Using “Contacts Only” is fine in theory, but in practice it often fails due to Apple ID mismatches or slow iCloud sync. Use “Everyone” while troubleshooting, then tighten it again later.
4. Fully toggle Wi-Fi and Bluetooth (not just from Control Centre)
Quick toggles in Control Centre don’t completely restart the radios. You want a full reset from Settings/System Settings.
On iPhone:
- Settings → Wi-Fi → turn OFF → wait 5 seconds → ON.
- Settings → Bluetooth → turn OFF → wait 5 seconds → ON.
On Mac:
- System Settings → Wi-Fi → OFF → wait 5 seconds → ON.
- System Settings → Bluetooth → OFF → wait 5 seconds → ON.
After both radios have been cycled on each device, try your AirDrop transfer again.
5. Disable VPN and iCloud Private Relay
VPNs and iCloud Private Relay introduce virtual network interfaces and privacy routing that AirDrop wasn’t really designed for. Even when they’re “off”, the configuration can still hijack traffic.
On iPhone:
- Go to Settings → General → VPN & Device Management.
- Disable and remove any active VPN profiles.
- Then go to Settings → Apple ID → iCloud → Private Relay and toggle it OFF temporarily.
On Mac:
- Open System Settings → Network → VPN and disconnect/disable any VPNs.
- Under Apple ID → iCloud → Private Relay, turn it OFF for testing.
Retry the transfer. If AirDrop suddenly works, you know a VPN or Private Relay rule was blocking the Wi-Fi Direct traffic.
6. Check “Limit IP Address Tracking” and Wi-Fi network settings
New privacy features like “Limit IP Address Tracking” can also interfere with peer discovery.
On iPhone:
- Go to Settings → Wi-Fi, tap the “i” next to your network.
- Toggle Limit IP Address Tracking to OFF.
On Mac:
- Open System Settings → Wi-Fi and click the details icon beside your network.
- Disable Limit IP Address Tracking and any “Private Wi-Fi Address” options temporarily.
If you use a Wi-Fi 6/6E/7 mesh router, make sure both devices are close to the same node. Some systems aggressively move clients between bands, which can break discovery.
If your router is ancient or unstable, consider upgrading to a modern Wi-Fi 6E or Wi-Fi 7 model – it often fixes a lot more than just AirDrop. On Amazon UK, look for:
7. Relax firewall and sharing restrictions on the Mac
On macOS, a strict firewall or disabled sharing services can silently block AirDrop.
On the Mac:
- Open System Settings → Network → Firewall.
- Temporarily toggle the firewall OFF and retry AirDrop.
If AirDrop now works, re-enable the firewall and add exceptions where available for:
- AirDrop and related discovery services
- Bluetooth sharing
- Incoming file sharing
Also check System Settings → General → Sharing and make sure file sharing / AirDrop receiving isn’t restricted by any profile or MDM policy.
8. Reset network settings on iPhone
If you’ve fixed visibility, hotspot and privacy settings and AirDrop still hangs, it’s time to reset the network stack on iOS.
On iPhone:
- Go to Settings → General → Transfer or Reset iPhone → Reset.
- Choose Reset Network Settings.
- Confirm and let the phone reboot.
This reset wipes Wi-Fi networks, VPN profiles, cellular network tweaks and AirDrop/Bluetooth pairing tables. You’ll need to rejoin Wi-Fi networks afterwards, but persistent AirDrop issues very often disappear.
9. Reset Bluetooth module and preferences on the Mac
On macOS, corrupted Bluetooth or Wi-Fi preference files can block the BLE handshake that starts every AirDrop transfer.
First, kill and restart the Bluetooth daemon:
sudo pkill bluetoothd
Then restart the Mac.
For a deeper reset, in Finder go to ~/Library/Preferences/ and remove (or move elsewhere) these files:
com.apple.Bluetooth.plistcom.apple.wifi.plistcom.apple.network.identification.plistcom.apple.airdrop.plist(if present)
Reboot again, re-enable Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and test AirDrop with the iPhone placed close to the Mac.
10. Use the “bring devices together” AirDrop mode
Since iOS 17, AirDrop supports a proximity-based transfer mode using Ultra Wideband. In many cases this bypasses flaky discovery and just works.
- On iPhone, select a photo or file and tap Share → AirDrop.
- Bring the iPhone physically close to the Mac – usually near the left side of the display where antennas are.
- Wait for the AirDrop sheet to pop up automatically on the Mac.
If this works reliably while manual AirDrop doesn’t, the issue is almost certainly in discovery settings, firewall rules or network profiles.
11. When it’s actually a hardware problem
If you’ve reset visibility, disabled VPN/Private Relay, cycled Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, reset network settings and cleared preferences – and AirDrop still refuses to work between any devices – you might be dealing with hardware failure.
Watch for these signs:
- Bluetooth audio constantly drops or stutters.
- Wi-Fi range is dramatically worse than other devices on the same network.
- Handoff, Continuity Camera and Instant Hotspot also fail.
- The Mac or iPhone has a history of water damage or third-party repairs.
At that point, it’s worth booking a diagnostic at an authorised Apple service provider or Apple Store.
12. Related Bluetooth issues you should fix too
If AirDrop problems come and go together with Bluetooth issues, it’s a sign that your BLE stack isn’t healthy. That also affects headphones, keyboards and controllers. To stabilise Bluetooth on your iPhone, follow a dedicated troubleshooting guide like Fix Bluetooth Headphones Disconnecting on iPhone / Android (2026) – many of the same steps apply.
If your current Mac or iPhone is several generations old and struggles with newer features, it can also be worth upgrading to a modern device with better radios and UWB support. On Amazon UK you can browse current models via search:
13. Quick checklist – fix AirDrop stuck on “Waiting…”
- Personal Hotspot disabled on both devices.
- AirDrop visibility set to Everyone for 10 Minutes on iPhone and Everyone on Mac.
- Wi-Fi and Bluetooth fully toggled off/on from Settings, not just Control Centre.
- VPNs, Private Relay and Limit IP Address Tracking disabled while testing.
- Firewall relaxed and sharing services allowed on macOS.
- Network settings reset on iPhone, Bluetooth/Wi-Fi preferences cleared on Mac.
- Proximity mode (“bring devices together”) tested.
If you work through that list in order, AirDrop almost always springs back to life. And if it doesn’t, you have strong evidence that the underlying problem is hardware – not a random software glitch.
