AirDrop - what is it? AirDrop - how to use? AirDrop - how to enable

In the era of the Internet and mobile gadgets, the only thing we love more than contemplating all sorts of content is sharing it with your friends and family. Many of us probably remember the times when people transferred each other their favorite music and pictures via Bluetooth (someone remembers the infrared port). Now there are messengers, clouds, mail in the end, it would seem, for Bluetooth there is no place left. No matter how, such a method of data transmission has remained in use, although it has undergone some changes. Even the evangelicals of Apple, who for a long time lived without such an opportunity, eventually got it.

AirDrop - what is it?

AirDrop is a technology created for transferring data over a Wi-Fi network and using Bluetooth. This tool was developed by Apple and was presented in the summer of 2013.

Apple as always talked a lot about AirDrop, this is an important function that simplifies data exchange at times and is the most reliable and fast method of transferring data between devices at short distances. Speed and reliability are due to the data transfer process.

With AirDrop, you can transfer anything, whether it's bulky files or web links. Without any problems, you can share any media content, notes, books, most importantly, send it through the standard "share" menu in iOS / Mac.

History

The release of iPhone has had a significant impact on the development of technology. Steve Jobs, despite very contradictory ideas, was perfectly able to convince, and even serious restrictions were eventually accepted, therefore for a long time the iPhone did not support the possibility of data transfer via Bluetooth. Apple, led by Tim Cook, did not share such principles, and with the upgrade of the system to version 7 introduced a new feature - AirDrop. Initially, this function worked on iOS and Mac separately, but after the release of the eighth version of iOS and the tenth OS X, it was possible to share files between a computer, a smartphone and a tablet.

How it works?

Both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are used for data transfer (both options must be enabled in the gadget settings). AirDrop uses Bluetooth LE to create a peer-to-peer Wi-Fi connection between two devices. Each of the participants in the connection creates a firewall necessary to protect the connection itself and the transmitted file, so that all data is protected and encrypted to the maximum, which makes sending via AirDrop safer than sending data by mail.

AirDrop, using Bluetooth, scans the surrounding space for the presence of available devices for connection. Devices should be quite close to the first connection and create an impromptu Wi-Fi network, after which the distance can be increased.

This technology is much easier, more convenient and faster than what is used in Android. The technology NFC, used in phones of other brands, requires the presence of exchange participants closely to each other.

Supported devices

Unfortunately many users, the new tool for data exchange does not work on all Apple devices.

For this function to work on a Mac, it is required that it be released not earlier than 2008, including:

Notebooks:

• Macbook Pro 2008 release.
• Macbook Air 2008 release.

Desktop Computers:

• IMac 2009 and younger.
• Mac mini 2010 and younger.
• Mac Pro 2010 and younger.

It is important to note that to exchange data with mobile devices you need a computer that was released no later than 2012 with the preinstalled OS X Yosemite system.

To exchange data on devices running iOS, you need:

• IPhone 5-th generation and newer.
• IPad Pro.
• IPad 4th generation and Air models.
• IPad mini.
• IPod touch 5th generation and newer.

Many users were outraged and angry "Why does not AirDrop support the iPad?", That it's pure marketing and an attempt to force users to abandon the classic device in favor of newer ones. The developers hastened to explain that such limitations are caused by the absence of the old devices Bluetooth LE technology, as well as the presence of an outdated Wi-Fi-module. Therefore, some older devices, including the first generation iPad and iPhone 4s, AirDrop do not support. The same is true for computers with old network equipment.

AirDrop: how to enable, connect and start sharing? (IOS)

How does this feature work on iOS? First, open the control point (looking up from the bottom of the screen), find the AirDrop icon in it, click on it, choose one of the available options:

• Disabling AirDrop.
• Option only for contacts (your device will be searchable only for those users who are listed in your address book).
• Option for all (your device will be searchable to anyone who wishes to share with you).

To share content, you need to use the standard "Share" menu. Find the desired content, click the icon in the form of an arrow and select the desired contact (contacts appear in the form of photos at the top of the menu). The "share" menu is available in almost any application developed in Apple itself, as well as those sold in the AppStore.

A notification will appear on the receiving device's screen, where you will be offered the option to accept or reject the file / content. If agreed, the selected file will be delivered instantly to the device selected as the recipient. Delivered content will be opened in the corresponding application (links in Safari, photos in "Photos", PDF in iBooks and so on).

Instructions for use (Mac)

On Mac computers, the AirDrop function is located in the Finder. It is enough to find this sub-item in the sidebar of the file manager and go to it. The appeared window automatically prompts you to turn on Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and then it will go into working state. At the bottom of the window is the button "Allow my detection", which will allow you to exchange files with all users nearby, and not just those who are recorded in the address book.

Sending files / content is done on the same principle as in iOS, it is enough to use the standard "Share" menu, but there is another option: by going to the AirDrop folder, you will see a list of people ready to connect with you on AirDrop, just transfer to their A photo of the link / file / video as the sending begins.

The received files are saved in the Downloads folder. If the owner of the device is one person, then the files are sent to the "Downloads" without additional notification.

Known Issues

AirDrop is far from ideal, the program has crashed at the time of release and continues to deliver problems to this day. The problems concern both the exchange of data between mobile devices and the transfer of data from the computer to the tablet / smartphone. If AirDrop does not work for you, take a look at this list:

• Absence of the AirDrop item in the Finder: if you encounter this, then your computer is not modern enough for this technology to work, you will have to reconcile or update your Mac.
• You can not see nearby users: with this shortage, users often encounter. The only solution for it is not, you need to try to disconnect AirDrop, as well as the connection of Wi-Fi on both devices, and then try again. If reconnection does not help, you can cause the devices to forget the Wi-Fi network, if you connect to it during an exchange.
• Blocked connections on the Mac: in the security settings of Apple computers, there is a blocking of all incoming connections, which can block the work of AirDrop. The solution is simple: just disable this option.
• Create a pair between iPhone / iPad and Mac: in the Bluetooth settings, you need to find the device you need and create a pair with it beforehand. To do this, go to Settings> Bluetooth, find the iPhone / iPad we need, click, then we take the device to iOS and enter the confirmation code (this method can help when connecting two iOS devices, you need to let AirDrop know that this is an iPhone or iPad , Ready for connection and exchange, in advance).

conclusions

After reading this material, you should not have any questions about AirDrop: what it is, how it works, and so on. Despite the fact that AirDrop does not always work, it has a number of problems and limitations, yet it is worth paying tribute to the new Apple, which is ready to give up some of its principles in favor of convenience and user comfort.