How to Change Airdrop Name on iPhone, iPad, Mac

AirDrop is a great feature on Apple devices that lets you send documents, pictures, and other things instantly from one device to another using Wi-Fi. This is a good way to send files because it is faster, doesn't require as many steps, and, perhaps most importantly, doesn't lower the quality of the media being sent. For AirDrop to work, the person sending the file has to pick a name from a list of possible nearby devices on their screen. If you don't have an easy-to-remember name, it can make things harder. The settings menu on your iPhone makes it easy to change your AirDrop name by letting you change the name of your device. So, if you want to make your phone easier to recognize or just want to make people laugh by giving it a funny name, it's easy to do. Here's how to change Airdrop name on iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

How to change AirDrop name on iPhone

1. Open Settings.

2. Tap on General.

3. Tap About at the top of the screen.

4. Tap Name at the top of the screen.

5. Type in the name you want to give your device, and then tap Done to change the name.

How to Change AirDrop Name on iPad

If you want to change your AirDrop name on the iPad, all you have to do is change the name of your iPad. Just remember that if you change the name of your iPad device, the name that shows up on Wi-Fi networks, in Find My, and when you connect your iPad to your computer will also change. Here's how you can change your iPad's AirDrop name:

1. Go to Settings then select General.

2. Select About.

3. Tap Name.

4. Type the new name for AirDrop.

5. When you drop files with your iPad, you will now see its new name.

How to Change AirDrop Name on Mac

If you have more than one MacBook, it can be hard to figure out which MacBook Air you are sending files to when you use AirDrop. You can easily change the name of your Mac so you can tell it apart from other devices when you want to AirDrop a file. 

1. Click the Apple icon in the top left corner of your screen.

2. Choose System Preferences.

3. Click on Share.

4. You can give your Mac a new name by typing it next to Computer Name.

5. Your changes will be saved on their own. Click the red circle in the top left corner of the window to leave System Preferences.

Now you know how to change the name that shows up on your iPhone, iPad, and Mac when you use AirDrop. Just remember that changing your AirDrop name can also change how your device is listed in other places. If you use my silly "Send Me Dog Pics" example, this will be the name of your device on Find My and everywhere else.

What to do if you can't see other devices

What to do if you can't see other devices Even on your Mac, you know how to do it. But what happens when an AirDrop device doesn't show up in the window?

If you try to AirDrop something from one device to another, but the other device doesn't show up, make sure that both devices have WiFi and Bluetooth turned on. You'll also need to place both devices within 9 meters (30 feet).

Most of the time, this is all that needs to be done, but sometimes the basics aren't enough to solve the problem. We'll have to change the settings on the device.

How to troubleshoot issues when changing Airdrop names on iPhone, iPad, iPod touch

You can check your AirDrop settings by going to Control Center. If you set AirDrop to receive files from "Contacts only," both the device sending the file and the device receiving it must be signed in to iCloud. Also, the email address or phone number associated with the sender's Apple ID must be in the Contacts app on your iOS device.

If the AirDrop option doesn't show up, you might need to switch from "Contacts Only" to "Everyone".

If you want to use AirDrop, turn off Personal Hotspot. You can turn it off on the recipient's iOS device by going to Settings > Cellular.

How to fix the issue on a Mac:

Make sure that AirDrop is on by going to Finder and clicking Go > AirDrop from the menu bar.

Check the setting at the bottom of the AirDrop window that says "Allow me to be discovered by."

On Earlier Macs (2012 or earlier), select "Don't see who you're looking for?" in the sharing Mac's AirDrop window or sharing sheet. Click "Search for an Older Mac" to go to the next step.

If the receiving Mac is running OS X Mavericks or an older version, make sure an AirDrop window is open: select Go > AirDrop from the Finder's menu bar.

Make sure "Block all incoming connections" is turned off in the Security & Privacy settings of the Mac that will be receiving the connection.

Frequently Asked Questions

My device’s name didn’t update. What’s wrong?

If you change the name of your device by following the steps above and it doesn't show up right away, turn your phone off and on again. Assuming you used the methods above to make sure the name change went through, this will fix the problem.

Another reason why the name of your device might not show up right is if the sending device is already in your contacts. For example, if you're using your work phone and have it listed in your contacts on the receiving device, you may see the contact as "work phone."

How close do I have to be to another device for AirDrop to work?

For AirDrop to work, your device needs to be connected to Bluetooth. This means that the device sending the signal and the device receiving it must be within 30 feet of each other.