Sending Files with Bluetooth on iPhone: 7 Alternatives to Try

Do you need to transfer files from your iPhone to another device? There are many ways to send files from an iPhone to a different device. While sending files from an iPhone using Bluetooth is impossible, you can still transfer files wirelessly using AirDrop or iCloud. You can also use third-party file transfer apps to send files over Wi-Fi, or quickly send files with a text or email This wikiHow article teaches you alternative ways to transfer files from an iPhone to another device.

Easy Wireless File Transfer Options for iPhone

There's no direct way to send files with Bluetooth from an iPhone, but you can use AirDrop between Apple devices.
AirDrop uses both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi to transfer files between Apple devices.
You can use third-party apps, iCloud, email, text, and other cloud-sharing options to send files to a non-Apple device.

Section 1 of 7:

Can I send files from an iPhone over Bluetooth?

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But even though you can't directly use Bluetooth to transfer files, you can still use other methods. And the Bluetooth capabilities of your iPhone are still helpful for connecting to accessories, such as AirPods and speakers.
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There are several alternative ways to transfer files wirelessly. If you have another Apple device, you can use Apple’s wireless transfer protocol, AirDrop. AirDrop uses a combination of Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, which means you need to have both enabled for it to work. If you’re sending files to a non-Apple device like an Android or a PC, you can try one of these alternatives:
- Third-party apps. There are several third-party file transfer apps and websites that allow you to send files to other devices, including Androids and Windows computers. These generally use Wi-Fi instead of Bluetooth technology.
- Email. Sending files as email attachments is an easy way to get them from one device to another, although this might not be the best option for transferring large files (or large numbers of files).
- Text messaging. Most modern phones and tablets allow multimedia messaging, which is a great way to easily transfer things like images, videos, and audio files.
- iCloud and other types of cloud storage. These services let you upload files from your iPhone and sync them across other devices.

Section 2 of 7:

Transferring Files with AirDrop

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Place both devices near each other. Make sure both your iPhone and the other Apple device (such as another iPhone, iPad, or a Mac) you want to send a file to are near each other and have Bluetooth turned on. You’ll also need to have Wi-Fi enabled on both devices, although you don’t need to be connected to a network.^{[1]
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- You can only use AirDrop to send files to other Apple devices. You cannot use AirDrop to send files to an Android or a Windows computer.
- Make sure the feature is on and ready for sharing on the receiving device. To do that, go into Settings, tap General, and select AirDrop. Then, check either Contacts only or Everyone for 10 Minutes.
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Open the file you want to send. You can open the file you want to send in whichever app it is associated with. For example, if you want to send a photo, open the Photos app and then open the photo you want to send.
- Alternatively, you can open a file from within the Files app on your iPhone.
It normally has an icon that resembles a square with an arrow pointing up. You can usually find it in the upper-right corner of your app.
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Tap the AirDrop option. It has an icon with blue concentric rings with a triangle cut out of the bottom half of the rings. Tap the AirDrop option in the Share menu to open the AirDrop menu.
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Tap the device or user you want to send the file to. You should see a list of nearby users or devices you can send the file to. Tap the user or device you want to send the file to.^{[2]
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- If you do not see a list of devices you can send to, make sure all users have Bluetooth and Wi-Fi turned on and are near each other. Also, check your AirDrop permissions in the Control Center to make sure you can receive files from the other device.
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Open the AirDrop notification on the receiving device. When you send a file to another device using AirDrop, the other device will receive a notification.
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Click or tap Accept on the receiving device. This will start transferring the file to the device. Once the file is finished transferring, you can find the file in your Downloads folder on your Mac. On iPhone and iPad, you can open the file in the app it is associated with.^{[3]
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- If the other device is logged into the same Apple Account, the transfer might go through automatically, with no need to accept the request.
- If AirDrop isn’t working for you, check out our AirDrop troubleshooting guide.

