AirDrop is the transfer method. The file format and extra photo information depend on the sharing options you choose.
For an editable handoff from iPhone Photos, open Share → Options and enable All Photos Data before using AirDrop. Apple says this includes the original file, edit history and metadata. Use Current when you need to prevent format conversion. If the recipient only needs a finished picture, choose a suitable delivery copy instead of automatically sending extra original data.
A friend posting your finished portrait and a collaborator continuing the edit need different things. The friend may need only a compatible rendered image. The collaborator may need the original source and information that allows supported edits to remain adjustable.
AirDrop alone does not describe which version you chose to send. Start with the source application and its sharing options. Apple’s Photos guide distinguishes the file-format choice from All Photos Data; that distinction is the main reason to inspect Options before transferring.
This guide concerns a Photos-to-Apple-device handoff. It does not promise that another editor, a social network or an Android device will interpret Apple Photos edit history.
| Photos option | Apple’s documented behavior | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| All Photos Data | Shares the original with edit history and metadata | Use for an intended editable handoff; review privacy implications. |
| Current | Prevents a format conversion | The recipient still needs software that understands the format. |
| Most Compatible | May convert photos to JPEG and videos to MOV | Useful when a compatible delivery format matters more than preserving the original format. |
| Automatic | Chooses a format for the destination | Verify the received result when format preservation matters. |
Ask the recipient to confirm the image’s dimensions, orientation, crop and intended appearance. If preserving the original format mattered, inspect the received file’s format too. If editability mattered, check the actual editing behavior rather than assuming a visible finished picture proves it.
A useful rehearsal is a harmless photo with an obvious crop. Transfer it with the chosen settings and ask the recipient to inspect whether the supported original and edit information are available. This is a suggested test, not a claim that we tested every device or software combination.
For a ProRAW source, Apple separately documents that DNG-compatible applications can open the file but apps without ProRAW support may show it differently. A successful transfer cannot provide capabilities the receiving editor lacks.
All Photos Data includes metadata as well as edit history. Treat that as an intentional information handoff. For a casual public sharing workflow, consider whether the recipient needs those details at all.
If location or other sensitive information is a concern, inspect the relevant controls for your software version and verify the delivered copy. Our location-removal guide addresses that separate task. Do not assume a beautiful final crop hides everything in an original file.
Keep your own source until the recipient confirms what arrived. Once received, later changes in your library should not be treated as a way to recall their independent copy. Send only what you intend them to retain.
The cited Apple guides were checked on October 22, 2026. The unversioned Photos guide currently presents iOS 27; choose the matching version in Apple’s guide when your device shows different controls.
No. Apple lists them as different controls: Current concerns format conversion, while All Photos Data concerns original, edit-history and metadata information.
No. The receiving software must understand the file and any supplied edit information. Verify the intended workflow before transferring a large or important batch.
Current, Most Compatible and All Photos Data options; iOS 27 guide retrieved October 22, 2026.
Device preparation, recipient selection and acceptance; retrieved October 22, 2026.
DNG and ProRAW application compatibility; retrieved October 22, 2026.
Drafted with AI assistance. Technical background was checked against the sources above. How we create our guides.
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