AirDrop Photos (Maximum At Once, Limits, Image Converting)


If you have a smartphone that can take and store media such as photos, videos, and audio, you can transfer them to other devices. Most smartphones use Bluetooth or USB cable to transfer data; however, Apple introduced AirDrop, which you can use to send files wirelessly. If you want to transfer photos from your iPhone to another iDevice, you might be wondering how many photos you can AirDrop at once.

So, how many photos can you AirDrop at once? You can AirDrop as many photos as you want because there is no limit on the number of photos you can transfer through AirDrop. However, the speed will be low if the photos are large, and it will take you longer to AirDrop many photos.

The storage space in the recipient device will also determine the number of photos you can send through AirDrop. Once the storage space is full in the receipt device, you can no longer send the photos.

If you have several photos on your iPhone and want to transfer them to your Mac, iPad or iPhone, there are several ways you can transfer the photos. One of the features available on Apple devices is AirDrop, which allows users to send media to their other Apple devices.

Before the release of AirDrop, iPhone or iPad users used Bluetooth or cable to transfer photos between their Mac and iPhone. In 2011, Apple introduced AirDrop for iOS 7 and later and OS X 10.7 and later, making it easy to send media between iPhones and Macs and other iDevices.

If you have been taking numerous photos on your iPhone and need to store them on your Mac, you might be wondering how many photos you can AirDrop at once.

You can AirDrop as many photos as you want because AirDrop does not limit the number of photos you can send via the feature. If you have one thousand photos on your iDevice, you can AirDrop them at once without any issues. However, the time it takes to send the photos via AirDrop will be longer, depending on the number of photos.

The size of each photo will also determine how long it will take to AirDrop your photos. The storage space on the receipt device will also determine how many photos you can successfully AirDrop.

AirDrop is one of the best features introduced by Apple Inc. on its products like the iPhone, iPad, and Mac. If you have any photos, videos, documents, or links on one of your Apple devices, you can send them via AirDrop to another Apple device.

You can AirDrop any supported file from your iPhone to Mac or iPad and vice versa as long as you have configured the settings correctly. There is no limit on the number of photos you can AirDrop at once. If you have one thousand photos on your iPhone, you can select all of them and AirDrop at once to your Mac or iPad.

Even though you can AirDrop as many photos as you want, it is not guaranteed that the process will be a success every time. Some factors that might make the process unsuccessful include storage space on the recipient device and processors on both devices.

If your devices have weak processors, AirDropping hundreds or thousands of photos at once will put a strain on the devices. You might be able to AirDrop a few photos before the process stops or fails.

The storage space on the recipient device will also limit the number of photos you can send at once via AirDrop. For example, if the photos you want to AirDrop take up 4 GB of storage space and the recipient device has 3 GB, you will only be able to AirDrop photos that can occupy the available 3GB storage space.

It will take a lot of time to AirDrop many photos at once, hence if you have thousands of photos, ensure you have enough time. When you AirDrop one or two photos, completing the process usually takes a few seconds.

However, when you AirDrop hundreds or thousands of photos at once, the time multiplies, and it can take even hours to AirDrop all the photos. To avoid spending a lot of time, only send the photos you need. Go through your photos and check the ones you need before sending them via AirDrop.  

If you have taken many photos on your iPhone from your recent trip and want to send them to your Mac, here is how you can AirDrop them at once. Open the Photos app on your iPhone and

  • tap “Library”
  • tap “Select” on the upper right of the screen and
  • select the first photo on the bottom row.

Use your fingers to hold down the thumbnail image and drag across the screen to select all the photos. Keep dragging until you have selected all the photos in your Camera Roll.

You can also select the photos by tapping each one, but it might take you some time if there are many. After selecting all the photos, you want,

  • tap the share icon
  • tap “AirDrop”
  • select your Mac and wait as the transfer continues.

It might take some time, depending on your device’s capabilities, the size of the photos, and the number of photos. After the process is done, tap “Done” and go check the photos on your Mac.

AirDrop Limits

If you have a smartphone, there are numerous features and apps that you can use to send certain files. To ensure that some of these features or apps function correctly, the developers usually restrict how you can use them. If you want to send files via AirDrop, you might be wondering if it has any limits.

AirDrop does not have any limit on any file you can send to another device. You can send a file of any size and any number of files you have on your Apple device. AirDrop is far ahead of other sharing platforms because of the lack of restrictions. For example, you cannot send a video of more than 25 MB via email on your iPhone, but you can send a 10 GB video via AirDrop without any issue.

Even though there is no limit to the size or number of files you can AirDrop, its performance will vary depending on the type of files you send. Sending two hundred 1 KB photos will take a shorter time compared to two hundred 20 MB photos.

