Technologies

AirDrop Is Like FedEx for Your iPhone Files and Photos. Here’s How to Use It

AirDrop is perhaps one of Apple’s best features. If you’re not using it yet, you’re missing out.

If you’re still emailing photos from your iPhone to nearby friends or are still using a USB thumb drive to transfer a few files from your Mac, stop. Try AirDrop instead. Whether you have an iPhone 14, an iPad Mini or a new M2 MacBook Pro, AirDrop is a convenient way to transfer files and content from one Apple device to another. AirDrop lets you share photos, documents, videos, audio recordings, contact cards, web links and notes (among other things) quickly between Apple devices.

AirDrop is limited to iOS and MacOS. (Sorry, Android and PC users.) When AirDrop came out in 2012, it was one of the features that separated the iPhone from Android phones. If you have an Android phone, Google has its own version of AirDrop called Nearby Share, which does something similar.

You don’t even need the latest iPhone 14 Pro or a 16-inch MacBook Pro with an M2 Max chip to use AirDrop. It works with any iOS device running iOS 7 or newer and any Mac running OS X Yosemite or newer. The only «requirement» is that both devices are within 30 feet of each other and have both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth turned on. So far as I can tell, there isn’t a limit to the size of the file you AirDrop. Just know that the bigger the file, the longer it will take to transfer.

If you’d like to follow along step-by-step as I set up and use AirDrop, watch the video below.

How to turn on AirDrop

From an iPhone, make sure Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are both turned on. Next, open the Control Center panel, then push and hold the wireless connection icon until it expands into a rectangle. Last, tap AirDrop and choose from Receiving Off, Contacts Only or Everyone to control who can send files to your phone.

On a Mac, check that you have Wi-Fi and Bluetooth enabled. Open a Finder window. Then, from the sidebar click on AirDrop. A window will open with a radar-like graphic. Anyone nearby with AirDrop enabled will appear in this window. At the bottom of the window, you can select who can send stuff to you: No One, Contacts or Everyone.

How to AirDrop on an iPhone

To use AirDrop on an iPhone, the person you’re sending files to needs to have an Apple device with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth turned on. If either of you has a Personal Hotspot enabled, turn it off; otherwise AirDrop won’t work. The same is true if you’re using a VPN. I’m not sure exactly why this is, but I’d guess it has something to do with the way a VPN encrypts your internet connection.

Anytime you see a Share button on your phone (the rectangle icon with an arrow pointing up), you can select AirDrop. When you do, you’ll be shown a list of any nearby Apple devices that also have AirDrop enabled. Tap the name of the device you want to send to. For example, say you’re in the Photos app and you see a picture you want to AirDrop. Tap the Share button to open the Share menu. At the bottom of the menu, tap the AirDrop icon. Next a window will appear with anyone nearby who has AirDrop enabled. Find the person you want to send the photo to and tap their contact icon.

Next, a window alert with a preview of the content you’re sharing will pop up on the recipient’s phone. They have the option to Accept or Decline. Once they tap Accept, the photo you selected will be transferred. Pictures and videos are saved into the Photos app on the recipient’s phone. Documents will prompt the receiver to choose an app to save them to. Web links will automatically open in your default web browser, which for most people will be Safari.

If the person you’re sending to has their AirDrop set to Contacts Only, then they’ll need to have a contact card in the Contacts app that has either your email address or phone number in order for this to work. If you’re not in their Contacts, have them change their AirDrop preference to Everyone to receive your file.

How to AirDrop on a Mac

To start, make sure your Mac’s Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are both on, then open a Finder window. Next, from the sidebar click on AirDrop. To share a file, simply drag and drop it onto the contact icon for the person you want in the AirDrop window. Also, just like on iOS, you can access AirDrop anytime you see the Share button.

If you’re having trouble sending a file over AirDrop from a Mac, click the Don’t see who you’re looking for button at the bottom of the AirDrop Finder window. Then, click the Search For An Older Mac button that pops up.

How to AirDrop from iPhone to Mac (or vice versa)

If you want to AirDrop content from an iPhone to a Mac, start with the content. For example, if you want to AirDrop a web link, have the page opened on your iPhone. Then open the Share menu and tap the AirDrop icon. Next, select the Mac icon and name for the device you want to send the web link to. The recipient’s Mac will show a prompt asking them to Accept or Decline. Once they tap Accept, the web link will transfer and open in their default web browser.

