Please note: this tip can no longer be used in macOS Catalina or newer. macOS Mojave is the last version to support AirDrop with an older Mac in this way.
Using AirDrop with older Macs
AirDrop makes it easy to share files with other Apple owners in your immediate vicinity. Send a quick photo or send an important document to all your colleagues at work. Older Macs use a different technique and can only exchange files between themselves, but fortunately there is a solution in many cases.
- Find older Mac via AirDrop
- Which older Macs?
Here’s how to find your older Mac via AirDrop
You take the following steps.
- Open Finder on the Mac.
- In the left column, navigate to AirDrop.
- If no Macs are found after a while, the text Can’t find what you’re looking for is displayed at the bottom of the screen. Click this.
- A window appears with the option Search for an older Mac.
- Click this and AirDrop will start searching for older Macs.
- Found your older Mac? Then you can send a file.
Which older Macs?
This tip does not apply to:
- 17-inch MacBook Pro (Late 2008)
- White MacBook (Late 2008)
This tip does apply to the following Macs running macOS Mojave or earlier:
- MacBook Pro (Late 2008 to 2012)
- MacBook Air (Late 2010 to 2012)
- MacBook (Late 2008 to 2012)
- iMac (Early 2009 to 2012)
- Mac mini (Mid 2010 to 2012)
- Mac Pro (early 2009 with AirPort Extreme card, or mid 2010)
The models in this list work with an older version of AirDrop and may require a different setting on the Mac you’re sending the file from. It is only possible to airdrop from macOS to such an older Mac, it is not possible from an iPhone or iPad.
Want to share a file via AirDrop to a 2012 or newer Mac? Then you don’t have to do anything; this Mac will automatically appear in the AirDrop screen if the feature is enabled on both devices.
Want to learn more about sharing files with AirDrop? Check out our tips!
- Here’s how to add AirDrop to your Mac dock for faster file sharing
- This is how you share credentials from iCloud Keychain via AirDrop
- AirDrop Not Working? Fix AirDrop problems on iPhone, iPad and Mac
- These are the best AirDrop alternatives for Windows