On July 20, 2011, Apple Inc. released AirDrop for iPhone, iPad, and Mac. If you have an iPhone, iPad, or Mac, you can use AirDrop to send files from one Apple device to another. Apple revealed that there is no limit on the file size that AirDrop can transfer.

Apple has not officially revealed the limit on the number of files you can transfer via AirDrop, but currently, you can send as many files as you want. However, certain things will limit the files you want to send.

If the receiving Apple device does not have enough storage space, you cannot AirDrop a large file. You must ensure your receiving device has enough storage space before your AirDrop large files.

You should note that the more files you send or, the larger the file is, the more time it will take to finish the process. If you have ten photos, you can AirDrop them within 30 seconds, depending on their size. However, if you have one thousand photos, it might take more than 30 minutes to AirDrop all the photos.

It will also take a lot of time to send large files via AirDrop, especially if you use an Apple device with a weak processor. You should check the capabilities of your Apple device before you AirDrop a 10 GB file, or else you might spend hours trying to send that file.

AirDrop does not reduce the size of any file you send through it. Apple Inc. developed AirDrop to ensure people can send files as they are. If you recorded a video on your iPhone and it takes up to 1 GB of storage space, it will not be compressed when you AirDrop it to your Mac.

Other platforms with limits will try to compress the file to fit its limit before sending it. Sometimes, compressing can affect the quality of the file, hence people avoid using such platforms to share files. When you AirDrop a 1 GB video, the video will remain the same; hence its quality will not be affected.

Before using AirDrop on your iPhone or iPad, you must ensure that the receiving device is within Bluetooth and Wi-Fi range. You should turn on Wi-Fi and Bluetooth and sign in using your Apple ID.

To send a file to another device, find the file on your iPhone or iPad, tap the share and select AirDrop. Select the receiving device, and the icon for the receiving device will say “Sent” after your selected file is successfully sent.

You should note that you can limit AirDrop to your contacts, meaning only people with your contact can AirDrop files to your device. You can change the setting to “Everyone” if you want to receive files from someone without your contact.

AirDrop Converting Messages

When using certain apps or features on your Apple device, they will relay messages to you from time to time. Those messages make it easy to use those apps or features. Sometimes, when you AirDrop files to other devices, you might see the message “Converting” on your screen and want to know its meaning.

When AirDrop says converting, it means converting a video or videos you are trying to send to a compatible format. When you record a video on your iPhone, it will record in a specific format. This format is limited to iPhones; hence the video will not play on other devices. When you AirDrop a video to another iPhone, AirDrop will not convert the video because it has no issues playing the video.

However, if you AirDrop a video from your iPhone to your iPad, your iPhone will convert the video before sending it. The conversion process can take some time, or AirDrop can get stuck on the conversion process, but you can prevent AirDrop from converting videos.

By default, any video captured using an iPhone camera will be saved in the H.264 MOV format. The iPhone can also record a video in HEVC MOV format. Other devices cannot play videos in this format (HEVC); hence you have to convert them before sharing them.

You can convert the videos through the iPhone to any other compatible format, such as the MPEG-4. If you have not converted the videos and you AirDrop them, your iPhone will first convert them before sending them to the other device.  

The conversion process can take a while, especially for large videos, or sometimes AirDrop might have issues, and the conversion process will get stuck. To avoid having such issues, you should change your iPhone’s camera settings enabling the video to be recorded in a compatible format. Open Settings on your iPhone,

  • tap “Camera”
  • tap “Formats”
  • tap on the “Most Compatible”

All future videos will be recorded in a compatible format; hence AirDrop will not convert videos when you send them to other devices.

To convert videos that you already record in the HEVC format, you can use the iMovie app to convert them. Open the iMovie app on your iPhone. iMovie is a preinstalled app, but if you have uninstalled it, you can find it on the App Store.

  • Tap “Start New Project”
  • select “Movie”

From the list of videos on your iPhone, select the video you want to AirDrop.

  • tap “Create Movie”
  • tap on the Share button
  • tap on “Options”
  • select the resolution and frame rate you want for the video and
  • tap “Done” to confirm the changes.

When you send the video via AirDrop, it will send it directly to the other device without converting it. 

Bottomline

AirDrop is the most effective and fast way to send files from your Apple devices. It has no limits; you can send as many files as you want at once. You can also send files of any size, and the recipient device will get the file as it is because AirDrop does not compress files.

However, when sending large or numerous files via AirDrop, you should free some time for the device to do so. If the process takes more than an hour, you can AirDrop the files during the night when you sleep.

Conversion is necessary for any videos on your iPhone recorded in the HEVC format. You can skip the conversion process by changing the camera settings or converting the videos using the iMovie app.

Bal Kang

Bal Kang is a technology expert based in the UK, with experience across a number of technology areas from phones, tablets, computers to gaming.

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