# OpenDrop

An open Apple AirDrop implementation written in Python

Repository: https://github.com/seemoo-lab/opendrop
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/opendrop
Homepage: https://owlink.org
Language: Python
License: GPL-3.0
License Family: copyleft
Topics: airdrop, apple, awdl, linux, macos
Last push: 2026-08-17T12:18:16+00:00
Link (homepage): https://owlink.org
Link (site_page): https://owlink.org/about

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 67/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-02T17:46:02.011165+00:00)
- activity 98, release rhythm 8, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 2668, "days_push": 16, "days_rel": null, "gap_med": null, "n_releases_24m": 0}
- flags: none
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 9720, forks 310 (observed 2026-08-28T04:10:36.950169+00:00)

## What it is
OpenDrop is an open-source command-line tool written in Python that implements the Apple AirDrop protocol for sharing files directly over Wi-Fi. It is compatible with Apple devices running iOS and macOS, and requires Apple Wireless Direct Link (AWDL) support via macOS or the OWL re-implementation on Linux.

## Use cases
- send files from Linux to an iPhone via AirDrop
- receive files from a Mac on a Linux machine
- share files between devices over Wi-Fi without cloud services
- research the AirDrop protocol and AWDL
- send files to Apple devices discoverable by everybody
- support contacts-only AirDrop using extracted certificates

## When to choose
- you need AirDrop interoperability from Linux or the command line
- you are researching Apple's AWDL/AirDrop protocols
- you want open-source, cloud-free local file sharing with Apple devices

## When to avoid
- you need a polished, fully-featured AirDrop replacement
- you require guaranteed compatibility with future AirDrop versions
- you cannot run AWDL (unsupported Wi-Fi hardware or platform)
- you need a GUI file-sharing tool

## Facets
- artifact type: cli-tool
- maturity: experimental
- function: networking, file-system, security, developer-tools
- domain: networking, security, cross-platform
- platform: python, cli
- tags: airdrop, awdl, apple, file-sharing, reverse-engineering, wifi, command-line, linux, macos

## Member repositories
- seemoo-lab/opendrop (main) score 67
- seemoo-lab/owl (backend) score 76

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:10:36.950169+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-29T17:21:13.999007+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/seemoo-lab/opendrop (fetched 2026-08-28T04:10:36.950169+00:00, sha e1c4521665a6)
  - homepage: https://owlink.org (fetched 2026-08-29T08:20:50.227939+00:00, sha 7ce454d82c77)
  - site_page: https://owlink.org/about (fetched 2026-08-29T08:20:50.230885+00:00, sha cc586a2e5aab)
  - registry_pypi: https://pypi.org/pypi/opendrop/json (fetched 2026-08-29T08:20:50.232786+00:00, sha 48ccb9e5fa5b)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.