How to AirDrop files from your Mac to your iPhone or iPad

AirDrop is a file transfer protocol that lets you quickly and easily send files, small and large, between compatible iPhones, iPads, and Macs. Have photos on your Mac that you'd like on your iPhone or iPad? Just AirDrop them, no cables required!

Before attempting the steps below, remember that you must have a compatible device. iOS devices must be running iOS 7 or later while you must own a 2012 or later Mac in order to AirDrop between iOS and OS X.

You'll need to make sure AirDrop is enabled on your devices. In order to do so on your Mac, just open a Finder window and choose AirDrop in the side navigation. You can then change who can see your Mac at the bottom of that window. As for your iPhone or iPad, you can follow these instructions to enable or disable AirDrop.

How to send files from your Mac to your iPhone or iPad with AirDrop

1. Find the file you'd like to share on your Mac. This can be a photo, video, Map location, and much more.
2. Right click on the file and then choose Share.
3. In the submenu, choose AirDrop.
4. Choose the person you'd like to AirDrop to — they'll need to make sure they have AirDrop enabled via Control Center. The instructions are listed above.
5. They will receive a notification asking them to accept or decline the file.
6. Click Done on your Mac when you're finished.

Alternately, you can also open a Finder window on your Mac and click on AirDrop in the side navigation. This way, you can drag files to your iPhone or iPad. Both options work pretty much the same.