AirDrop for Windows

Why AirDrop can’t reach Windows

AirDrop runs on Apple-only protocols, so it only works between iPhones, iPads, and Macs — never a Windows PC. Microsoft’s own Phone Link and Google’s Quick Share cover Android ↔ Windows, but leave out the iPhone entirely. So the everyday case — pulling a photo or document from your iPhone onto your Windows laptop — has no clean built-in path. BIShare is built to bridge exactly that.

How BIShare sends iPhone / Mac ↔ Windows

• On the same Wi-Fi

  Files go straight from device to device, end-to-end encrypted — nothing is stored on a server. It’s fast, and it even works over a phone hotspot with no internet at all.

• When you’re apart

  You get a link, a QR code, and a 6-character code. On the Windows PC, open the link in any browser and download — no app, no sign-up. The link auto-expires in 24 hours.

• Every platform

  iPhone, Mac, Windows, Android, and Linux — one app, every direction. Send from your phone to your PC, or your PC to anyone.

Two ways to do it: instantly, or set up once

The first line needs nothing installed and works right now — that's the one to use when you just want this file across. The rest is the five-minute setup worth doing if you move files between these devices often.

1. 01

   Right now, with nothing installed

   On the PC, open bishare.app/transfer in any browser. Drop the file in from the phone — same Wi-Fi and the PC appears by itself; different networks and you get a link plus a 6-character code. Nothing to install on either side, no account, and the file is encrypted before it leaves the device.

2. 02

   Install BIShare on the PC

   Download the Windows build and run it. There is no account to create and nothing to configure — the app opens on a device list and starts listening for transfers straight away.

3. 03

   Install it on the phone or Mac

   Get it from the App Store or Google Play. Both devices need it for the direct route; if the other person can't install anything, skip to the browser method below — it needs nothing on their side.

4. 04

   Put both devices on the same Wi-Fi

   Any shared network works, including a guest network, as long as both are on the same one. No internet connection is required — a phone hotspot with mobile data switched off is a perfectly good network for this.

5. 05

   Grant the local-network permission

   On the first launch, iOS asks for local network access and Windows asks to allow the app through the firewall. Say yes to both. Declining is the single most common reason two devices can't see each other later.

6. 06

   Pick the file, tap the device

   Your PC appears in the list on the phone within a second or two. Choose what to send, tap the PC, and accept the prompt on the Windows side. The file lands at full original quality with no size limit.

Both directions, not just one

If the PC and phone can't see each other

• Check they're on the same network, not just the same room

  Guest networks are separate networks, and some routers keep the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands isolated from each other. Confirm both devices show the identical network name, then try again.

• Let the app through the Windows firewall

  If the prompt was dismissed the first time, open Windows Security → Firewall & network protection → Allow an app through firewall, and tick BIShare for private networks.

• Public Wi-Fi often blocks device-to-device traffic

  Cafés and hotels commonly enable client isolation, which stops devices on the same access point from reaching each other. Nothing on your side fixes it — switch to a phone hotspot, which puts both devices on a network you control.

AirDrop vs Nearby Share vs BIShare on Windows

iPhone & Mac to Windows: FAQ