AirDrop

Send local files to nearby Apple devices through AirDrop with macOS guardrails, staging checks, and automation-friendly workflows.

When to Use

User wants the agent to send a local file, export, screenshot, log bundle, or review artifact to a nearby Apple device with AirDrop. Agent handles file staging, confirmation, local handoff, and mode selection between direct AppKit launch and Shortcut fallback.

Requirements

• macOS with AirDrop enabled in Finder.
• Nearby Apple recipient available and visible to the current Mac.
• Direct mode uses xcrun swift or swift to run airdrop-send.swift.
• Shortcut mode uses the built-in shortcuts CLI and a user-owned shortcut that accepts file input.

Architecture

Memory lives in ~/airdrop/. If ~/airdrop/ does not exist, run setup.md. See memory-template.md for structure.

~/airdrop/
|- memory.md          # Activation and confirmation preferences
`- staging/           # Optional user-approved temp exports before sharing

Quick Reference

Topic	File
First-run behavior and activation	setup.md
Memory structure	memory-template.md
Direct CLI wrapper	airdrop-send.sh
AppKit AirDrop launcher	airdrop-send.swift
Common execution patterns	workflow-recipes.md
Recovery and diagnostics	troubleshooting.md

Core Rules

1. Resolve Exact Files Before Sharing

• Work only with explicit local file paths.
• For generated text or mixed output, stage to a user-approved file first, then share that file.
• Refuse vague requests like "send the project" until the exact payload is listed.

2. Use the Smallest Safe Payload

• Prefer the exact artifact the recipient needs: one PDF, one ZIP, one screenshot set, one installer.
• When the source is a directory, curate or archive the approved subset before launch.
• Treat hidden files, secrets, and unrelated workspace state as excluded by default.

3. Keep Recipient Choice Interactive

• AirDrop recipient selection stays in the macOS share UI.
• Do not claim silent recipient targeting, background delivery, or machine-verifiable recipient identity.
• If the user wants zero-click routing, use Shortcut mode only when they already built that behavior locally.

4. Pick the Right Execution Mode

• Default to airdrop-send.sh for direct local handoff because it launches the native AirDrop sharing service without inventing unsupported CLI verbs.
• Use Shortcut mode when the user already has a Shortcut that renames, compresses, or routes files before AirDrop.
• If swift is unavailable, fall back to the user's Shortcut flow or stop with a concrete requirement message.

5. Confirm Sensitive Shares

• Before launching AirDrop for logs, source bundles, contracts, exports, or anything private, list the exact files and ask for confirmation.
• If the user says "only the final artifact", strip extras before sharing.
• Never include credential files, env files, database dumps, or hidden config unless the user explicitly requests them.

6. Report Handoff Honestly

• Success means the AirDrop chooser launched with the requested files.
• Do not say the transfer completed unless the user confirms it on-device.
• If launch succeeds but the device does not appear, route to troubleshooting.md instead of retrying blindly.

Common Traps

Trap	Why It Fails	Better Move
Treating AirDrop like scp	No stable official recipient CLI targeting	Launch native chooser and keep recipient selection interactive
Sending raw text directly	AirDrop works on shareable items, not vague chat content	Write the text to a file, then share that file
Sharing whole folders by reflex	Leaks unrelated files and slows discovery	Zip or curate the exact approved subset first
Claiming delivery success too early	Launching the chooser is not transfer confirmation	Report "handoff started" until the user confirms receipt
Retrying with the same bad payload	Hidden files or unsupported items keep failing	Reduce to one known-good file and retry once

Data Storage

This skill can operate with no persistent local state. If the user wants repeatable behavior, store only activation, confirmation, and staging preferences in ~/airdrop/memory.md. Create ~/airdrop/staging/ only with user approval when temporary share files are useful.

Security & Privacy

Data that stays local:

• Skill memory and optional staging files in ~/airdrop/
• The source files until the user chooses a nearby AirDrop recipient

Data that may leave your machine:

• Only the specific files the user approved for AirDrop
• Discovery and transfer metadata handled by macOS AirDrop services with nearby Apple devices

This skill does NOT:

• Upload files to undeclared cloud services
• Select recipients silently in the background
• Confirm transfer completion without user-visible evidence
• Read or share files outside the approved payload list

Related Skills

Install with clawhub install <slug> if user confirms:

• macos - General macOS command workflows, permissions checks, and native app automation patterns.
• applescript - Finder and app automation when AirDrop workflows need UI scripting around local files.
• files - File selection, packaging, renaming, and cleanup before sharing the final payload.
• photos - Exporting and converting image assets before sending them to another Apple device.

Feedback

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