Most files you receive with AirDrop on a Mac are saved to your Downloads folder. Open Finder and click Downloads in the sidebar, or press Option-Command-L. For some items, such as a photo, macOS may offer to open it in the Photos app instead, so check there if it isn't in Downloads.
Where AirDrop saves files on a Mac
Apple's rule is simple. An item usually opens in the app it was sent from. On a Mac, some items are saved straight to the Downloads folder. For others, you get a choice. A photo, for example, can go to Downloads or open in Photos.
If you and the sender use the same Apple Account, say from your own iPhone, the transfer is accepted and saved without asking. If it comes from someone else, you click Accept on the AirDrop notification first.
How to find AirDrop files in Downloads
- Click the Finder icon in the Dock.
- Click Downloads in the Finder sidebar, or press ⌥⌘L (Option-Command-L).
- Choose View ▸ Show View Options and set Sort By to Date Added, so the newest items sit at the top.
- If you can't find a photo, open the Photos app. macOS can offer to open some photos there instead of saving them to Downloads.
Photos from an iPhone often have names like IMG_1234.HEIC, which are easy to miss in a busy folder. Sorting by Date Added usually works better than searching by name.
Set who can AirDrop to your Mac
- Click Control Center in the menu bar.
- Click the AirDrop icon to turn it on. It turns blue when it's on.
- Click and hold the AirDrop icon, or click the arrow next to it.
- Choose Contacts Only or Everyone.
With Contacts Only, the sender has to be in your contacts. Their contact card needs the email address or phone number they use for their Apple Account. If you share between your own devices, that is already the case.
Set who can AirDrop to your iPhone
An iPhone has three receiving options: Receiving Off, Contacts Only and Everyone for 10 Minutes.
- Open Control Center on the iPhone.
- Touch and hold the group of connectivity controls (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and so on).
- Tap AirDrop, then pick an option.
Everyone for 10 Minutes switches back on its own (iOS 16.2 or later). It returns to Contacts Only if you are signed in to an Apple Account, or to Receiving Off if you are not. On iOS 26.2 or later, a person who isn't in your contacts may be asked for an AirDrop code. You get it by tapping Get AirDrop Code.
Send photos from iPhone to Mac with AirDrop
- Open Photos on the iPhone and tap Select.
- Choose the photos or videos you want.
- Tap the Share button, then tap AirDrop.
- Tap your Mac in the AirDrop list. If it's signed in to your Apple Account, the files arrive without a prompt.
For a big library, AirDrop is slow and manual. See how to transfer photos from iPhone to Mac for iCloud Photos and cable imports.
What to do when AirDrop doesn't show your Mac
- Turn on Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on both devices.
- Move the devices within about 30 feet (10 meters) of each other.
- Check the receiving device is set to Contacts Only or Everyone, not off.
- If you use Contacts Only, make sure the sender's contact card has their Apple Account email or phone number.
- Restart both devices and try again.
You can also open the AirDrop window in Finder with ⇧⌘R (Shift-Command-R). When it's open, the accept prompt shows up in that window instead of in Notification Center.
Keep AirDrop arrivals together with FileShelf
Downloads fills up with browser files, installers and AirDrop arrivals all mixed together. FileShelf is a Mac app that indexes folders you choose, like Downloads. It groups downloads by the app that saved them, so everything that came in by AirDrop sits together. You see each file as a big preview, and you can search in plain words, like “photos from last week”. Clean Up can also point out forgotten downloads you may want to move to the Trash, with undo. Everything stays on your Mac.
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