Linux Patches Add AirDrop Support for Apple T2 Macs
Proposed kernel patches would let Linux machines on Apple T2 hardware exchange files with Apple devices over AirDrop.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Data Centers
Linux kernel patches posted for review add AWDL support to the brcmfmac driver, enabling Linux on Apple T2 Macs to send and receive files with Macs, iPhones, and iPads via AirDrop. The patches are still under review and have not been merged.
Why it matters
AirDrop runs over Apple Wireless Direct Link, which has historically been closed to non-Apple operating systems, so the work could let Linux users share files directly with Apple devices without workarounds. The approach relies on Apple firmware that already runs AWDL on these machines, which limits the feature to hardware and firmware combinations that support it.
The driver enables AWDL only on firmware that announces "awdl" in its capabilities and supports interface_create version 3, and the BCM4350 image 7.35.180.133 on a pre-T2 MacBookPro14,1 is rejected with BCME_UNSUPPORTED. Other Apple chips such as the BCM4355 have not been tested, so their support remains unconfirmed.
The players
Phoronix
Phoronix is a long-running technology news site focused on Linux, open-source software, and hardware drivers, and it reported the patch series.
The details
The host creates an AWDL interface and sets its parameters, after which the Apple firmware keeps the AWDL schedule, forwards frames received from the host, and carries data to and from peers. Election, peer discovery, and AirDrop itself run in user space rather than in the kernel driver.
Timeline
• November 5, 2026: Patch series posted for review, as reported by Phoronix.
The Tech Race
The patches extend Apple Wireless Direct Link, the protocol behind AirDrop that has been confined to Apple's own operating systems, to Linux running on T2-equipped Macs. The effort builds on Apple firmware that already runs AWDL on those machines rather than reverse-engineering the protocol from scratch.
Linux users on supported Apple T2 Macs could eventually send and receive files with Macs, iPhones, and iPads through AirDrop without switching operating systems. The feature remains unmerged, and the BCM4350 firmware found in pre-T2 machines does not gain it.
The takeaway
Hardware-specific firmware support, not just driver code, determines which Apple machines can run features like AirDrop on Linux. Readers with T2 Macs should watch the patch review for merge status before expecting the feature in mainline kernels.
Further reading
Explore more on the Data Centers beat for related infrastructure coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Phoronix.
