Technologies

Is Apple’s AirDrop Not Working? Try These Solutions

AirDrop is a convenient way to transfer photos and files between Apple devices, but sometimes it fails. Here are some quick tips for troubleshooting the issue.

AirDrop has long been a fast and easy way for Apple users to transfer files between devices. When enabled, you can easily share photos, documents, videos, audio recordings, contact cards, web links, notes and more between iPads, iPhones and Macs. AirDrop lets you easily move files across your own devices, but you can also use it to transfer them to nearby contacts (as long as they have iOS or MacOS). It works with any iOS device with iOS 7 or newer and Macs running OS X Yosemite or newer.

For a detailed explanation of how to use AirDrop, check out our guide here. But even if you follow these steps, sometimes AirDrop can fail. Here are a few possible reasons why it’s not working.

Bluetooth or Wi-Fi isn’t on

AirDrop uses both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi to discover devices and share files. So both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi need to be turned on in order for it to work. If even one of the connections is disabled, AirDrop will not work. If you’re having trouble with either of these connections, you can try toggling these features off and on again. To do so, simply head to Settings or Control Center and enable both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

Personal Hotspot is enabled

If your phone or tablet’s Personal Hotspot feature is turned on, that might prevent AirDrop from working. Make sure that’s disabled and make sure that the other device also has it turned off. A VPN connection might also create issues with AirDrop. If you’re using a VPN, make sure that local networking is allowed. Otherwise, try disabling it in case you’re having issues with AirDrop.

AirDrop is set to Receiving Off

Another reason AirDrop might not be working is that your AirDrop settings are incorrect. If you have it as «Receiving Off,» no one can AirDrop files to you. To correct this, you need to do the following:

Open the Control Center panel
Tap the wireless connection icon
Tap the AirDrop icon
Choose Contacts Only or Everyone for 10 Minutes

The «Contacts Only» option only works with people saved in your contacts while the «Everyone» option opens your phone to the public for 10 minutes. We wouldn’t advise choosing the latter unless you really trust the people around you. If the person you want to AirDrop with isn’t in your contacts yet, it might be best to save them as a contact first before doing the AirDrop. Otherwise, the Everyone option is all right if you’re in a relatively private location. Just make sure that it switches back to a more private option after the transfer ends.

Your contact doesn’t include their Apple ID

If you had set the AirDrop preference set to «Contacts Only,» then both parties need to have each other’s Apple ID email address or mobile number set up in the Contacts app in order to work. If that’s not working, then you can just use the Everyone option to AirDrop the file.

One of the devices is locked

If one of the devices is locked or powered off, then AirDrop will not work. AirDrop won’t see a locked device as an available device for sending something. Make sure the receiving iPhone, iPad or Mac is unlocked and powered on so that AirDrop can recognize it.

The devices are too far apart

Since AirDrop uses Bluetooth and Wi-Fi to transfer files, the two devices need to be within Bluetooth range of each other, which is often 30 feet. Try placing the two devices as close to each other as possible to minimize any errors. In iOS 18, the transfers can continue over the internet even if the initial connection is lost, so you could move apart after the process has already started.

Incompatible hardware

AirDrop only works with iOS and MacOS products, not with Android or PC products. Android does have Quick Share, which functions similarly to AirDrop.

It’s also possible that you are trying to AirDrop files that are particularly large, like 4K video files. If that’s the case, check out this guide for transferring large videos from your iPhone to a Mac using the Image Capture tool on MacOSO.

Technologies

Dangerous TikTok Chromebook Challenge Involves Kids Sparking Fires in Laptops

Well, this is a bad idea: Kids are jamming metal into their school computer USB ports to try and start fires.

TikTok is full of entertaining cat videos, humorous dances and yes, even challenges — the famed ice-bucket challenge has returned and is promoting mental-health support. But now a dangerous TikTok challenge is spreading through the short-video app, and through schools across the country.

