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LexVAPin
User level: Level 1 (85 points)

AirDrop fails from Mac to iPhone with Contacts Only setting

Airdrop from Mac to iPhone does not work.


I want to open a website URL that I have on my Mac on my iPhone and AirDrop does not work. When I try it on my Mac, I can see my iPhone as a selection as a white ball, but there is no image in the icon, which is weird.

I can get it to work only if I change my AirDrop settings to "Everyone for 10 Minutes" on the iPhone and I don't want to do that. If I select "Contacts Only", I can see it in the AirDrop selection, but it eventually fails.


iPhone 18 Pro is iOS27.0.1. Mac is Mac Mini M4Pro running 15.7.9. I plan on upgrading to MacOS 27.2 when it arrives.

Both are signed into the same Apple account. Both are on the same WiFi.


How can I add my iPhone and iPad to the list of trusted contacts for my Mac? And my spouse's iPhone and iPad?


Posted on Oct 4, 2026 11:56 AM

2 replies

sberman
User level: Level 10 (280,982 points)

Oct 4, 2026 12:33 PM in response to LexVAPin

LexVAPin wrote:
Mac is Mac Mini M4Pro running 15.7.9. I plan on upgrading to MacOS 27.2 when it arrives.

Why would you not be using a current macOS version right now? Why have you completely bypassed macOS Tahoe? Keep all your Apple software current in the future.

About Apple software updates - Apple Support


LexVAPin Author
User level: Level 1 (85 points)

Oct 5, 2026 6:25 PM in response to sberman

Is that related to my question?


I skipped Tahoe (MacOS 26 - why do they use these code names?) because I dislike liquid glass. I found it was tough on my eyes.

Also, lots of bugs reported. Since OS27 is supposed to fix those, I decided to skip the buggy bad interface version.

Apparently, according to reports on Mac publications, this was common and MacOS 26 had a relatively low adaption rate.


I am having all sorts of problems with iOS27 on my iPhone 18 Pro and M4 iPad and my spouse is tired of me yelling at them, so why inflict that on my Mac and spouse?


I have been using the Mac since 1989 and have learned to skip the first generation or two of major updates the hard way.

Originally posted at discussions.apple.com/thread/256370417