QuickBridge

Step-by-step guide

iPhone iOS→macOS

iPhone to Mac. When AirDrop won't cooperate.

AirDrop is the obvious answer for iPhone to Mac transfers, but it has a surprising number of failure modes: wrong discovery setting, Bluetooth off, devices asleep, or just inexplicably not appearing. This guide gives you a reliable fallback that works from a browser tab on both sides, no Bluetooth required.

Open QuickBridge

Free forever · No Bluetooth · No iCloud required

When AirDrop fails between iPhone and Mac

AirDrop not finding the Mac

Mac receiving mode may be set to 'Contacts Only' or 'No One'. Changing it to 'Everyone' in Finder > AirDrop fixes it, but requires navigating settings each time.

AirDrop stuck on 'Waiting'

Usually a Bluetooth handshake issue. Both devices need Bluetooth enabled even on Wi-Fi. Toggling Bluetooth off and on again sometimes resolves it.

Devices on different networks

AirDrop is a local network and Bluetooth protocol. The two devices must be physically near each other. It does not work across different Wi-Fi networks or over cellular.

Large files timing out

AirDrop has informal limits on very large files and can time out on long transfers. A 4 GB video may fail where smaller files succeed.

Five steps from iPhone to Mac

  1. 01

    Open QuickBridge on your Mac

    Go to quickbridge.app in Safari, Chrome, or Firefox on your Mac. The QR code appears the moment the page loads. Leave this tab open.

  2. 02

    Scan the QR with your iPhone

    Open the Camera app and hold it over the QR on your Mac screen. A banner appears at the top, tap it, and Safari opens the transfer page on your iPhone.

  3. 03

    Verify the emoji codes

    Both screens show a short emoji sequence. Confirm they match. This verifies the direct WebRTC connection between your iPhone and Mac.

  4. 04

    Send from your iPhone

    Tap the file picker on your iPhone. Safari surfaces the standard iOS sheet: your camera roll, iCloud Drive, and the Files app all show up. Pick what you want and tap Send.

  5. 05

    Files appear on your Mac

    Each file downloads to your Mac's Downloads folder. Safari handles the prompt automatically. HEIC photos open in Preview, videos in QuickTime.

What you can send from iPhone

Photos from the camera roll (HEIC, JPEG, PNG)
Videos including ProRes on supported iPhone models
Live Photos (the still image and motion clip both transfer)
Files from the Files app, including iCloud Drive, On My iPhone, and third-party app folders
Screenshots and screen recordings
Documents saved by any iOS app that uses the Files system

What you'll see

Real screenshots from the app, not mockups.

QuickBridge QR code pairing screen open in a Mac browser
Open QuickBridge on your Mac. The QR code is on screen in under a second.
QuickBridge file picker open on iPhone showing files ready to send
After scanning with your iPhone camera, tap the file picker and choose what to send.

Frequently asked questions

iPhone to Mac without the AirDrop lottery

Open QuickBridge on your Mac, scan the QR with your iPhone, and your files arrive. No Bluetooth, no discovery mode.

Start a transfer

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