Check the Status of the AirDrop Interface (awdl0)

View the current state, flags, and addresses of the awdl0 (Apple Wireless Direct Link) interface used by AirDrop and Sidecar.

macOSnetworkWi-FiTerminalDiagnosticsLow risk

Run `ifconfig awdl0` in Terminal to see the interface status, including whether it is UP or DOWN, its IPv6 link-local address, and MAC address.

01Command

Command

$ ifconfig awdl0

02What it does

awdl0 is the Apple Wireless Direct Link interface that macOS uses for AirDrop, Sidecar, and other peer-to-peer wireless features. `ifconfig awdl0` prints the interface's configuration: the 'status: active' line and the UP/RUNNING flags show whether the interface is currently operational. This is useful when AirDrop is not working and you want to verify the underlying interface exists and is up.

03Risk

RiskLow risk

!Warning: ifconfig has been deprecated since 2011; where available prefer the ip command. This command only displays status — it does not change anything.

04Undo

✓No undo needed — this command does not change persistent state.

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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