How To Set Up Airdrop On Iphone 8

AirDrop Not Working On iPhone 8? Here's The Fix!

AirDrop won't work on your iPhone 8 and you're not sure why. Without AirDrop, sharing files between your iOS devices is a bit more difficult. In this article, I'll explain what to do when AirDrop is not working on your iPhone so you can fix the problem for good!

How To Set Up AirDrop On Your iPhone

Before you can use AirDrop on your iPhone, it needs to be set up properly. To do this, open Control Center by swiping up from below the bottom of your iPhone's display.

Next, press and hold the box in the upper left-hand corner on Control Center. Then, tap the AirDrop icon and selectContacts Only orEveryone. If you tapReceiving Off, your iPhone won't be able to receive files via AirDrop.

turn on airdrop receiving on iphone

You'll know AirDrop is on when the icon is blue, and you'll be able to tell who you can AirDrop with by looking at the listing below AirDrop in Control Center.

How To Use AirDrop On Your iPhone 8

Now that AirDrop is set up on your iPhone, let's briefly walk through how to use it. First, find the file on your iPhone that you'd like to share. I'll use a photo to demonstrate.

Look for the Share button (which looks like a square with an arrow pointing up out of it) and tap it. In the Photos app, the Share button will usually be in the lower left-hand corner of the display.

Next, you'll see a list of the people you can AirDrop your file to in the sharing menu. Tap on the device you'd like to AirDrop your file to.

how to airdrop on iphone

Once your file has been sent, you'll see the wordSent below the device name in the sharing menu.

If AirDrop is not working on your iPhone 8 even after you've turned it on, follow the steps below to diagnose and fix the root cause of the problem!

How To Fix AirDrop On iPhone 8

8 Steps Total

Restart Your iPhone

Restarting your iPhone can sometimes fix minor software glitches and errors.

How Do I Restart My iPhone?

Press and hold the power button (Sleep / Wake button) on your iPhone until theslide to power off slider appears on the display.
Swipe the red power icon from left to right to turn off your iPhone.
Wait about 30 seconds, then press and hold the power button again until you see the Apple logo appear in the center of the display.

If The Power Button Is Broken (Option 1)

Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
Tap General.
Scroll to the bottom and tapShut Down.
Swipe the red power icon from left to right.
Plug your iPhone into a power source using a Lightning cable to turn it back on.

If The Power Button Is Broken (Option 2)

Watch our YouTube video or follow the steps below!
Open the Settings app.
Tap General.
TapAccessibility.
TapAssistiveTouch.
Turn on the switch next to AssistiveTouch.
Tap the AssistiveTouch button when it appears on the display.
TapDevice.
TapMore.
TapRestart.
TapRestart again when the confirmation alert appears.

Applies To: iPhone 5,iPhone 5S,iPhone 5C,iPhone 6,iPhone 6 Plus,iPhone 6S,iPhone 6S Plus,iPhone SE,iPhone 7,iPhone 7 Plus,iPhone 8,iPhone 8 Plus,iPhone X,iPhone XS,iPhone XS Max,iPhone XR,iPhone 11,iPhone 11 Pro,iPhone 11 Pro Max,iPhone SE 2

Make Sure Your Apple Devices Are Within Range Of Each Other

In order to use features like Handoff or AirDrop, your Apple devices need to be within range of each other. Often times, these features will make use of Wi-Fi or Bluetooth connections, which might not work if your device or devices are too far away.

Hold your Apple devices right next to each other when using a feature like Handoff and AirDrop.
Typically, about 25-30 feet is the maximum distance your devices can be apart from each other and still interact wirelessly.

Applies To: MacBook Air,MacBook Pro,Mac Mini,MacBook,iMac,iMac Pro,Mac Pro,AirPods,AirPods Pro,iPhone 5,iPhone 5S,iPhone 5C,iPhone 6,iPhone 6 Plus,iPhone 6S,iPhone 6S Plus,iPhone SE,iPhone 7,iPhone 7 Plus,iPhone 8,iPhone 8 Plus,iPhone X,iPhone XS,iPhone XS Max,iPhone XR,iPhone 11,iPhone 11 Pro,iPhone 11 Pro Max,iPhone SE 2

Turn Off Personal Hotspot On Your iPhone

When you turn on personal hotspot on your iPhone, you won't be able to use other wireless features such as AirDrop.

