4. Sync, Share, and Print Files Using AirDrop, AirPlay, AirPrint, and Handoff
In This Chapter
Use AirDrop to share data with other nearby Mac, iPhone, and iPad users
Utilize your iPhone or iPad with AirPlay-compatible equipment
Print files wirelessly to a compatible AirPrint printer
Discover iOS 8’s new Handoff functionality
When it comes to syncing and sharing files and data (including app-specific data), your iOS mobile device is equipped with several tools, including AirDrop, AirPlay, AirPrint, and Handoff.
What’s New
iCloud’s new features for syncing and sharing documents, files, photos, and data include Family Sharing and iCloud Drive, which are explained in greater detail in Chapter 5, “Ways to Use iCloud’s Latest Features with Your iPhone and/or iPad.”
The new Handoff feature built in to iOS 8 offers yet another way your iPhone, iPad, and Mac(s) linked to the same iCloud account can share information and functionality, enabling you to begin a task on one computer or device and seamlessly continue it on another.
The AirDrop tool enables your iPhone or iPad to wirelessly transfer certain types of files (including photos) and app-specific data to other iPhones, iPads, and Macs that are in close proximity and that also support the AirDrop function.
To turn on the AirDrop feature on your iPhone or iPad, launch Control Center by swiping your finger upward from the very bottom of the screen. When the Control Center appears, tap on the AirDrop icon.
From the AirDrop menu (shown in Figure 4.1), choose whether you want to utilize AirDrop to communicate with any other nearby users (Everyone) or only with people within your Contacts database (Contacts Only). It’s also possible to turn off the feature altogether.
When it’s turned on, use this feature to send content from the Share menu that’s built in to compatible apps. For example, if you want to send a photo to another AirDrop user, launch Photos, view and select the photo(s) you want to send, and then tap on the Share icon.
When the Share menu is displayed (shown in Figure 4.2), thumbnails representing people in close proximity who have AirDrop turned on are displayed. Tap on the intended recipient, and the selected photos are wirelessly sent.
FIGURE 4.2 Select AirDrop from the Share menu of compatible apps to send app-specific content to other iOS mobile devices and Mac users.
Note
AirDrop is available only when using an iPhone 5/5c/5s, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, a fourth-generation iPad, iPad Air, iPad mini, iPad mini with Retina Display, or the newer iPad models released by Apple in late 2014.
If you want to use AirDrop between an iOS mobile device and a Mac, the Mac must be running OS X Yosemite.
Tip
In addition to the Photos app, the AirDrop feature is supported by the Share menu found in other apps, including Contacts, Maps, Notes, Safari, iBooks, and iTunes Store.
Regardless of what you’re currently doing on your iPhone or iPad, if someone sends you something via AirDrop, a pop-up window appears on your screen that provides you with information about the sender and what’s being sent. You then have the option to Accept or Decline the transmission (shown in Figure 4.3).
FIGURE 4.3 Receiving something sent by someone else via AirDrop is as easy as tapping on the Accept button that’s displayed.
Note
After you receive content via AirDrop, to access that content, launch the relevant app. For example, to view, organize, or edit photos you receive, open the Camera Roll album in the Photos app. If you receive a Contacts entry, it is automatically added to your Contacts database and accessible from the Contacts app.
In addition to sharing app-specific content and photos with other people, AirDrop offers a quick and convenient way to share compatible content between your own iOS mobile device(s) and Mac(s).
Stream Content from Your iPhone or iPad to Other Compatible Devices Using AirPlay
AirPlay is a wireless feature that enables your mobile device to stream content, such as photos, videos, or audio, to an AirPlay-compatible device, such as Apple TV, a Mac, or AirPlay-compatible speakers.
To use AirPlay, your iOS mobile device and the other AirPlay-compatible device must be connected to the same wireless home network (via Wi-Fi). Then, when you turn on the AirPlay feature, the two compatible devices automatically establish a wireless connection.
After the connection is made, an AirPlay icon appears within compatible apps, such as Music, Videos, and Photos, enabling you to transfer (stream) what you would otherwise see on your iPhone or iPad’s screen, or what would be heard through the device’s speaker, to another compatible device.
In addition to being able to stream photos and video (including iTunes Store TV show and movie purchases and rentals), you can use AirPlay to connect external speakers (without cables) to your iOS mobile device, and then stream music or audio (such as audiobooks or podcasts) from your device to those compatible speakers.
When it’s available, one of the easiest ways to turn AirPlay on or off is to access it from Control Center. Tap on the AirPlay icon, and then choose where you want to stream the content to. In Figure 4.4, you’ll see that an iPad Air is wirelessly connecting to Apple TV to stream a TV show that’s saved in the iPad and display it on an HD television set via Apple TV.
