AirDrop and iPhone Mirroring stop working on Mac Studio M1 after signing in to Apple Account

Troubleshooting AirDrop and iPhone Mirroring on Mac Studio M1

The goal is to identify why AirDrop and iPhone Mirroring stop working after signing in to your Apple Account on the Mac Studio, without reinstalling macOS again.

Since the same iPhone and Apple Account work with your MacBook Pro, the following steps focus on isolating what's different about the Studio.

Step 1: Confirm the failure

Test AirDrop in both directions and iPhone Mirroring on the Mac Studio, first signed out and then signed in to your Apple Account. Confirm that the MacBook Pro still works.

Note any error messages or connection timeouts.

Step 2: Check basic requirements

Ensure Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are enabled on both devices, both use the same Apple Account with two-factor authentication, and the iPhone has a passcode.

For AirDrop, temporarily set receiving to Everyone for 10 Minutes on both devices. For iPhone Mirroring, keep the iPhone nearby and locked.

Apple's iPhone Mirroring troubleshooting guide covers the requirements and common connection issues.

Step 3: Reset iPhone Mirroring access

1. Open iPhone Mirroring on the Mac Studio.
2. Choose iPhone Mirroring >> Settings.
3. Select Revoke Access to [iPhone name], if available.
4. Restart both devices and set up mirroring again.

Step 4: Rule out network interference

Temporarily disconnect any VPN and check for third-party network filters or security software. If the Mac uses both Ethernet and Wi-Fi, disconnect Ethernet and use Wi-Fi alone. If possible, try another network.

Step 5: Test a fresh macOS user account

1. Open System Settings >> Users & Groups.
2. Create a temporary standard user account.
3. Test AirDrop while signed out of the Apple Account, if practical.
4. Sign in to the same Apple Account and test AirDrop and iPhone Mirroring.

See Apple's guide to adding a user on Mac.

Interpret the results:

• Works in the new account: The original user profile or its configuration is the likely culprit.
• Works signed out but fails signed in: An account-related or system-wide issue becomes more likely.
• Fails even when signed out: Investigate broader system, network, or wireless issues.

Step 6: Test Safe Mode

On the M1 Mac Studio:

1. Shut down the Mac and do not use Restart
2. Hold the power button until startup options appear.
3. Select the startup disk.
4. Hold Shift and choose Continue in Safe Mode.
5. Test the affected features, where available.

See Apple's Safe Mode instructions.

If the features work in Safe Mode but fail during normal startup, investigate third-party software, system extensions, and network filters.

Step 7: Investigate account and Continuity registration

If the previous steps don't identify the cause, compare Messages and FaceTime sign-in status on both Macs and check for authentication errors on the Studio.

As a later measure, consider signing out of the Apple Account on both the Mac Studio and iPhone, restarting both devices, and signing back in. Ensure important data is synced or backed up first.

An Apple Account, Identity Services (IDS), or Continuity registration issue is plausible, but these symptoms alone cannot establish that IDS is corrupted. Avoid deleting Keychain entries or private system databases using undocumented instructions.

Step 8: Escalate to Apple Support

If the issue persists across a fresh user account, another network, and Safe Mode, ask Apple Support to investigate rather than reinstall macOS again.

Explain that AirDrop and iPhone Mirroring fail after sign-in, despite working on the MacBook Pro, and that a complete macOS reinstall has already failed.

Ask whether diagnostic logs can identify failures involving Continuity registration, Apple Account authentication, IDS, or peer-to-peer wireless communication.

Contact Apple Support

Recommended starting point: Reset iPhone Mirroring access, then perform the fresh-user test. These are useful, relatively low-risk ways to narrow down the cause before pursuing more specialized diagnostics.

I have a MacStudio M1 and all works perfectly with my iPhone 12 pro and now with my new iPhone 18 pro. Nothing special was done to have this continuity. Make sure you are using the same Apple ID. And also, when on the MacStudio, you are not still mirroring to the laptop. Only one mirroring at a time.

abdelmaksoud26 wrote:

I have tried all the solutions I could find online and those recommended by Apple Support, including a complete macOS reinstall, but nothing has worked.

Could this be related to an Apple Account, IDS, or Continuity pairing issue specific to this Mac, and is there a way to fix it without reinstalling macOS again?

Without knowing what troubleshooting steps you've already tried, it's hard to answer your question. The first and most obvious question is do you have Bluetooth turned on on both devices?

Thanks for the suggestions. I’ve already tried the following without success:

• Created a new macOS user account and tested with the same Apple Account.
• Signed out of my Apple Account on both the Mac and iPhone, then signed back in.
• Tested AirDrop with Everyone enabled and confirmed it works on the Mac Studio only when signed out of the Apple Account.
• Tested on another Wi-Fi network and using an iPhone hotspot.
• Checked Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and firewall settings.
• Removed the iPhone from the Mac’s iPhone Mirroring settings and tried pairing again.
• Erased the Mac Studio and performed a clean macOS installation from Recovery.

Unfortunately, none of these solutions fixed the issue. AirDrop and iPhone Mirroring still fail after signing in to my Apple Account on the Mac Studio, while the same iPhone and account work perfectly with my MacBook Pro.