Why does Airdrop suck so much?

[bazookaman]

I really only Airdrop between my iPhone 8 and my late 2016 MBP. So that's what? About a year apart. Running the latest iOS and Mojave on the Mac. In my experience Airdrop is the epitome of intermittent. Sometimes it shows my MBP as a source to Airdrop to. Sometimes it shows nothing is available to Airdrop to. And I'm literally sitting at my desk with my phone about a foot away from my laptop. So it's not like there's interference or...who knows what.

[Filliam H. Muffman]

Sarcany wrote:
For example, a modern T2 MBP might have some trouble communicating with a 2012 iMac even if they're running the same OS.

Yeah, I most problems I have seen are between devices that have significantly different versions of Bluetooth/Wi-Fi. It can take a few minutes for the connections to clean up after themselves, the modern version of when your 56K modem starts to retrain and can't decide on a valid speed.

[macphanatic]

I've never had problems with it. I've shown clients and colleagues how to use it and they love it. Some have even commented that they wish they could use it with a pc.

[sekker]

Had plenty of fails.

[goodmanx]

we use it occasionally, but is there an advantage to airdrop over sending/sharing the item via messenger? size limitations, perhaps?

[macphanatic]

No size limit that I’m aware of. It uses Bluetooth to create a peer to peer Wi-Fi connection.

[Fritz]

used it a lot with no issue from my '13 MBA to my spouses '18 iPad.
TV shows and music mostly.

[Article Accelerator]

Works fine here—fast & reliable.