AirDrop for Windows
AirDrop only works between Apple devices. There's no version of it for Windows, and there never has been. But what most people want is the thing AirDrop does: pick a nearby device, send a file, and you're done. No cable, no upload, no account. FileFly does that part, and it works between Windows, macOS, Linux and iPhone.
The short answer
You can't run AirDrop on Windows, and no app can add it. AirDrop is built on Apple's own wireless protocols, and Windows doesn't have them. To move files between an iPhone and a PC without a cable, you need an app on both devices that talks over your local network instead. FileFly is one. Install it on the PC and the iPhone, put both on the same Wi-Fi, and they'll find each other.
DownloadWhy AirDrop stops at the edge of Apple's ecosystem
AirDrop finds nearby devices over Bluetooth, then sends the data over Apple Wireless Direct Link. That's a protocol Apple built and never published for anyone else, which is why the feature doesn't show up on a Windows PC at all. It's also why any app promising to "enable AirDrop on Windows" is really doing something else. Here's how the options that do exist compare.
| AirDrop | Windows Nearby Sharing | FileFly | |
|---|---|---|---|
| iPhone to Windows PC | No | No | Yes |
| Windows PC to Windows PC | No | Yes | Yes |
| Mac to Windows PC | No | No | Yes |
| Linux | No | No | Yes |
| Needs an internet connection | No | No | No |
| Needs an account | Apple Account | No | No |
| File size limit | None | None | None |
| Price | Free | Free | Free |
Nearby Sharing only moves files between Windows PCs. Google's Quick Share app covers Android and Windows, not iPhone.
Sending files between an iPhone and a Windows PC
The setup is the same in both directions, and you only do it once per device.
Install FileFly on both devices
Get it from the Microsoft Store on Windows and the App Store on iPhone. It's free on Windows 10 and 11, macOS 11 or later, Linux, and iOS 18 or later.
Put both devices on the same network
The PC and the iPhone need to be on the same Wi-Fi or wired network. A main network and a guest network on the same router count as two different networks, so stay off the guest one. Turn off any VPN while you transfer.
Allow local network access
iOS asks for permission to find devices on your network the first time you open the app. Windows may show a firewall prompt. Allow both, or the devices won't see each other. FileFly uses port 23013.
Pick the device and send
Open FileFly on both. Each device shows up in the other's list. Choose your files, pick where they're going, and send.
Accept on the receiving device
Every transfer has to be accepted by whoever is receiving it. Nothing lands on a device without someone saying yes first.
Where the files end up
Sending from a computer to an iPhone puts photos and videos in the photo library. Everything else goes to the Files app.
Sending from an iPhone to a computer puts the files in that computer's Downloads folder.
Nothing is uploaded anywhere
The files go straight from one device to the other across your own network. There's no cloud storage step, no server in the middle and no account to create. That's also why there's no file size limit: you're not using anyone's storage plan.
Once both apps are installed you don't need an internet connection at all. You do still need a local network. Both devices have to be on the same Wi-Fi, or plugged into the same router. FileFly can't send files to a device somewhere else over the internet.
Common questions
Can I install AirDrop on Windows?
No. AirDrop isn't software you can download. It's a feature built into Apple's operating systems, using wireless protocols Windows doesn't have. Any app claiming to bring AirDrop itself to Windows is doing something different and borrowing the name.
Does this work without internet?
Yes, once both apps are installed. Transfers use your local network, not the internet. Both devices still need to be on that same network, over Wi-Fi or Ethernet.
Is there a file size limit?
No. Nothing gets uploaded to a server, so there's no quota and no per-file cap. How fast it goes depends on your network, your devices and their storage.
Does it work with Android?
Not yet. FileFly supports Windows, macOS, Linux and iPhone. For Android to Windows, Google's Quick Share app is the closest thing.
Is it free?
Yes, on all four platforms, with no account and no paid tier.
Related reading
Why can't my devices see each other?
It's almost always one of eight things. They're listed here in the order that fixes the most cases fastest.
What is a local network?
Your router, and everything connected to it, makes up a small private network that the rest of the internet can't reach into.
Guest network vs main network
A guest network is designed to stop devices talking to each other. That's the feature, and it's why file transfer fails on one.
Free on every platform
- Windows, macOS, Linux and iPhone
- No account and no sign-up
- No file size limit
- Nothing uploaded to a cloud service