Section 3 of 7:

Using Third-Party File Transfer Apps

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Send files over an encrypted connection with LocalSend. LocalSend is a free, open-source app that works on multiple platforms, including iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, and Linux. You can use it to easily transfer files over Wi-Fi or LAN, without having to upload your files to a cloud. You can even use it without an active internet connection–you just need to set up a local hotspot on one of your devices and connect the other one to it to make the transfer.
- You’ll need to install the LocalSend app on both your iPhone and the other device you want to transfer files to/from.
- Wi-Fi will have to be enabled on both devices.
- This is a great option if you are sending sensitive files and want to keep the transfer secure.
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Try AirDroid if you want additional bells and whistles. AirDroid is another cross-platform file transfer app. Like LocalSend, it uses Wi-Fi to create a connection between devices so you can wirelessly transfer files. It also offers features like file management, screen mirroring, and cross-platform text messaging (i.e., you can get texts sent to your iPhone on your Windows PC). While there is a free version of AirDroid, you’ll need to pay a low monthly subscription fee to get access to most of its features.
- Install the AirDroid app on your iPhone from the App Store. You’ll also need to install the app on the other device you want to use for file transfers. On computers, you have the option to use the web app at web.airdroid.com instead.
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Use PairDrop if you’d rather not download an app. PairDrop is a website that allows you to make file transfers between devices on the same Wi-Fi network. While it’s less secure than the other options, it’s great for making quick and easy file transfers without having to install any new software. To use it:
- Open pairdrop.net in a browser on your iPhone and the other device you’re using to make a transfer.
- Click or tap the name of the other device you want to send to, then browse for and select the file you want to send.
- Accept the transfer request on the other device to download the file, and you’re done!

Section 4 of 7:

Transferring Files over Email

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You can use Mail, Gmail, Outlook, or any other email app you normally use on your iPhone to send and receive email.
Click the option to compose a new email. This will be different depending on which app you are using. It may be a button that says New or Compose, an icon with a plus sign (+) in the lower-right corner, or an icon resembling a pen and paper in the upper-right corner.
If you are sending the file to someone else, enter their email address in the "To:" field. If you are sending the file to another device you own, you can enter your email address as the recipient.
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Add the file you want to send as an attachment. To do so, tap the icon that resembles a paperclip. Then tap the file you want to send. This attaches it to your email.
- Most email services limit the size of the file you can send. You should send an attachment that is more than 25 MB large.
Tap the icon that resembles a paper airplane or arrow pointing up. This sends the email. You should get a notification when you receive the email.
After a few moments, the recipient can open the email message on their device and click or tap the attachment to download the file.

Section 5 of 7:

Sending Files over Text

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Open the file you want to send on your iPhone. Texting is an easy way to quickly send pictures, videos, audio recordings, and other types of files (like PDFs). This method will only work if the device you're sending to can receive MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service), iMessage, or RCS (Rich Communication Service) texts. To get started, open the app with the file you want to send (such as Photos or Files), then navigate to the file.
- You can also send files to your iPhone over text this way (or ask others to do so).
- In most cases, you can share files from within the app where you typically view them.
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Tap the
Share icon. You’ll typically see this option at the bottom of the screen when viewing a file, although its location may vary depending on the app you’re using.
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Select Messages. You’ll see this in the menu of sharing options. If you use a third-party messaging app, such as WhatsApp, select that instead. The Messages app will open with the file you selected in the text window.
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Enter the name or number of the recipient. Type it in the To: field at the top of the screen, or tap + to the right of the To: field to browse your contacts.
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Tap the ↑ Send icon. The file will be sent to your recipient.
- If you receive a text with a file from someone else, you can save it to your iPhone by tapping the
  Download button to the right of the file in your conversation.

Section 6 of 7:

