MacDebug

Verified for macOS Tahoe 26.2

How to Fix AirDrop Devices Not Showing Up in macOS Tahoe 26.2

Symptom: You attempt to send a file via AirDrop, but nearby devices (iPhone, iPad, or other Macs) do not appear in the share sheet, or your Mac is invisible to others.

TL;DR fix

Start with Fix 1: Reset AirDrop Discovery State. If the issue persists after that, try Fix 2: Force Restart the AirDrop Daemon. Full Terminal commands and step-by-step instructions are in each section below.

AirDrop in macOS Tahoe 26.2 introduces stricter security handshakes. If your discovery settings or Bluetooth cache are out of sync, the peer-to-peer connection fails silently.

Recommended Troubleshooting Tool

Before proceeding with manual fixes, we recommend using OnyX. The preferred tool for deep system maintenance and resetting the macOS Bluetooth stack.

Fix 1: Reset AirDrop Discovery State

Sometimes the simple toggle in Control Center gets stuck in a "ghost" state.

  1. Open Control Center from your menu bar.
  2. Click the AirDrop icon.
  3. Toggle it to Off, wait 5 seconds, then select Everyone for 10 Minutes.
  4. On the receiving device, ensure AirDrop is also set to Everyone.

Fix 2: Force Restart the AirDrop Daemon

If the background process sharingd hangs, AirDrop discovery will break system-wide.

  1. Open Terminal (Command + Space, type Terminal).
  2. Paste the following command and hit Enter:
sudo killall sharingd
  1. Enter your admin password when prompted. The process will restart automatically.

Fix 3: Clear the Bluetooth Discovery Cache

Corrupt Bluetooth preferences are the leading cause of "invisible" devices.

  1. Open Terminal.
  2. Run this command to delete the Bluetooth property list:
sudo rm /Library/Preferences/com.apple.Bluetooth.plist
  1. Restart your Mac immediately to regenerate the file.

Successful discovery should now occur within 10-15 seconds of opening the AirDrop window.

Tested and documented by the MacDebug team — about MacDebug. See also Fix macOS "Airdrop" Not Discoverable, Fix macOS "Handoff" Not Working, or browse all guides on macdebug.