Do you have an iPhone and want to transfer photos to your friend or the brand new iPhone you bought? You don't want to waste time, but you don't want the quality of the photos to drop either. Fortunately, your iPhone has a handy solution for this.
The Airdrop feature lets you do just that without the need for cables, an internet connection, or third-party software. And you can use it with any device running iOS.
This article will show you what you need to know about the Airdrop feature and how to transfer photos from one device to another as efficiently as possible.
How to Send Photos from iPhone to iPhone
Before you start sharing all the cute photos of your pet, there are a few things you need to check before you can start.
- Make sure iPhones are within Bluetooth and Wi-Fi range.
- Make sure Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are enabled on both iPhones.
- Disable any hotspots running from either phone.
- Check if the Airdrop settings are on "Contacts only" or "Everyone".
Swipe up from the top right corner of your iPhone screen (for iPhone X or later) to check these requirements and access Control Center. Here you can enable Bluetooth and change Airdrop settings to "Everyone" if you don't have the contact number saved in your phone.
Airdrop steps from iPhone to iPhone may vary depending on your device version.
For iPhone 11 or later:
- Open the Photos app.
- Select a photo.
- Press the "Share" button.
- Swipe left or right to find and add more photos.
- Press the "AirDrop" button.
- A list of available devices will appear.
- If both people have an iPhone 11 or later, when you point the sending iPhone to the receiving iPhone, the receiving iPhone appears at the top of the list of available devices. Being at the top of the list makes it easier for you to choose the device you want.
- Select the receiving iPhone. If you have the number in your contacts, you'll see the person's picture and name; otherwise, you will only see the person's name.
For iPhone XS or earlier:
- Open the Photos app.
- Select a photo.
- Press the "Share" button.
- Add more photos by swiping left or right.
- Press the "AirDrop" button.
- Select the receiving iPhone.
If you are the recipient, you will receive a pop-up notification with a preview of the file. The alert gives you the option to accept or reject the photo. If you accept the image, it will appear in your Photos app.
How to Airdrop All Photos from iPhone to iPhone
Sending a few photos from one iPhone to another is quite simple. But what if you wanted to transfer your entire camera roll? Luckily, you won't have to select each photo individually. Follow these steps to select all your photos to Airdrop.
- Go to your camera roll.
- Press "Select" in the top right.
- Go to the last row of photos in your roll.
- If the last row is full, select the last image and swipe down to the left; then, without lifting your finger, swipe to the top left corner until all photos are selected.
- If the last row is not full, select each photo individually and continue as described in step 4.
- Press the "AirDrop" button.
- Select the receiving iPhone.
How to Drop Photo Album from iPhone to iPhone
What if you don't want to transfer all the photos you have, but you also don't want to select dozens of individual photos? There's a cool feature called Moments that groups photos based on the time and place they were taken. To transfer photos via Moments, here are the steps:
- Open the Photos app.
- Go to the Moments view.
- Tap the âSelectâ option in the upper right corner.
- Select the "Moments" you want to transfer.
- Press the "AirDrop" button.
- Select the receiving iPhone.
If you've already created an album with specific photos you want to transfer, you can also do it this way:
- Open the Photos app.
- Tap the âSelectâ option in the upper right corner.
- Select an entire album you want to transfer.
- Press the "AirDrop" button.
- Select the receiving iPhone.
Or another way is to manually select the whole album the same way as the whole camera roll:
- Go to the Photos app.
- Open the album you want to transfer.
- Tap the âSelectâ option.
- Go to the bottom row of photos in the album.
- Individually select all the images in the last line.
- Tap the last image you selected and slide your finger down left then up left without lifting it.
- If the last row is full, tap the last photo and continue as described in step 6.
- Press the "AirDrop" button.
- Choose the receiving iPhone.
How to Transfer Photos from Old iPhone to New iPhone
The Airdrop feature comes in handy when moving from an old iPhone to a new one. It's a quick and convenient way to transfer everything you need without losing photo quality. However, you need to make sure your device is running on iOS7 (or later) or transferring from an iPhone 5 or later. To do this, the steps are:
- Enable Bluetooth and Wi-Fi on both iPhones.
- Enable Airdrop on both iPhones.
- Go to the Photos app on your old phone.
- Select the photos you want to transfer.
- Tap the âAirdropâ button.
- Select your new phone.
- Once you receive the alert on your new phone, tap "Accept".
Additional FAQs
Is there a maximum number of photos I can upload using Airdrop?
There is no official limit. However, as the number of photos increases, the time required to transfer them also increases. How long it would take depends on the size of the photos and the processor of the two phones. Keep in mind that you cannot use the phones while the images are transferring.
Why isn't Airdrop working on my phone?
There are a few things that users might have overlooked that can cause an Airdrop error.
First, check if Bluetooth is enabled. To do this, go to "Settings" and check if there is a green button next to the Bluetooth function. If enabled, check if your devices are discoverable. Tap "Allow new connections" to do so. This will allow the other iPhone to detect your device and connect to it.
Also check if the Airdrop feature is enabled. Go to âSettingsâ, then âGeneralâ, then select âAirdropâ. If so, and the setting is "Contacts Only", change it to "Everyone". You can disable this option later.
Finally, check if any hotspots are enabled and disable them; be sure to check this on both phones. It's also a good idea to make sure the receiving iPhone has enough space to accommodate all the files if you're sending more than one at a time.
How fast is Airdrop?
The transfer speed of your photos or other files depends on many factors. The most important factor is the size of the photo or file. It also depends on the hardware and software of the iPhones, especially the state of the processor. The average transfer rate is around 6,62 Mbps.
drop it off
There are many reasons to use Airdrop to transfer photos to nearby iPhone. It is simple, fast and allows you to transfer several photos simultaneously. Therefore, knowing how to use this feature effectively will help you share the moments you've captured in those photos more effectively than ever before.
Are you familiar with this feature and how often do you use it? Did you encounter any problems with it? Share your experience in the comment section below.