Transferring Files with iCloud

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Enable iCloud Drive and iCloud Photos on your iPhone. If you want your photos, music, files, and more to be synced across all your Apple devices, you can use iCloud for that! This way, you can access the same files from any device linked to your Apple Account. You can also download your synced files onto non-Apple devices from the iCloud website. To set up iCloud:
- Go to Settings > your name > iCloud on your iPhone.
- Tap See All next to the Saved to iCloud header.
- Tap any apps you want to sync to the cloud, such as iCloud Photos and iCloud Drive.
- Toggle on Sync this iPhone.
- If needed, upgrade your iCloud storage so you can save more or larger files to the cloud. To do so, scroll down in the main iCloud menu and tap Manage Plan. Tap See All Plans and select the option that works best for your needs.^{[4]
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Open the Files app
. It has an icon with a blue folder.
- Use this method if you want to send a file from your iPhone to another one of your own devices. This can be useful if the file on your iPhone is too large to attach to an email.
- If you have iCloud Photos enabled, you can access any photos on your iPhone by simply opening the Photos app on another Apple device logged into the same Apple Account. Log in on iCloud.com and click Photos on any other device. You don’t need to move photos into your iCloud Drive.
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Tap On My iPhone. It's in the main menu of the Files app. This displays all files stored locally on your iPhone.
- If you don't see this option, tap the back button at the top-left until you're at the Browse screen, then tap On My iPhone here.
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Navigate to the file you want to send. It will most likely be in a folder named after the app the file is associated with (i.e., Pages for Pages documents). Open the folder that contains the file you want to send.
- If you can't find the file on your iPhone, tap iCloud Drive in the main menu of the Files app and check to make sure it isn't already uploaded to your iCloud storage.
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Tap and hold the file you want to send. A context menu will open.
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Tap Move at the top of the menu. It’s the black folder icon at the top center of the menu.
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Open the folder where you want to save your file. If you already have folders synced to the cloud, tap the one where you want to move your file. You can also tap ••• at the top of the menu and select New Folder to create a new folder.
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Tap Copy. It’s the blue button at the top right corner of the menu. A copy of your file will be saved to the selected location in your iCloud Drive.
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Go to www.icloud.com on the device to which you want to transfer the file. You can use Safari or any other web browser to retrieve your files from the iCloud website.
- If you are on a Mac and signed in with your Apple Account, click iCloud Drive under the Locations header in the left-hand menu bar in Finder.
- On another iPhone or an iPad signed into the same Apple Account, open Files, select iCloud Drive, and navigate to the location of the file.
- On a Windows PC, you can download the iCloud app from the Microsoft Store. This allows you to browse your iCloud storage inside File Explorer.
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Sign in with your Apple Account. Use the email address and password associated with your Apple Account to sign in to your iCloud storage.^{[5]
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Click Drive. This section of the iCloud website has a blue folder icon, like the Files app on your iPhone. You’ll see recent files displayed in the Drive card. Click Drive to open your iCloud Drive and view all the files stored there.
Locate the file you want to transfer and click it to select it.
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Click the Download icon
. It has an icon that resembles a cloud with an arrow pointing down. It's at the top right side of the page. This downloads the file to your device. You can find your downloaded files in your Downloads folder.

Section 7 of 7:

Transferring Files with Cloud Storage

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In addition to iCloud, you can use other storage services to transfer files from your iPhone to other devices. Download the app for the storage service you want to use from the App Store. Other cloud storage apps include Google Drive, Dropbox, and OneDrive.
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Open your cloud storage app and sign in. Once you finish downloading the cloud storage app you want to use, tap the icon on your Home screen to open the app. Then sign in with the email address and password associated with your account. If you do not have an account, follow the instructions to sign up for a new one.
- If you use Google Drive, you can sign in using your Gmail account.
- If using OneDrive, you can sign in using your Microsoft account.
It is most likely an icon with a plus (+) symbol at the bottom of the screen or in the lower-right corner. This displays a pop-up menu.
It will be in the pop-up menu that appears when you tap the plus icon. It will most likely say Upload or Upload File, Create or Upload File or something similar.
It will say Browse, Upload File or something similar.
Tap the file to select it. It will either start uploading automatically, or you will need to tap Upload to begin uploading the file. Wait until it is finished uploading.
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Open the cloud storage app or website on a different device. These cloud storage apps are available on iPhone and iPad from the App Store, or the Google Play Store on Android devices. Download the app on a mobile device to retrieve your files. On a PC or Mac, go to the cloud storage website in a web browser. The cloud storage websites are as follows:
- Google Drive: drive.google.com
- Dropbox: www.dropbox.com
- OneDrive: onedrive.live.com
Locate the option to sign in to your cloud storage and sign in with your email address and password.
This selects the file or opens the file inside the app or web browser.
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Click or tap the Menu icon ⋯. It's the icon with three dots in the upper-right corner. This displays a drop-down menu.
- Alternatively, you can right-click the file on a PC or Mac to display a context menu.
It will either say Download or it will be an icon with an arrow pointing down at the top of the page. This downloads the file to your device. On most devices, you can find your downloaded files in the Downloads folder.