CLI airdrop 📤

CLI utility for Apple AirDrop — send files via AirDrop directly from the terminal.

What is this? 🤔

airdrop is a command-line tool that lets you send files to nearby Apple devices (iPhone, iPad, Mac) using Apple's AirDrop feature — but directly from the terminal!

Instead of dragging files to the AirDrop icon, you can just type:

airdrop image.jpg

airdrop myfile.pdf

Features ✨

• Send files via AirDrop from command line
• Support for multiple files at once
• Pipe support — send files via stdin
• Automatic file type detection
• Works on Apple Silicon and Intel Macs

Installation 📥

Method 1: Homebrew (Easiest!) 🍺

If you have Homebrew installed (most Mac users do):

brew tap xvoland/tap
brew install airdrop

Method 2: Manual Download

1. Go to GitHub Releases
2. Download the latest airdrop_darwin_arm64.tar.gz (for Apple Silicon) or airdrop_darwin_x86_64.tar.gz (for Intel)
3. Extract the file
4. Run it!

Or use terminal:

# For Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3)
curl -L -o airdrop.tar.gz https://github.com/xvoland/airdrop/releases/download/v0.3.6/airdrop_darwin_arm64.tar.gz
tar -xzf airdrop.tar.gz
./airdrop yourfile.pdf

How to Use 📖

Basic Example: Send One File

Let's say you have a file called photo.jpg and want to send it to your iPhone:

airdrop photo.jpg

That's it! Airdrop will open and let you choose where to send the file.

Send Multiple Files

You can send several files at once:

airdrop photo.jpg document.pdf screenshot.png

Send via Pipe (Advanced)

If you want to send content that comes from another program:

cat myfile.pdf | airdrop

This sends the content of myfile.pdf through AirDrop.

Command Options ⚙️

Help

See all options:

airdrop --help

Version

Check which version you have:

airdrop --version

Verbose Mode

Want to see more details about what's happening?

airdrop -v file.pdf

Troubleshooting 🔧

"Permission denied" or "Blocked by macOS"

macOS has a security feature called Gatekeeper that blocks apps from unknown developers. If this happens:

Solution 1: Run this command in terminal

xattr -cr $(which airdrop)

Solution 2: Allow manually

1. Open System Settings → Privacy & Security
2. Look for the message about blocked airdrop
3. Click Allow anyway
4. Try running airdrop again

"AirDrop failed"

Make sure:

• ✅ AirDrop is turned ON on your Mac (Control Center → AirDrop)
• ✅ AirDrop is turned ON on your receiving device (iPhone/iPad)
• ✅ Devices are close to each other
• ✅ You accepted the incoming request on the receiving device

Requirements 📋

• macOS 10.15 (Catalina) or later
• AirDrop enabled on your Mac
• Receiving device nearby (iPhone, iPad, or another Mac)

Building from Source (For Developers) 👨‍💻

Want to build it yourself? Here's how:

# 1. Clone the project
git clone https://github.com/xvoland/airdrop.git
cd airdrop

# 2. Build it
make

# 3. Run it!
./airdrop file.pdf

Building for Different Macs

# For Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3)
make all ARCH=arm64

# For Intel Mac
make all ARCH=x86_64

License 📄

MIT License — see LICENSE

Donation

I’ll keep improving the app no matter what because I love seeing people use it to reach their goals. But if you’d like to support my work, even a $1 donation makes a big difference—it helps cover hosting costs and the time I put into coding. Every little bit helps, and I’d truly appreciate it.

If you enjoy the my work, consider donating today. Thank you so much! 🙌

Crypto

BTC (ERC20): 0x17496b75d241d377334717f8cbc16cc1a5b80396
USDT (TRC20): TAAsGXjNoQRJ7ewxSBL2W3DUCoG7h8LCT6

HOME 👤

🌐 https://dotoca.net/airdrop

Other

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======= Made with ❤️ for macOS users!