More Info
AirPlay-compatible speakers are available from a handful of different companies, starting around $49.95. To learn about the AirPlay speakers available from the Apple Store and Apple.com, visit http://store.apple.com/us/ipad/ipad-accessories/speakers?m.tsOtherFeatures=airplay.
Print Files Wirelessly Using an AirPrint-Compatible Printer
Another wireless feature built in to iOS 8 is AirPrint. It enables compatible apps to wirelessly send documents, data, or photos to be printed on an AirPrint-compatible laser, ink jet, or photo printer. For this feature to work, the iOS mobile device and the printer must be connected to the same wireless network.
Dozens of different AirPrint-compatible printers are now available, from companies such as Brother, HP, Canon, Lexmark, and Epson. To learn more about AirPrint-compatible printers, visit http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4356.
After you’ve set up an AirPrint-compatible printer, use the Print feature that’s built in to many apps, such as Pages, Notes, Safari, Maps, and Photos. The Print option is often found in the Share menu of these apps, although this can vary.
Tip
When you have documents or files currently being printed, to access iOS 8’s print queue, access the app switcher by pressing the Home button twice in quick succession, and then swipe from left to right, past the Home screen.
Tip
If you’re not using an AirPrint-compatible printer, it’s possible to install specialized software on your Mac, such as handyPrint (www.netputing.com/handyprint) or Printopia (http://ecamm.com/mac/Printopia), to enable your printer to work with the AirPrint feature of your iPhone or iPad as long as your Mac is turned on.
Continue a Task on One Device Exactly Where You Left Off on Another Using Handoff
New to iOS 8 is a feature called Handoff. It works with several apps that come preinstalled with iOS 8, including Phone, Safari, Mail, Maps, Messages, Contacts, Calendar, and Reminders, as well as the iWork for iOS apps. It’s also compatible with a growing number of third-party apps.
Basically, this feature enables you to begin a task on one of your Mac(s) or iOS mobile devices, and then pick up exactly where you left off on another Mac or iOS mobile device that’s linked to the same iCloud account and is within Bluetooth range (which is about 33 feet).
To use the Handoff feature between your iPhone and a Mac, the Mac must be running the latest version of OS X Yosemite.
To enable the Handoff feature, launch the Settings app, tap on General, and then tap on the Handoff & Suggested Apps option. Turn on the virtual switch associated with the Handoff option. This must be done on each of your iOS mobile devices.
When Handoff is turned on, start performing a compatible task on one of your Macs or iOS mobile devices. Then, to pick up what you were doing on a different iPhone or iPad, wake up the device, and from the Lock screen, place your finger on the app icon that’s displayed in the lower-left corner of the screen and swipe upward (shown in Figure 4.5), or access the app switcher and swipe from left to right to scroll past the Home screen to access the handoff screen.
FIGURE 4.5 When it’s possible to take advantage of the Handoff feature, upon waking up your iPhone or iPad, place your finger on the app icon that’s displayed in the lower-left corner of the Lock screen and swipe upward.
When you attempt to use the Handoff feature from the Lock screen, it is still necessary to unlock the iPhone or iPad you’re currently using, before accessing the app that you were using on your other computer or iOS mobile device.
Note
To pick up what you were previously doing while currently using a Mac, simply open the app you were previously using on your other Mac or iOS mobile device.
One of the coolest uses of the Handoff feature, if you’re an iPhone user, is that when you receive an incoming call on your iPhone, when the Handoff feature is also active on your iPad and/or Mac, you can answer the incoming call and engage in the phone conversation from one of these other devices.
Your iPhone continues to host the call, but the wireless connection between your iPhone and iPad (or iPhone and Mac), enables you to use the Mac or iPad’s built-in microphone and speaker(s) to use one of these devices as a speakerphone.
Note
For this aspect of the Handoff feature to work, your iPad or Mac must be linked to the same Wi-Fi network as your iPhone, plus both devices must be signed in to the same iCloud account.
When an incoming call is displayed on your iPad or Mac’s screen, tap or click on the Answer icon to answer the call. If you want to initiate a call from your iPad or Mac (via your iPhone), tap or click on a phone number that’s displayed in the Contacts, Calendar, or Safari apps, or tap on one of the recent contact thumbnails displayed in the app switcher.
Another nice feature of Handoff is that you can now send and receive SMS and MMS text messages via your cellular service provider’s texting network (as opposed to Apple’s Internet-based iMessage service) from your iPad or Mac(s). These incoming or outgoing messages use the Message app running on your iPhone as a conduit.
When AirDrop, AirPlay, AirPrint, Handoff, and the functionality now offered by iCloud are used together, your iPhone or iPad can not only sync and share content in a variety of ways, but you can use your smartphone or tablet to control other equipment or use the Find My… tools offered by iCloud to keep tabs on the whereabouts of your own devices remotely.