Bonus Post - Air Drop *Tutorial*

The labyrinth I walked in Lewistown, Montana on my recent trip.

Today's regular post is below. This bonus post is a response to a reader who asked for tips on how to AirDrop photos from the iPhone to the Mac.

I put *tutorial* in *asterisks* because I just guess - and suspect that there are 100s of things that my phone and computer can do that I have not yet discovered.

Baseline information that applies to everything:
Your phone and computer need to be roughly the same age. If one is quite a bit older, it is doubtful that the newer one will want to communicate. While some people are highly annoyed at how quickly our phones and computers become obsolete, I think we need to be grateful for all the innovation and just accept that the changes are mostly improvements and we are not living in the olden days. The fabulocity of what we can do with our devices is remarkable.

When I turn on my iPhone and my Mac - they seem to recognize that they are siblings each one shows up on the other one. They seem to want to talk to each other.
So - if your phone and computer are new enough that they are happy to talk to each other - these are the steps that work for me - and they might work for you.

Maybe I should mention which phone I have and which operating system is on the computer.
The phone is the oldest version that they are still selling -an SE- it is 2.5"x5" I thought it had a number like 5 or 6 - but I can't find it. It is not one of the bigger newer ones. The Mac is High Sierra - thanks to the BHBrother who knows how to update a computer that is 3 or 4 years old - and getting to be an antique. Note to self - try to coordinate the next phone and computer upgrade to happen at the same time.

OK - try this

1.
On the phone, go to Photos and click on All Photos which makes all the photos pop up. In the upper right hand corner, find the word Select and click on it.
2.
Tap each photo you want to AirDrop and that makes a little blue check mark in the lower right corner of each photo. (Experiment with just 2 photos at first)
3.
In the lower left corner, there is an icon with a rectangle and an arrow pointing north. That is the upload icon. Tap it. You should see the options for AirDrop and under that options for Texting, Emailing, etc

KEEP IN MIND - I think you need to be sitting in front of your computer and have it turned on and be holding your phone for any of this to work.

4.
On the phone, you should see: Tape to share with AirDrop -
for me -- it is right next to an icon that has my Apple ID for the computer - the photo of me and my name under it -
When I tap it and it says in a blinking manner.....Waiting...Waiting...Sending....
and then switches to Sent - after it is done.

5.
Here is where it gets tricky.
You have to be watching the upper right corner of the computer screen rather than staring at your phone.
A rectangle will pop up that tells you the photos have arrived.
You have to click on it right away - because it disappears after a few seconds.
When you click on it the photos will be in Preview.
You have to click on File and then Move to   - to put them somewhere where you will know where they are.
I often put mine on my Desktop - and then move them into folders.

6.
If you do not see the box in the upper right hand corner - you will probably find the photos in the Download file

If you do not know about your Download file - you are in for a big surprise. It's a holding tank that fills up with all kinds of things - and if you don't keep it cleared out, it is both a blessing as well as a curse. You can find all kinds of things you thought you lost (blessing) - but the hours it takes to clear it out can be challenging (curse).

So, there you have it - a complete amateur, granny method for AirDropping.

If these directions do not work - here are some other ways to get help.
You may want to try them first.

1
Find a teenager or college student.
2
Call Apple tech support - they are amazing and very patient
3
Google: How do I AirDrop from my iPhone to my Mac
The number of things I have solved by just asking is staggering