Open Radar

 
Summary:
Today I wanted to AirDrop a screenshot from my iPhone to my Mac. Unfortunately my iPhone could not see my Mac even though both devices were on the same network. When I opened the AirDrop tab in Finder the devices started to see each other. The strange thing is, that once I closed the AirDrop window in Finder, the Mac disappears from the airdroppable devices on the iPhone.

Steps to Reproduce:
1. Try to AirDrop a screen shot from an iPhone to the Mac.
2. Hope the bug occurs.

Expected Results:
AirDrop should follow the marketing slogan "It just works"

Actual Results:
AirDrop very often just doesn't work.

In this case the devices only see each other when the AirDrop tab is open in Finder.

Both devices were set to be seen by everyone, not just by contacts. Both devices had WiFi and Bluetooth enabled and they were on the same network (the Mac is simultaneously connected to WiFi and Ethernet).

I created sysdiagnoses on the Mac and iPhone. I also created a video with my iPad, showing you the issue. Ironically airdropping that video did not work either. The iPad and the Mac could not see each other (even with the AirDrop tab open in Finder). I ended up sending the video via iMessage to my Mac (oh god, just like in the iOS 6 days) and performed another sysdiagnose on the iPad which I also attached.

Version/Build:
rMBP early 2015, macOS 10.13 High Sierra (17A365)
iPhone 7, iOS 11.1 Beta (15B5066f)
iPad Pro 2016, iOS 11.0 (15A402)