airdropApple's AirDrop feature lets you wirelessly send and receive files between nearby Macs as well as to and from local iOS devices. It's usually accessed from the sidebar of an open Finder Window (or using the Command + Shift + R keyboard shortcut within Finder), but here we're going to share with you a trick that enables you to launch AirDrop straight from your Mac's Dock.

Having the AirDrop shortcut in your Dock will allow you to access it from any screen, regardless of the application you're using, and without having to open a Finder window first. Regular AirDrop users in particular should appreciate the convenience it provides.

How to Add AirDrop to Your Mac's Dock

  1. Open a Finder window or click the Desktop.

  2. In the Finder menu bar, select Go -> Go to Folder.
    Finder go to folder

  3. Paste the following directory path into the dialog and press Enter: /System/Library/CoreServices/Finder.app/Contents/Applications/
    Finder go to folder dialog

  4. The Contents/Applications folder within the Finder.app package will appear. Using your mouse, drag the AirDrop app to the desired location in your Dock.
    drag airdrop to dock

  5. Close the Finder window.

Next time you want to open the AirDrop window to share something, simply click the app icon in your Mac's Dock. Note that you can also drag the iCloud Drive app from the Finder package in the same way, for quick one-click access to the files and folders in your cloud storage.

Tag: AirDrop

Top Rated Comments

Gorms Avatar
92 months ago
This is actually really useful for me. Thank you for this tip!

AirDrop is one of macOS’ best features... (when it works)
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Saipher Avatar
92 months ago
Thank you MacRumors, these tips articles are very helpful. :)
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Chupa Chupa Avatar
92 months ago
Not sure I understand how this streamlines workflow. Dragging a file to the dock seems like more work than just ctrl+click -> share -> airdrop. What am I missing?
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
rubberfish Avatar
92 months ago
Thanks for the tip. I share files back and forth with my iPad all the time.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
unsharptooth Avatar
92 months ago
[doublepost=1527258466][/doublepost]This would be really useful if you could just drop your file there and a pop up asked you who you wanted to send it to. And maybe a pop up after it's finished sending too. Hopefully they improve upon that with 10.14.
Yu can select the files, right click > share > Airdrop. You’ll get a pop up listing nearby devices and progress when sending.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
rhoydotp Avatar
92 months ago
Receiving files.
100% agree with this! Most people just probably send and not receive files so it may not be that useful to them.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro Launching in Three Months With These 12 New Features

Saturday June 14, 2025 5:45 pm PDT by
The iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are three months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of June 2025:Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone X through iPhone 14 Pro have a...
iPadOS 26 App Windowing

Apple Explains Why iPads Don't Just Run macOS

Friday June 13, 2025 7:46 am PDT by
iPadOS 26 allows iPads to function much more like Macs, with a new app windowing system, a swipe-down menu bar at the top of the screen, and more. However, Apple has stopped short of allowing iPads to run macOS, and it has now explained why. In an interview this week with Swiss tech journalist Rafael Zeier, Apple's software engineering chief Craig Federighi said that iPadOS 26's new Mac-like ...
iphone 16 pro models 1

17 Reasons to Wait for the iPhone 17

Thursday June 12, 2025 8:58 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models simultaneously, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect from Apple's 2025 smartphone lineup. If you skipped the iPhone...
Logitech Logo Feature

Logitech Announces Two New Accessories for WWDC

Friday June 13, 2025 7:22 am PDT by
Alongside WWDC this week, Logitech announced notable new accessories for the iPad and Apple Vision Pro. The Logitech Muse is a spatially-tracked stylus developed for use with the Apple Vision Pro. Introduced during the WWDC 2025 keynote address, Muse is intended to support the next generation of spatial computing workflows enabled by visionOS 26. The device incorporates six degrees of...
iOS 26 Screens

Here Are All the iOS 26 Features That Require iPhone 15 Pro or Newer

Thursday June 12, 2025 4:53 am PDT by
With iOS 26, Apple has introduced some major changes to the iPhone experience, headlined by the new Liquid Glass redesign that's available across all compatible devices. However, several of the update's features are exclusive to iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 models, since they rely on Apple Intelligence. The following features are powered by on-device large language models and machine...
CarPlay Liquid Glass Dark

Apple to Let iPhone Users Watch Videos on CarPlay Screen While Parked

Thursday June 12, 2025 6:16 am PDT by
Apple this week announced that iPhone users will soon be able to watch videos right on the CarPlay screen in supported vehicles. iPhone users will be able to wirelessly stream videos to the CarPlay screen using AirPlay, according to Apple. For safety reasons, video playback will only be available when the vehicle is parked, to prevent distracted driving. The connected iPhone will be able to...
iOS 26 on Three iPhones

Hate iOS 26's Liquid Glass Design? Here's How to Tone It Down

Wednesday June 11, 2025 4:22 pm PDT by
iOS 26 features a whole new design material that Apple calls Liquid Glass, with a focus on transparency that lets the content on your display shine through the controls. If you're not a fan of the look, or are having trouble with readability, there is a step that you can take to make things more opaque without entirely losing out on the new look. Apple has multiple Accessibility options that ...
Mac Studio Feature

Apple Begins Selling Refurbished Mac Studio With M4 Max and M3 Ultra Chips at a Discount

Thursday June 12, 2025 10:14 am PDT by
Apple today added Mac Studio models with M4 Max and M3 Ultra chips to its online certified refurbished store in the United States, Canada, Japan, Singapore, and many European countries, for the first time since they were released in March. As usual for refurbished Macs, prices are discounted by approximately 15% compared to the equivalent new models on Apple's online store. Note that Apple's ...
iOS 26 Feature

Apple Seeds Revised iOS 26 Developer Beta to Fix Battery Issue

Friday June 13, 2025 10:15 am PDT by
Apple today provided developers with a revised version of the first iOS 26 beta for testing purposes. The update is only available for the iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 models, so if you're running iOS 26 on an iPhone 14 or earlier, you won't see the revised beta. Registered developers can download the new beta software through the Settings app on each device. The revised beta addresses an...