How to Fix AirDrop Stuck on Waiting Status on iPhone

Did you share a photo with your friend, but AirDrop is stuck on waiting status on your iPhone?

If you go to Apple Community and look for ‘AirDrop waiting’, you’ll find hundreds of users with AirDrop status stuck on waiting status.

Sadly, this problem has been around for years. Many iOS versions later, and it still haunts users. 

And if  you’re experiencing the same thing, we’re here to help you out. 

We made a guide for fixing AirDrop if it’s stuck on waiting status on your iPhone. 

Let’s get started!

1. Restart Your Phone. 

Whenever you encounter problems on your iPhone, it’s good practice to try and restart it. 

This should clear corrupted data from the system memory, resolving temporary errors that occurred during use. 

If you are using an iPhone X, 11, 12, 13, 14, or later, here’s what you need to do: 

1. Hold down the Volume Down button and Side button until the ‘Slide to Power Off’ prompt appears. 
2. Now, drag the slider to the right and wait for 30 seconds. 
3. Press the Side button afterward to turn on your device. 

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For older models, follow the steps below: 

1. Locate the Power button on your device. 
2. Now, hold the button until the ‘Slide to Power Off’ prompt shows up.
3. Drag the slider to the right and wait 30 seconds before turning on your device. 

Once done, try using AirDrop again to check if the problem is solved. 

2. Check Device Distance. 

AirDrop has a maximum range of 30 feet. However, this doesn’t account for signal interferences and other devices that use wireless frequencies. 

To ensure that your files get sent without problems, place the sending and receiving devices next to each other. 

Additionally, make sure that you are only sending to one device at a time to avoid issues. 

Related: How to Fix AirDrop Not Working

3. Enable Wi-Fi & Bluetooth. 

AirDrop needs Wi-Fi and Bluetooth to function. If one is disabled on your device, you can encounter problems while sending or receiving files. 

Check out the steps below to turn on Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on your phone: 

1. Swipe downwards from the upper right corner of your screen. 
2. In the Control Center, tap the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth icon. 

Try sending files again to check if the problem is solved. 

4. Turn Off Hotspot. 

AirDrop won’t work if Personal Hotspot is enabled on your iPhone. Both of these features utilize Wi-Fi connections, so you can’t use them simultaneously. 

See the steps below to turn off personal hotspot on your iPhone: 

1. Go to your home screen and tap on Settings. 
2. Now, tap on Cellular. 
3. Access the Personal Hotspot or Settings tab. 

4. Tap on Personal Hotspot and ensure that it is turned off. 

Check if you can now send files via AirDrop. 

5. Make Sure Both Devices Are Unlocked. 

AirDrop may fail if the receiving device is locked while the transfer is in progress. 

To avoid issues, make sure that both devices stay unlocked when AirDrop is active. Leave the receiving device on the home screen while sending files for best results. 

6. Check System Restrictions. 

If you are using Screen Time on your iPhone, it’s possible that AirDrop is not allowed with your current profile/preset. 

Follow the guide below to check if AirDrop is allowed on Screen Time: 

1. Open the Settings app. 
2. Next, access the Screen Time tab. 
3. Tap on Content & Privacy Restrictions. 

4. Go to Allowed Apps. 
5. Make sure that AirDrop is enabled. 

6. You can also disable screen time altogether if you don’t plan on using it. 

Try sending files via AirDrop again to see if it will still get stuck on the waiting status. 

Related: How to Fix AirDrop Not Working on iPhone 14 Pro

7. Update Both Devices. 

There might be an issue with the version of iOS on the receiving and sending devices, causing AirDrop to malfunction. 

Make sure that both devices are running the latest version of iOS. 

Here’s how you can update your iPhone: 

1. Open Settings on your iPhone. 
2. Navigate to General > Software Update. 
3. If there’s a new iOS version available, tap Download and Install. 
4. Once the new software is ready, follow the prompts to install the update. 

Send another file afterward to check if the problem is solved. 

8. Wait It Out. 

Although AirDrop has no size limit for file sharing, larger files may take a while to get sent. 

You might also be sending multiple files at a time, explaining why the file transfer is taking longer than usual. 

Wait for 3-5 minutes to give time for the transfer to complete. 

9. Reset Network Settings. 

If none of the solutions above worked, reset your network settings. This should roll back any changes with your iPhone’s network configurations that cause AirDrop to fail.

Here’s what you need to do: 

1. On your iPhone, go to the main menu and open Settings. 
2. Now, tap on General. 
3. Look for Transfer or Reset iPhone and tap on it. 
4. Tap the Reset option and select Reset Network Settings. 

5. Follow the prompts to continue. 

Set up your iPhone again and see if you can now send files via AirDrop. 

That sums up our guide for fixing AirDrop if it’s stuck on waiting status on your iPhone. If you have clarifications about the steps, leave a comment, and we’ll try our best to respond. 

If this guide helped you, please share it.