AirDrop for Windows — what actually works
AirDrop is Apple-only, so there's no real AirDrop on Windows. The closest thing that works with an iPhone is a browser room: open it on both, pair with a 6-digit code, and send.
AirDrop is one of the features Windows users most wish they had: point two devices at each other and a file just goes across. The catch is that AirDrop is built into Apple's operating systems and only talks to other Apple devices, so it will never run on Windows — and an iPhone can't AirDrop to a PC, however close they're sitting.
What does work for the iPhone-to-Windows direction is a shared browser room. It plays the same role — quick, wireless, no cable — but over the web instead of Apple's local link. Open the room on both devices, pair with a six-digit code, and send text, links, photos or files from the iPhone to the PC (and back).
How to do it in three steps
- 1
Open a room
Go to pastehere.app in any browser and create a room. You'll get a six-digit code — no sign-up, nothing to install.
- 2
Pair the second device
Open the same site on the other device and type the six-digit code (or scan the QR) to join. The devices agree on a key directly, so the server never sees it.
- 3
Copy on one, paste on the other
Add text, a link, an image or a file on either device and it appears on the other within a second. Destroy the room when you're done.
Everything is encrypted in your browser with AES-256 before it leaves the device. Devices agree on the room key through a PAKE exchange over the 6-digit code, so the key never reaches the server — it only ever stores ciphertext.
What about Windows' own Quick Share and Nearby Sharing?
Windows does have wireless sharing, but not with iPhones. Google's Quick Share now has a Windows app that works with Android phones, and Windows' built-in Nearby Sharing works PC-to-PC. Both are good for those cases — but neither talks to an iPhone, because Apple's hardware only does AirDrop.
So if your phone is Android, Quick Share for Windows is worth setting up. If your phone is an iPhone, there's no native option at all, and a browser room is the simplest thing that works — no account, no install, and it runs on any PC including one that isn't yours.
Private, like AirDrop should be
AirDrop transfers directly between devices; a browser room goes through a server, so encryption matters. With pastehere, files and text are encrypted in your browser with AES-256 before upload and the key never reaches the server, which stores ciphertext only. The transfer is private end to end, and the room can be destroyed afterwards.
Questions
Can I use AirDrop on a Windows PC?
No. AirDrop is built into Apple's operating systems and only works between Apple devices, so it can't run on Windows and an iPhone can't AirDrop to a PC. A browser room like pastehere is the closest thing that works for iPhone-to-Windows.
What's the best way to AirDrop from an iPhone to Windows?
Since AirDrop itself won't work, open a pastehere room in the browser on both the iPhone and the PC, pair with the 6-digit code, and send. It carries photos, files, links and text, end-to-end encrypted.
Is there an AirDrop equivalent for an Android phone and Windows?
Google's Quick Share has a Windows app that works with Android phones. For an iPhone, or for a no-install option that works on any PC, a browser room is the simplest path.