How does AirDrop work?

Hi,all.I want to know how does AirDrop work,because I find that eskimo say AirDrop does not use Wi-Fi Direct.So how does it do this when the two devices need not be on the same network? And what is the role of Bluetooth? Now,I want to connect Mac and Android Is there any way I can use wifi direct or AirDrop?

Replies

Could you post the link where Eskimo explains it is not Wifi Direct ?


Did you read this, with detailed description of AirDrop operation and use of Wifi and bluetooth.

h ttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AirDrop


Also a reference to Android Beam.

>link where Eskimo


https://forums.developer.apple.com/thread/12885

Thank you very much, as KMT said, I found it there.Maybe what you said will help me.

So how does it do this when the two devices need not be on the same network?

AirDrop uses an Apple-private peer-to-peer Wi-Fi protocol. You have access ot this protocol by using

NSNetService
to set up your peer-to-peer connections (once you set the
includesPeerToPeer
flag).

And what is the role of Bluetooth?

It’s mostly irrelevant [1]. Historically,

includesPeerToPeer
would enable a second Apple-private peer-to-peer protocol, this time running over Bluetooth. This no longer happens (as of iOS 11 IIRC).

Now, I want to connect Mac and Android. Is there any way I can use wifi direct or AirDrop?

No [2]. Apple systems do not support Wi-Fi Direct and Apple’s peer-to-peer Wi-Fi protocol is not documented for third-party use.

Share and Enjoy

Quinn “The Eskimo!”
Apple Developer Relations, Developer Technical Support, Core OS/Hardware

let myEmail = "eskimo" + "1" + "@apple.com"

[1] In some situations some Apple systems might use Bluetooth LE to help establish a peer-to-peer Wi-Fi connection but that mechanism is completely invisible to you.

[2] I’m presuming you mean “Apple’s peer-to-peer Wi-Fi” instead of “AirDrop” this quote. AirDrop is a specific protocol running over Apple’s peer-to-peer Wi-Fi, and the AirDrop protocol is itself private.