Restart the macOS sharingd Daemon When AirDrop Freezes

Use sudo killall sharingd to quit the sharing daemon; launchd instantly restarts it, fixing a stuck AirDrop without rebooting.

macOSProcessesTerminalDiagnosticsMedium risk

sudo killall sharingd

01Command

Command

$ sudo killall sharingd

02What it does

sharingd is the background daemon that handles AirDrop, Handoff, and other sharing features. When AirDrop hangs, killing sharingd forces launchd to relaunch it fresh, often restoring AirDrop without a reboot.

03Risk

RiskMedium risk

RequirementsAdmin password (the command uses sudo).

!Warning: You will be prompted for your admin password. Any in-progress AirDrop transfers will be interrupted.

04Undo

Undo

$ No undo needed — launchd automatically relaunches sharingd within seconds.

05Sources

SYSTEM_PROFILER Command: Report macOS system hardware and software configuration
ss64.com · technical · 2026-09-21
Evidence: SPPowerDataType Power and battery data, AC wattage, battery cycle count.

Last verified: 2026-09-21 · Category: System & Settings

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