Open up the Settings app on your iPhone.
TapPersonal Hotspot.
Turn off the switch next toPersonal Hotspot.

Applies To: iPhone 5,iPhone 5S,iPhone 5C,iPhone 6,iPhone 6 Plus,iPhone 6S,iPhone 6S Plus,iPhone SE,iPhone 7,iPhone 7 Plus,iPhone 8,iPhone 8 Plus,iPhone X,iPhone XS,iPhone XS Max,iPhone XR,iPhone 11,iPhone 11 Pro,iPhone 11 Pro Max,iPhone SE 2

Turn Bluetooth Off And Back On Again

Turning Bluetooth off and back on again is sometimes enough to fix simple connectivity issues between your iPhone and Bluetooth devices.

How Do I Turn Bluetooth Off And Back On Again?

There are three ways to turn Bluetooth off and back on:

With The Settings App

Open the Settings app.
Tap General.
Tap Bluetooth.
Use your finger to tap the green switch next to Bluetooth to turn it off. You'll know Bluetooth is off when the switch is gray.
Tap the switch again to turn Bluetooth back on. You'll the Bluetooth is on when the switch turns green.

With Control Center

Use your finger to swipe up from the bottom of your screen to openControl Center.
Use your finger to tap the Bluetooth icon, which looks like a "B" made of triangles. You'll know Bluetooth is off when the icon is black with a gray background.
To turn Bluetooth back on, tap the Bluetooth icon once again. You'll know Bluetooth is on when the icon is white with a blue background.

Using Siri

Open Siri by pressing and holding theHome button until Siri appears, or by saying, "Hey Siri."
To turn off Bluetooth, say,"Turn off Bluetooth."
To turn Bluetooth back on, say,"Turn on Bluetooth."

Applies To: iPhone 5,iPhone 5S,iPhone 5C,iPhone 6,iPhone 6 Plus,iPhone 6S,iPhone 6S Plus,iPhone SE,iPhone 7,iPhone 7 Plus,iPhone 8,iPhone 8 Plus,iPhone X,iPhone XS,iPhone XS Max,iPhone XR,iPhone 11,iPhone 11 Pro,iPhone 11 Pro Max,iPhone SE 2

Turn Wi-Fi Off And Back On Again

Turning Wi-Fi off and back on again can sometimes fix minor technical issues that may causing your problem.

How Do I Turn Wi-Fi Off And Back On Again?

There are two ways to turn Wi-Fi off and back on again:

Turn Wi-Fi Off And Back On Again In The Settings App

Open theSettings app.
TapWi-Fi.
Tap the switch next to Wi-Fi.
You'll know Wi-Fi is off when the switch is gray.
To turn Wi-Fi back on, tap the switch again.
You'll know Wi-Fi is on when the switch is green.

Turn Wi-Fi Off And Back On Again In Control Center

Swipe up from below the bottom of the screen to open Control Center.
Tap the Wi-Fi icon.
You'll know Wi-Fi is off when the icon is black inside of a gray circle.
Tap the icon again to turn Wi-Fi back on.
You'll know W-Fi is on when the icon is white inside of a blue circle.

Applies To: iPhone 5,iPhone 5S,iPhone 5C,iPhone 6,iPhone 6 Plus,iPhone 6S,iPhone 6S Plus,iPhone SE,iPhone 7,iPhone 7 Plus,iPhone 8,iPhone 8 Plus,iPhone X,iPhone XS,iPhone XS Max,iPhone XR,iPhone 11,iPhone 11 Pro,iPhone 11 Pro Max,iPhone SE 2

Update iOS On Your iPhone

If your iPhone is running an outdated version of iOS, you may run into problems that could be fixed simply by updating to the most recent version of iOS.

How Do I Update iOS On My iPhone?

There are two ways to update iOS on your iPhone: in the Settings app and by using iTunes.

Update iOS In The Settings App

Open up the Settings app.
TapGeneral.
TapSoftware Update.
If an update is available, tapInstall Now.

Update iOS Using iTunes

Connect your iPhone to a computer using a Lightning cable.
Open iTunes.
Click the Phone button in the upper left-hand corner of iTunes (see image 3).
ClickCheck For Update.
If an update is available, click Download and Install.

