What To Do If AirDrop Can’t Find People

The AirDrop “no people found” error can be one of the most annoying issues you will encounter while using the app. This usually happens because it can’t actually detect any other people nearby, even if they are standing literally a few steps away from you – and this can make the app effectively unusable until you fix it.

However, this error is usually the result of something you can control. You might have even caused it yourself by accident. Fixing this issue will not always be that hard, but you still need to understand what to do before you can resolve the problem.

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Check Devices

Make sure that all related devices are active before you try to AirDrop anything. This does not just mean that it is turned on – it has to be awake and have the screen turned on, as well as its internet and/or Bluetooth connection established. If none of these things are true, then your device will not be able to accept files since it will not be able to connect.

This is the easiest way to fix these problems but also one of the most common solutions. Many people do not realize that AirDrops only work if the screen is turned on, and it is easy to forget that you might not have your Bluetooth or Wi-Fi connection active.

Check Recipient Options

If the recipient in the AirDrop exchange has their service set to “Contacts Only,” then they will only be able to accept files from people in their contacts. If you are not in their contacts, then they will not be able to receive anything, and they will not appear in your AirDrop list.

This is an easy thing to fix, and they can always turn the setting back on if they prefer to later. However, they need to have it turned on if they want to receive files, so be sure to check these options as soon as possible to make sure that it is not the cause of the issue.

A similar problem can arise with airplane mode (or Do Not Disturb mode). If you have airplane mode turned on, then it is quite common to run into a “no people found on AirDrop” problem. Turning off airplane mode will let you connect as normal since it allows AirDrop to actually connect to other devices again.

Compatibility Issues

There is always a chance that your device is too old to support AirDrop, or you have not gotten a core update that the other person has. You want to make sure that you are using AirDrop’s most up-to-date version whenever possible, even if that means taking a second to let your device update.

There is also a chance that one of the devices involves is too old to actually support AirDrop. The app only functions on models of iPad, iPhone, Mac, and iPod above a certain tier, meaning that older models might not even be able to run AirDop correctly. If this happens, you might need to try sending the files a different way since the device is too old for AirDrop to be a viable option.