If you want to AirDrop from your iPhone to your Mac, and both are signed into the same Apple ID, you won’t see an option to Accept or Decline. The transfer will just happen.

How to change your AirDrop name

Your AirDrop name is the same as your general device name. To check it or change it on an iPhone, open Settings. Tap General, then tap About. The first item in the list shows the current name of your iPhone. Simply tap to change it.

Now that you have mastered the art of AirDrop, take a look at other helpful iPhone tips and tricks below.

Technologies

iOS 17 Cheat Sheet: Your Questions on the iPhone Update Answered

Here’s what you need to know about new features and upcoming updates for your iPhone.

Apple’s iOS 17 was released in September, shortly after the company held its Wonderlust event, where the tech giant announced the new iPhone 15 lineup, the Apple Watch Series 9 and the Apple Watch Ultra 2. We put together this cheat sheet to help you learn about and use the new features in iOS 17. It’ll also help you keep track of the subsequent iOS 17 updates.

iOS 17 updates

Using iOS 17

Getting started with iOS 17

Make sure to check back periodically for more iOS 17 tips and how to use new features as Apple releases more updates.

17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About

+15 More

See all photos

Technologies

Get Ready for a Striking Aurora That Could Also Disrupt Radio Communications

Don’t expect the storm to cause a lingering problem, though.

A geomagnetic storm is threatening radio communications Monday night, but that doesn’t mean you should be concerned. In fact, it may be an opportunity to see a colorful aurora in the night sky.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has issued a geomagnetic storm watch after witnessing a coronal mass ejection from the sun on Saturday. The watch, which was issued over the weekend and will expire after Monday, said the onset of the storm passing over Earth on Sunday night represented a «moderate» threat to communications. As the storm continues to pass through, it could deliver a «strong» threat on Monday night that could cause radio communications to be temporarily disrupted during the worst of it.

Even so, NOAA said, «the general public should not be concerned.»

A coronal mass ejection occurs when magnetic field and plasma mass are violently expelled from the sun’s corona, or the outermost portion of the sun’s atmosphere. In the vast majority of cases, the ejection occurs with no real threat to Earth. However, in the event the ejection happens in the planet’s direction, a geomagnetic storm occurs, and the Earth’s magnetic field is temporarily affected.

In most cases, geomagnetic storms cause little to no disruption on Earth, with radio communications and satellites affected most often. In extreme cases, a geomagnetic storm can cause significant and potentially life-threatening power outages — a prospect that, luckily, the planet hasn’t faced.

Switching poles

Every 11 years, the sun’s magnetic poles switch, with the north pole and south pole swapping positions. During those cycles, the sun’s activity ramps up as it gets closer to pole-switching time. The height of its activity is called solar maximum, and scientists believe we either may be entering the solar maximum or may be already in it.

During periods of heightened solar activity, sunspots increase on the sun and there’s an increase in coronal mass ejections, among other phenomena. According to NOAA, solar maximum could extend into October of this year before the sun’s activity calms and it works towards its less-active phase, solar minimum.

Even when geomagnetic storms hit Earth and disrupt communications, the effects are usually short-lived. Those most affected, including power grid operators and pilots and air traffic controllers communicating over long distances, have fail-safe technologies and backup communications to ensure operational continuity.

But geomagnetic storms aren’t only about radios. In most cases, they also present unique opportunities to see auroras in the night sky. When the storms hit, the plasma they carry creates a jaw-dropping aurora, illuminating the night sky with brilliant colors. Those auroras can be especially pronounced during the most intense phases of the storm, making for nice stargazing.

If you’re interested in seeing the aurora, you’ll need to be ready. The NOAA said the «brunt of the storm has passed» and even if it lingers into Tuesday, there won’t be much to see after Monday night.

Technologies

Last Total Solar Eclipse for 20 Years Is Coming: How to See and Photograph It

It’s your last chance until 2044.

Get your eclipse glasses ready, Skygazers: the Great American Eclipse is on its way. On April 8, there’ll be a total eclipse over North America, the last one until 2044.

A total solar eclipse happens when the moon passes between the Earth and the sun, blocking the sun and turning an otherwise sunny day to darkness for a short period of time. Depending on the angle at which you’re viewing the eclipse, you may see the sun completely shrouded by the moon (called totality) or some variation of it. The more off-angle you are and the further you are from the path of the eclipse, the less likely you’ll be to see the totality.

