Send a file from one Mac to another.

The short answer

• The other Mac is in the room: AirDrop.
• Both Macs are yours: iCloud Drive.
• Same network, lots of files: File Sharing.
• Same Mac, another user account: the Shared folder.
• Someone else, anywhere: email or Messages.
• Moving everything to a new Mac: Migration Assistant.

Nearby: AirDrop

1. Open a Finder window and click AirDrop in the sidebar.
2. Drag the file onto the other Mac.
3. The other Mac clicks Accept. Apple says some items save to Downloads and others open in the app they came from, like Photos.

Apple says both Macs need Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on and must be within 30 feet (10 meters). If both are signed in to the same Apple Account, the file is accepted automatically. Apple also says AirDrop is best for a small selection of files. Stuck? See AirDrop not working on your Mac?

Your own Macs: iCloud Drive

Turn on iCloud Drive on both (System Settings > your name > iCloud > Drive > “Sync this Mac”), signed in to the same Apple Account. Put the file in iCloud Drive on one Mac and it shows up on the other. To share with someone else’s Mac, see Share an iCloud Drive folder from your Mac.

Same network: File Sharing

Turn on File Sharing on the Mac that has the files (steps in How to share a folder on a Mac). Then on the other Mac:

1. In a Finder window, click Network in the sidebar, double-click the Mac, then click Connect As. Or choose Go > Connect to Server and type its address.
2. Connect as a Guest (if allowed), a registered user with a name and password, or with an Apple Account set up on both Macs.
3. Pick the shared folder, then drag files across.

Same Mac, another user

In the Finder, choose Go > Go to Folder, type /Users/Shared, press Return, and drag the file in. Apple says every user on the Mac can read it, but only you can edit or delete it. For one person only, drop it in the Drop Box inside their Public folder (/Users/[username]/Public).

Someone else, anywhere: email or Messages

For a person rather than a machine, just send it. See Email a file from your Mac, Send a file by iMessage and, for big ones, Send large files from your Mac.

A new Mac: Migration Assistant

To move everything, Apple’s tool is Migration Assistant (in Applications > Utilities, or part of setup on a new Mac). It copies documents, apps, user accounts and settings, and doesn’t delete anything from the old Mac. To go wirelessly, keep both Macs near each other with Wi-Fi on, and turn off antivirus, firewall or VPN software until it’s done.

Sources: Apple Mac User Guide Use AirDrop to send items to nearby Apple devices, Store files in iCloud Drive, Connect your Mac to shared computers and servers and Share files with others who use your Mac, and Apple Support Transfer to a new Mac with Migration Assistant, checked October 27, 2026.

For the people you send to every week: Sendoff

When the other Mac belongs to your teammate or your accountant, Sendoff is the short way. It’s a Mac app that lives in the notch and sends by Gmail or iMessage. Drop the file, pick the person, press Send off. It ranks your regulars first, remembers each person’s channel, and routes around what won’t work: a 48 MB video goes by iMessage instead of Gmail. You get 3 seconds to undo.

Join the waitlist below, and tick the beta box if you want to test it first.