Applies To: iPhone 5,iPhone 5S,iPhone 5C,iPhone 6,iPhone 6 Plus,iPhone 6S,iPhone 6S Plus,iPhone SE,iPhone 7,iPhone 7 Plus,iPhone 8,iPhone 8 Plus,iPhone X,iPhone XS,iPhone XS Max,iPhone XR,iPhone 11,iPhone 11 Pro,iPhone 11 Pro Max,iPhone SE 2

DFU Restore Your iPhone

A DFU restore has the potential to fix software problems by completely erasing the code which may be causing your problem. The code is rewritten as if your iPhone is brand new, so the software problem may get solved.

Think of it like a house that has cracks in the foundation. Rather than try and fix the cracks, we are building an entirely new foundation.

If you can, back up your iPhone before completing a DFU restore. Any time you do a restore, it erases everything from your iPhone. However, after the restore is completed, you restore all your backed up data back onto your iPhone.

How Do I DFU Restore My iPhone?

Watch our DFU restore video walkthrough on YouTube, or follow the steps below:

Using a Lightning cable, plug your iPhone into a USB port on your computer.
OpeniTunes if you have a PC or Mac running Mojave 10.14 or earlier). Open Finder if you have a Mac running Catalina 10.15 or newer. It doesn't matter if your iPhone is on or off.
On an iPhone 6s or older, press and hold the Home button and the power button. On an iPhone 7, press and hold the power andvolume down button.
After 8 seconds, release the Power Button, butcontinue to hold the power button (iPhone 6s or older) thevolume down button (iPhone 7).
Let go of the power button or volume down button when your iPhone appears in iTunes or Finder.
Your iPhone's display will be completely black if you've successfully entered DFU mode. If it's not, try again from the beginning.
Restore your iPhone using iTunes or Finder.

Applies To: iPhone 5,iPhone 5S,iPhone 5C,iPhone 6,iPhone 6 Plus,iPhone 6S,iPhone 6S Plus,iPhone SE,iPhone 7,iPhone 7 Plus,iPhone 8,iPhone 8 Plus,iPhone X,iPhone XS,iPhone XS Max,iPhone XR,iPhone 11,iPhone 11 Pro,iPhone 11 Pro Max,iPhone SE 2

Repair Your iPhone With Apple

Apple repairs iPhones at the Genius Bar in Apple Stores and through their online mail-in repair service. Apple repairs are high-quality, but out-of-warranty repairs can be much more expensive than third-party solutions. If you're looking to save some money you're not covered by Apple's warranty, you may want to check out our other recommendations.

How Do I Repair My iPhone With Apple?

How To Repair Your iPhone With Apple's Mail-In Service

Visit Apple's support website to begin the online mail-in repair process.
Alternatively, call 1-800-MY-APPLE (1-800-692-7753) to set up a repair.

How To Repair Your iPhone At The Genius Bar Inside Your Local Apple Store

Visit Apple's website to make a Genius Bar appointment before you go into the store. Apple Stores are extremely busy, and if you don't have an appointment, you may have to wait for hours or end up being turned away. (Editor's note: I'm a former Apple tech and we're not exaggerating — please, do yourself a favor and make an appointment first!)
When you arrive, go to the Genius Bar to check in for your appointment.
Genius Bar appointments always include free diagnosis. If you're under warranty, many repairs can be done on the spot, but it all depends upon which parts are in stock. If you're not under warranty, the Genius will give you a quote for the cost of a repair.

Applies To: iPhone 5,iPhone 5S,iPhone 5C,iPhone 6,iPhone 6 Plus,iPhone 6S,iPhone 6S Plus,iPhone SE,iPhone 7,iPhone 7 Plus,iPhone 8,iPhone 8 Plus,iPhone X,iPhone XS,iPhone XS Max,iPhone XR,iPhone 11,iPhone 11 Pro,iPhone 11 Pro Max,iPhone SE 2

Believe It Or Not, I'm Walking On Air(Drop)!

AirDrop is working on your iPhone and you can start sharing files between all of your Apple devices again. Next time AirDrop is not working on your iPhone 8, you'll know exactly how to fix the problem! Thanks for reading and feel free to leave any other questions you have about AirDrop in the comments section below.