How to Turn on AirDrop in iPad: What Most People Get Wrong

You're sitting there with a photo you just took, or maybe a massive PDF for work, and you just want it on your other device. No cables. No emailing yourself like it’s 2008. But for some reason, the icon isn't there, or your friend’s iPad is basically a ghost. Knowing how to turn on AirDrop in iPad sounds like it should be a one-tap deal, but Apple has tucked the settings away in a few different corners of iPadOS that can make you want to throw the tablet across the room.

It’s frustrating.

AirDrop is essentially a combination of Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and point-to-point Wi-Fi. It creates a tiny, private network between two devices. It’s brilliant when it works. When it doesn't? It's a black hole of "Waiting..." status bars.

👉 See also: Screen Protector iPhone 12: Why Most People Are Still Buying the Wrong One

The Fast Way to Toggle AirDrop On

Most people head straight for the Settings app. Don't do that. It takes too long.

Instead, look at the top-right corner of your iPad screen. Swipe down from there to open Control Center. You’ll see a square box on the top left that houses your Airplane Mode, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth icons. Here’s the trick: long-press (or press firmly) right in the center of that square. It expands.

Suddenly, the hidden AirDrop icon appears. Tap it.

You’ll see three choices. Receiving Off is exactly what it sounds like—you're invisible. Contacts Only is the most secure, but it’s also the most common reason AirDrop fails because if you don't have that person's Apple ID email or phone number in your Contacts app, you won't see each other. Then there’s Everyone for 10 Minutes.

Apple changed this a while back. It used to be "Everyone" indefinitely, but after people started getting "AirDropped" unsolicited photos on subways and in airplanes, Apple capped it. After 10 minutes, it reverts to Contacts Only. If you're trying to receive a file from someone who isn't in your address book, you must select this.

Why Your iPad Isn't Showing Up

So you've turned it on. You’re ready. But nothing happens.

If you’re struggling with how to turn on AirDrop in iPad effectively, the issue usually isn't the switch itself—it's the environment. Bluetooth and Wi-Fi both need to be active. You don't actually need to be on a Wi-Fi network with internet access, but the Wi-Fi hardware inside the iPad needs to be powered up to create that ad-hoc connection.

Check your Screen Time settings. Honestly, this is the "ghost in the machine" for most users. If you have Content & Privacy Restrictions enabled, you might have accidentally disabled AirDrop at the system level.

Navigate to Settings, then Screen Time, then Content & Privacy Restrictions. Check "Allowed Apps." If the toggle for AirDrop is grayed out here, it won't matter how many times you swipe in Control Center; the feature is essentially lobotomized. Flip that switch back to green.

Distance and Barriers

Physicality matters.

💡 You might also like: Finding the Color Code from Image Files (and Why Your Screen is Probably Lying to You)

I’ve seen people try to AirDrop through thick concrete walls or from across a large office. AirDrop has a functional range of about 30 feet (9 meters), but in reality, if you aren't in the same room, the handshake often fails.

Also, Personal Hotspots are the enemy of AirDrop. If you are tethering your iPad to your iPhone for data, AirDrop usually won't work. The Wi-Fi antenna is "busy" maintaining that hotspot connection and can't pivot to create the AirDrop bridge. Turn off the hotspot on both devices before you try again.

iPadOS 17 and Beyond: The NameDrop Factor

If you're running the latest software, Apple introduced something called NameDrop. It’s cool, but it can be confusing. When you bring two devices close together, they might start glowing or vibrating to share contact info. This is a subset of AirDrop.

However, for standard file sharing, the "proximity" method is often the fastest. If you have a file open, tap the Share icon (that little square with an arrow pointing up), tap AirDrop, and then literally point the top of your iPad toward the other device.

The Security Reality

A lot of people worry about leaving AirDrop on. Back in 2021, researchers at the Technical University of Darmstadt discovered a flaw where hackers could potentially see your phone number and email address just by being near you while AirDrop was searching for contacts.

👉 See also: Relanto Data Engineer Interview Fresher: What to Actually Expect in the Hot Seat

Apple has since layered in more obfuscation, but the 10-minute limit on "Everyone" is your best friend here. It minimizes the window of vulnerability. If you're in a public space like a coffee shop or an airport, sticking to Contacts Only is just common sense.

Troubleshooting the "Waiting" Loop

We've all been there. You hit "Send," and it just says "Waiting..." forever.

1. Toggle Bluetooth off and back on. This resets the discovery radio.
2. Check if the receiving iPad is locked. AirDrop often fails to "wake up" a device that has a dark screen. Make sure the recipient is on their Home Screen.
3. Ensure the file size isn't insane. While AirDrop doesn't have a hard limit, trying to send a 50GB 4K video file over a point-to-point Wi-Fi connection is asking for a timeout error.

If all else fails, the "Hard Reset" is your last resort. On modern iPads without a Home button, press and quickly release Volume Up, press and quickly release Volume Down, then hold the Top button until the Apple logo appears. This clears the temporary cache that often clogs up the sharing daemon (the background process that runs AirDrop).

Practical Next Steps to Mastery

Go into your Contacts app right now. Ensure your own "My Card" at the top has your current Apple ID email and phone number listed. If your own device doesn't know who you are, it can't verify you to your friends' iPads.

Next, try a test. AirDrop a single photo to yourself if you have an iPhone or Mac nearby. If that works, your hardware is fine, and the issue is likely the specific settings of the person you're trying to send to. Remember: if they are on an older version of iOS or iPadOS, they might not have the "10 Minute" limit and might need to manually set their visibility to "Everyone" in their own Settings > General > AirDrop menu.

Lastly, keep your iPadOS updated. Apple frequently pushes "stability improvements" that are secretly just fixes for AirDrop discovery bugs that have been annoying users for months.

Actionable Checklist for Success:

• Swipe down from the top right to open Control Center.
• Long-press the networking tile (top left square).
• Tap AirDrop and select Everyone for 10 Minutes.
• Ensure Personal Hotspot is OFF on both devices.
• Make sure the receiving iPad is unlocked and the screen is awake.
• If the recipient isn't in your contacts, they MUST select the "Everyone" option or you'll never see them.