The Chromebook Challenge, named for Google’s line of laptops, encourages students to insert metal items into the USB port on their school-issued computers, intending to create sparks, smoke, and possibly a fire.

Read more: Best laptops of 2025

Searching TikTok will bring up videos showing kids attempting the dangerous and damaging challenge. Schools, as you might expect, are not happy.

David Winston, principal of Lincoln Park Middle School in Morris County, New Jersey, sent a letter home to parents about the dangers of the act, as reported by NorthJersey.com.

Read more: The 75 Hard and 75 Soft TikTok Fitness Challenges Explained

«We expect our students to make responsible choices and refrain from any behavior that could result in injury, property damage, disciplinary action, or the loss of privileges,» Winston said in his letter. «This type of act is considered a form of vandalism and, if a fire results, could be treated as arson.»

And kids might not be laughing when their parents get the bill for a damaged or ruined laptop.

«We’re asking for your help in talking to your child about the importance of taking care of their school devices and thinking twice before participating in online challenges like this,» reads a letter sent to parents of kids in Virginia’s Prince George’s County Public Schools, as reported by FOX5. «As a reminder, families are responsible for the cost of any deliberate damage done to school-issued Chromebooks.»

Technologies

Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for May 9, #432

Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle No. 432 for May 9.

Looking for the most recent Strands answer? Click here for our daily Strands hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Todays NYT Strands puzzle might leave you longing for a summer weekend away. If you need hints and answers, read on.

I go into depth about the rules for Strands in this story.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections and Mini Crossword answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: NYT Connections Turns 1: These Are the 5 Toughest Puzzles So Far

Hint for today’s Strands puzzle

Today’s Strands theme is: Outsiders

If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: Off to the mountains.

Clue words to unlock in-game hints

Your goal is to find hidden words that fit the puzzle’s theme. If you’re stuck, find any words you can. Every time you find three words of four letters or more, Strands will reveal one of the theme words. These are the words I used to get those hints, but any words of four or more letters that you find will work:

BACK, COOL, CART, PACK, SALE, RILE, POEM, CARE, RACE, TRASH, GATE, LATE, LATER, GALE, TIME, RAGE, CAMP

Answers for today’s Strands puzzle

These are the answers that tie into the theme. The goal of the puzzle is to find them all, including the spangram, a theme word that reaches from one side of the puzzle to the other. When you’ve got all of them (I originally thought there were always eight but learned that the number can vary), every letter on the board will be used. Here are the nonspangram answers:

TENT, GRILL, COOLER, LANTERN, THERMOS, BACKPACK

Today’s Strands spangram

Today’s Strands spangram is CAMPINGGEAR. To find it, start with the C that’s two rows to the right and five letters down, and wind all around — kind of in the shape of a mountain.

Technologies

Ultrahuman, Oura Ring’s Competitor, Will Fulfill Ring Air Orders in US

The announcement should mean tariffs won’t impact prices on its smart ring.

Ultrahuman, Oura Ring’s competitor in the growing world of smart rings, soon plans to fulfill all orders at its Plano, Texas facility, UltraFactory. Ultrahuman also plans to scale production to 500,000 smart rings annually. The facility is in partnership with SVtronics and has been operating since November 2024.

Read more: I Put 3 Popular Smart Rings to the Test to Find Which is the Best

«With expansion plans underway, the facility aims to serve 100% of US demand for the Ring Air and will soon scale its production to more than half a million units annually,» the company said in a statement. No date was given for the change.

President Donald Trump’s administration is imposing tariffs on imported goods from other countries, so the Texas-made products would not face such tariffs.

The Ultrahuman Ring Air first came out in June 2023, and the company teamed up with Verizon to be the first carrier to sell a smart ring. The light ring, which costs $349, is available for iOS and Android and uses sensors to track sleep, recovery, stress levels, caffeine intake, calories burned, steps and women’s health issues, including ovulation.

CNET chose the Ultrahuman Ring Air as the best smart ring for fitness enthusiasts, while also noting that the ring is thicker than competitors, and its app interface could be better designed.