The 2024 total solar eclipse will happen on Monday, April 8. The Great American Eclipse will reach the Mexican Pacific coast at 11:07 a.m. PT (2:07 p.m. ET), and then traverse the US in a northeasterly direction from Texas to Maine, and on into easternmost Canada. If you want a good look at it, but don’t live in the path of totality, you shouldn’t wait much longer to book accommodation and travel to a spot on the path.

Or how about booking a seat in the sky? Delta Airlines made headlines for offering a flight that allows you to see the entire path of totality. Its first eclipse flight, from Austin, Texas, to Detroit sold out quickly. But as of Monday, Delta has added a second flight from Dallas to Detroit, which also covers the path of totality. The airline also has five flights that will offer prime eclipse viewing.

Not everyone can get on one of those elusive eclipse-viewing flights. Here’s a look at other options to nab a chance to see this rare sight and what to know about it.

Total solar eclipse path

The eclipse will cross over the Pacific coast of Mexico and head northeast over mainland Mexico. The eclipse will then make its way over San Antonio at approximately 2:30 p.m. ET on April 8 and move through Texas, over the southeastern part of Oklahoma and northern Arkansas by 2:50 p.m. ET.

By 3 p.m. ET, the eclipse will be over southern Illinois, and just 5 minutes later, will be traveling over Indianapolis. Folks in northwestern Ohio will be treated to the eclipse by 3:15 p.m. ET, and it will then travel over Lake Erie and Buffalo, New York, by 3:20 p.m. ET. Over the next 10 minutes, the eclipse will be seen over northern New York state, then over Vermont. By 3:35 p.m. ET, the eclipse will work its way into Canada and off the Eastern coast of North America.

Best places to watch the Great American Eclipse

When evaluating the best places to watch this year’s total eclipse, you’ll first want to determine where you’ll have the best angle to see the totality. The farther off-angle you are — in other words, the farther north or south of the eclipse’s path — the less of an impact you can expect.

Therefore, if you want to have the best chance of experiencing the eclipse, you’ll want to be in its path. As of this writing, most of the cities in the eclipse’s path have some hotel availability, but recent reports have suggested that rooms are booking up. And as more rooms are booked, prices are going up.

So if you want to be in the eclipse’s path, and need a hotel to do it, move fast. And Delta’s eclipse-viewing flight from Dallas to Detroit has just four seats left at the time of publication.

Eclipse eye safety and photography

As with any solar eclipse, it’s critical you keep eye safety in mind.

During the eclipse, and especially during the periods before and after totality, don’t look directly at the sun without special eye protection. Also, be sure not to look at the sun through a camera (including the camera on your phone), binoculars, a telescope or any other viewing device. This could cause serious eye injury. Sunglasses aren’t enough to protect your eyes from damage.

If you want to view the eclipse, you’ll instead need solar viewing glasses that comply with the ISO 12312-2 safety standard. Anything that doesn’t meet that standard or greater won’t be dark enough to protect your eyes. Want to get them for free? If you’ve got a Warby Parker eyeglasses store nearby, the company is giving away free, ISO-certified solar eclipse glasses at all of its stores from April 1 until the eclipse, while supplies last.

If you don’t have eclipse viewing glasses handy, you can instead use indirect methods for viewing the eclipse, like a pinhole projector.

Read more: A Photographer’s Adventure With the Eclipse

In the event you want to take pictures of the eclipse, attach a certified solar filter to your camera. Doing so will protect your eyes and allow you to take photos while you view the eclipse through your lens.

There’s also a new app to help you both protect your eyes and take better photos of the eclipse on your phone. Solar Snap, designed by a former Hubble Space Telescope astronomer, comes with a Solar Snap camera filter that attaches to the back of an iPhone or Android phone, along with solar eclipse glasses for protecting your eyesight during the event. After you attach the filter to your phone, you can use the free Solar Snap Eclipse app to zoom in on the eclipse, adjust exposure and other camera settings, and ultimately take better shots of the eclipse.

2024 eclipse compared to 2017

The last total solar eclipse occurred in 2017, and many Americans had a great view. Although there are plenty of similarities between the 2017 total solar eclipse and the one coming April 8, there are a handful of differences. Mainly, the 2024 eclipse is going to cover more land and last longer.

The 2017 eclipse started over the northwest US and moved southeast. Additionally, that eclipse’s path was up to 71 miles wide, compared with a maximum width of 122 miles for this year’s eclipse. Perhaps most importantly, the moon completely covered the sun for just 2 minutes, 40 seconds in 2017. This year, maximum totality will last for nearly four-and-a-half minutes.