How to Fix AirDrop Disappearing from Finder Sidebar in macOS Sequoia

System upgrades are usually great. They add new features, fix bugs, and bring visual changes. However, they may cause unheard-of issues as well. That’s been the case for many Mac users after updating to macOS Sequoia. They have been dealing with a Finder bug that makes AirDrop disappear from the sidebar. If this has been happening to you, I have good news: there are over a dozen possible fixes and workarounds you can try.

Why Does AirDrop Disappear From macOS Sequoia Finder Sidebar?

Since Apple didn’t acknowledge the issue yet, the exact cause isn’t known. There’s also no official fix, at least until macOS 15.4.1.

Some users have found a possible relation to nearby devices running older OS versions. Also, the issue may be limited to Apple Silicon, since no reports of affected Intel Macs have surfaced so far. Both points, however, are still just hypotheses.

The lack of a known cause means there are still no definitive solutions for the issue. Some of the proposed fixes below, however, are practical enough to be reapplied whenever needed.

Workarounds: Ways of Accessing AirDrop if it Disappears From the Finder Sidebar

Before we begin, I’ll suggest some workarounds that may fit better in your workflow than constantly re-applying fixes. Check below:

• Use a keyboard shortcut: With any Finder window open, simultaneously pressing Command + Shift + R opens an AirDrop window or tab.
• Menu bar: On the menu bar, selecting Go > AirDrop has the same effect as the method above.
• Context menu: Right-clicking (or holding Control, then clicking) a file or folder in Finder displays a context menu. In it, there’s a Share… option. Clicking that option allows you to send the selected files or folders via AirDrop.
• Spotlight: You can also simply use Spotlight to open AirDrop. Press Command + space bar, or click the looking glass icon on your menu bar, type AirDrop, then press Return.
• Create a Dock shortcut: In Finder, press Command + Shift + G to open the Go to Folder dialog. Paste /System/Library/CoreServices/Finder.app/Contents/Applications in the text field, and a window will open with Finder shortcuts. Drag the AirDrop shortcut to the dock.

How to Fix AirDrop Disappearing from Finder Sidebar in macOS Sequoia

Now, for the actual solutions. The fixes below vary in complexity and effectiveness, and may not apply to everyone. I ordered them from easiest to hardest, so you can try a solution and, only if it doesn’t work for you, move to the next, more complex one.

1. Check if AirDrop Is Selected in Finder’s Sidebar Settings

The easiest way to try and fix the issue is opening Finder’s settings by pressing Command +, with a Finder window open. Go to the Sidebar tab and make sure the AirDrop box is checked.

If it’s not, click it. In many cases, affected users see the AirDrop entry appear in the Finder sidebar, then immediately go away. That’s a good indicator that you’re affected by the issue, so you can try the next solutions.

2. Disable FileVault

For some reason, disabling FileVault seems to be a fix, possibly permanent, for the issue. To try that solution, do the following:

3. Remove Other Favorites From the Sidebar

At least one user was able to get AirDrop to appear again by removing some items from the Finder sidebar. To do that, follow the steps from method #1, but instead of just enabling AirDrop, uncheck other items as well.

4. Force Finder Restart

A temporary solution is simply forcing Finder to restart. To do that, from any Finder window, press Command + Option + Esc, then select Finder from the list and click Relaunch. The AirDrop entry should then appear in the sidebar.

5. Disable and Re-Enable AirDrop in Terminal

Disabling, then immediately re-enabling AirDrop, from the Terminal, might also fix the issue. Open a Terminal window and issue the following command:

defaults write com.apple.NetworkBrowser DisableAirDrop -bool YES

Press Return. You may be prompted for your password. After that, issue the command below:

defaults write com.apple.NetworkBrowser DisableAirDrop -bool NO

Finally, restart Finder with

killall Finder

Finder should reopen, with the AirDrop sidebar entry displaying properly.

6. Reboot

While this may seem generic advice, at least one user was able to make the issue go away with a simple reboot. Others, however, got the bug fixed with the methods listed below and above, but found it had returned after rebooting.

7. Reboot With Other Apple Devices Turned Off

One method that may be more permanent is restarting your Mac with all your other Apple devices turned off. Simply switching them to Airplane Mode might be enough, too.

8. Create a Dummy Account

One user was able to get the issue semi-permanently fixed with the following procedure:

1. In System Settings, create a new user account under Users & Groups > Add User…
2. Restart your Mac. Instead of logging in to your main account, log in to the dummy account you created.
3. Log out of the dummy account, then log into your main account. AirDrop should appear as a sidebar item in Finder.
4. Repeat steps #2 and #3 whenever you turn your Mac on.

9. Disconnect Other Apple Devices

A variation of method #7, this one involves simply disconnecting all Apple devices other than your affected Mac. You can enable Airplane Mode, turn the device off, or use other options, as long as you disconnect them.

At some point, AirDrop should appear. When that happens, reconnect your devices one by one. Filter which one (or ones) make AirDrop disappear from the Finder sidebar, if any. In some cases, AirDrop may remain visible, even after connecting all devices.

It’s a good idea to take notice of the iOS, macOS, or iPadOS versions of these other devices. If they aren’t running the most up-to-date OS, see if they can be upgraded.

10. Delete Finder Settings File, Then Add Favorites to Sidebar, Then Reboot

This one is a bit more complicated and may not work consistently, but it’s still worth a shot. Do the following:

1. In System Settings, disable AirDrop and iCloud.
2. In Terminal, issue the following command: rm -v $HOME/Library/Preferences/com.apple.finder.plist && killall Finder
3. When Finder reopens, go to its preferences and enable at least four other sidebar items under Favorites.
4. Re-enable iCloud and AirDrop in System Settings.
5. Restart your Mac.
6. If AirDrop appears as it should, you can then disable the sidebar items you added in step #3.

11. Boot From an External Disk

One user was able to circumvent the issue by booting macOS from an external disk. Even weirder, the disk in question had been cloned from the Mac’s internal drive. If you have an external SSD at hand, consider installing macOS in it. Restore a Time Machine snapshot of your current disk to the external drive, and see if the issue persists.

12. Nuclear Solution: Reinstall macOS

As stated, this is a last resort. A few users were only able to prevent AirDrop from disappearing from the Finder sidebar with a complete macOS reinstall. This takes some time and patience, but if none of the previous methods work, it may be the way to go.

It isn’t uncommon of Apple to deny the existence of bugs for months, or even years. Eventually, the company releases a “magical” fix, only to pretend it never denied the issue to begin with. There’s a significant chance this will be the case with this bug, unfortunately. So, until the company provides a fix, you’ll need to rely on user-sourced solutions.