New updates are being added at the bottom of this story…….
Original story (published on September 20, 2022) follows:
AirDrop is one of the most useful tools within the Apple product ecosystem. It is a wireless file transfer system between company devices.
AirDrop is not limited to a particular device. It allows you to exchange almost all types of files between iPhones, iPads, Mac computers (desktops and laptops) and iPods.
The tool follows Apple’s philosophy of simplification to make it easy to use. However, it seems that it is not working as it should after the latest iOS 16 update.
According to multiple reports, iOS 16 update ‘breaks’ AirDrop for many iPhone users who are unable to send files to other users under certain conditions.
AirDrop tool not working correctly after iOS 16 update
AirDrop linking system is similar to other similar tools. That is, the user chooses an available device to send files, and the receiving device will display an invitation that must be accepted.
But it seems that currently, the AirDrop feature is not working properly for many iPhone users. The receiving devices are not getting the invite, so the sending process is stuck.
The issue reportedly occurs when the receiving device is saved as a known contact. These contacts are the ones that appear with a custom name in the ‘People’ section.
Trying to AirDrop something to my Wife (known contact that shows up in People, or directly in the share menu) does not work. She doesn’t receive a request to approve or anything. Source
Multiple iPhone models affected by the issue
It’s worth pointing out that early reports suggested that the issue was only present on the new iPhone 14 series. But more recent reports suggest that it can also occur on other iPhone models running iOS 16.
Potential workaround
The tool reportedly works correctly if you turn off the ‘Contacts Only’ option in the AirDrop settings. So, you can change the option to ‘Everyone’ as a potential workaround.
In this case, the available devices will not have a custom name. However, sending the file will reportedly complete without problems.
There is no official acknowledgment of the bug from Apple yet. We will update this story as new relevant developments emerge.
NOTE: You can also check the iOS 16 bugs/issues tracker.
Update 1 (October 12, 2022)
14:51 pm (IST): Multiple reports on Twitter suggest that the issue with AirDrop not working persists even with the latest iOS v16.0.3 update.
Featured image: Apple
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