Restart the AirDrop Wireless Interface (awdl0) with ifconfig

Bounce the awdl0 interface down and back up to fix AirDrop when it stops finding nearby devices.

macOSnetworkWi-FiTerminalDiagnosticsMedium risk

sudo ifconfig awdl0 down && sudo ifconfig awdl0 up

01Command

Command

$ sudo ifconfig awdl0 down && sudo ifconfig awdl0 up

02What it does

AirDrop traffic runs over the awdl0 (Apple Wireless Direct Link) interface. Using ifconfig to mark the interface 'down' and then 'up' resets it — ifconfig is used to configure network interface parameters, and marking an interface down stops transmission through it while resetting it. Bringing it back up lets AirDrop rediscover nearby devices.

03Risk

RiskMedium risk

RequirementsAdministrator (sudo) password required.

!Warning: This requires sudo (admin password) and briefly interrupts the wireless direct-link interface. Other nearby connections using the link may need to reconnect.

04Undo

Undo

$ The interface is brought back up by the same command; macOS normally reactivates awdl0 automatically when AirDrop is used again. If needed, run: sudo ifconfig awdl0 up

05Sources

IFCONFIG Command: Configure a network interface in macOS
ss64.com · technical · 2026-09-21
Evidence: The ifconfig utility is used to assign an address to a network interface and/or configure network interface parameters.

Last verified: 2026-09-21 · Category: Network

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