macOS processes

What is sharingd on Mac?

sharingd runs AirDrop, Handoff, Instant Hotspot and the shared computers in the Finder. AirDrop transfers can show under it.

Process: sharingdApplies to: macOS 13 Ventura and later for the System Settings path. Seen on macOS 27.2.Checked: 29 October 2026

Where you see it

  • sharingd is in the list in Activity Monitor › Network, in nettop or in Kilobat.
  • A firewall or network monitor asks if sharingd can connect.
  • Traffic appears when you use AirDrop.

What it is

The man page says that the Finder uses sharingd for AirDrop, Handoff, Instant Hotspot discovery, shared computers and Remote Disc.

It first appeared in Mac OS X 10.9. The program is /usr/libexec/sharingd.

Why it uses the network

  • AirDrop. AirDrop sends files directly between devices, over a peer-to-peer Wi-Fi link.
  • Discovery. It finds nearby devices for AirDrop, Handoff and Instant Hotspot.
  • Shared computers. The Finder sidebar lists other computers on the network.

Is it normal?

Yes. Traffic during an AirDrop transfer is usual. It does not use your internet connection.

See how much it uses

  1. Open Activity Monitor from Applications > Utilities. Click Network.

  2. Type sharingd in the search field. The Sent Bytes and Rcvd Bytes columns show what it moved.

  3. In Terminal, watch only this process. Press d to show the change per second, and q to quit.

    nettop -p sharingd -P

  4. To see only peer-to-peer Wi-Fi traffic, select the AWDL interface.

    nettop -t awdl -P

Reduce or pause it safely

  1. Open Control Center and click AirDrop. Choose Contacts Only, or turn AirDrop off.

  2. For the other settings, choose Apple menu > System Settings > General > AirDrop & Continuity.

  3. If AirDrop causes latency spikes in calls or games, read AirDrop, AWDL and latency spikes in games and calls.

  4. Do not quit sharingd in Activity Monitor. It is part of macOS, and other features depend on it.

With Kilobat

  1. Open the Kilobat app list and search for sharingd. Its row shows the live rate and the bytes it moved.

  2. Show the AirDrop visibility, the AirDrop link and what uses it.

    kilobat airdrop

  3. Kilobat shows AirDrop traffic apart and does not count it as Internet data.

  4. In Terminal, see the same live list. Press / and type the name to search.

    kilobat status --watch

  5. Show its traffic over one day. Names match kilobat report --summary.

    kilobat bandwidth sharingd day

  6. Through MCP, an AI agent gets the same history with get_app_bandwidth and the name sharingd.

  7. The live view is free. History in the app needs Pro. Kilobat records history only while the app runs.

Questions

Does AirDrop use my internet data?

No. AirDrop sends files directly between the devices. Kilobat shows it apart from Internet traffic.

Sources

Sources checked on 29 October 2026. Man pages are the ones installed with macOS; open one with man <name> in Terminal.