iPhone 17 Pro AirDrop fails to MacBook Pro

Question

Level 1

17 points

iPhone 17 Pro AirDrop fails to MacBook Pro

I upgraded to an iPhone 17pro more than a week ago. At first I was able to airdrop from the new iPhone to my older 2012 Macbook Pro on Catalina. One week later, I cannot airdrop from the 17pro to the Macbook Pro. It just is on waiting and then goes to airdrop failed. However, I can airdrop from my 17 pro to my previous SE 2nd gen phone. My previous SE will airdrop a video taken on the SE and photos successfully to the Macbook pro. However, I airdropped a 10 minute video taken last night on the 17pro from the 17pro to the SE, and then tried to airdrop it from the SE to the Macbook Pro, and the airdrop will fail. I have made sure that both my wifi and bluetooth are active, turned them on and off, rebooted all devices, and I have airdrop set to everyone (since I am at home). I don't know my next step - any help would be appreciated.

MacBook Pro 13″, macOS 10.15

Posted on Nov 13, 2025 11:11 AM

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Answer 1

Nov 21, 2025 7:34 AM in response to bboross

Why do I have difficulty with Wi-Fi or Bluetooth devices when USB 3 devices are attached to my computer?

Some USB 3 devices can generate radio frequency interference that can cause Wi-Fi and Bluetooth devices operating in the 2.4GHz band to have issues communicating with your computer. Here are some tips to avoid this issue:

• If your USB device has a cable long enough that you can move the device, place it away from your Mac—and make sure not to place it behind your Mac, or near the hinge of its display. The antennas for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are located there, and USB 3 devices placed there might interfere with your wireless connections.

• If you're using adapters or dongles on a Mac computer with Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports, plug them into the front port on the left side of your Mac, or into the ports on the right side (if your computer has them). These ports are the farthest away from the antennas, making interference less likely.

• To avoid interference on the 2.4GHz band using Wi-Fi, try using the 5GHz band instead. You can change this on your wireless base station. Bluetooth always uses 2.4GHz, so this alternative isn't available for Bluetooth.

from:

About USB on Mac computers - Apple Support

Resolve Wi-Fi and Bluetooth issues caused by wireless interference

Resolve Wi-Fi and Bluetooth issues caused by wireless interference - Apple Support

does it work with all other peripherals disconnected?

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Answer 2

bboross Author

Level 1

17 points

Nov 25, 2025 5:59 AM in response to bboross

I've had some success with getting airdrop to work, but it's not consistent. This page helped me the most - https://helpdeskgeek.com/how-to-fix-airdrop-not-working-from-iphone-to-mac/

Scroll down to "Delete Bluetooth/Wi-Fi PLIST Files and Mac" - I followed this advice to delete files and restart, and was able to airdrop an image and 5 minute video from iPhone 17 to the 2012 Macbook. But upon further trying on other days airdrop still was not going through.

Previously I could airdrop from my iPhone 17 to my 2012 iPad, but now even that doesn't work. The only way to get a file from my iPhone 17 to my Macbook Pro 2012 Catalina is to first airdrop to my 2020 iPhone SE 2nd gen, and then airdrop from there to the Macbook. 2020 to 2012 will work, but my 2025 iPhone to my 2012 Macbook is not working consistently.

Side note - I recently switched from Xfinity cable internet to ATT Air Internet. The internet signal now is coming from a tower rather than a cable. Due to my geographic location I'm getting only 2 1/2 bars out of four on the ATT modem strength indicator. So I'm not getting a full strength signal. I did some research on the ATT website about Air, and it states that older laptops have significantly slower download/upload speeds than new ones. My 2012 Macbook falls into the lowest level here. So the limitations of my new internet provider is not helping at all. See this chart - https://www.att.com/scmsassets/support/internet/atandt_wireless_internet/device_speed_expectancy.pdf

I did try airdrop from the iPhone 17 to my Macbook at a local Dunkin Donuts, using the DD Guest wifi, but it still did not work.

I'm beginning to accept that the difference in technology from 2012 to 2025 is just getting too great. I'm strongly considering a purchase of a new or newer Macbook Pro or iMac. This gap in technology will only get worse in the future.

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Answer 3

bboross Author

Level 1

17 points

Nov 13, 2025 1:22 PM in response to bboross

Also - on my Macbook Pro, when I look in the airdrop tab in the Finder, it recognizes my iPhone 17pro. I can airdrop both an image and a short video from the Macbook to the iPhone 17

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Answer 4

bboross Author

Level 1

17 points

Nov 13, 2025 1:56 PM in response to bboross

Just now I've clicked off HDR recording, and tried to airdrop using the "best compatible" choice, but it still did not airdrop.

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Answer 5

D66L69

Level 1

14 points

Nov 19, 2025 6:32 AM in response to bboross

Recently upgraded to a iPhone 17 from an iPhone 14 and I’m having the same issue on a 2017 MacBook Pro, airdrop rarely works if it does it’s very slow.

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