AirDrop is a feature on Apple devices that allows users to quickly and easily share files, photos, videos, and more between Apple devices over Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. When you share files between your Apple devices, your AirDrop name will appear on the other person’s screen.

how to change airdrop name

If you change your AirDrop name on your Apple devices, the new AirDrop name will appear when you share files in the Find My iPhone/iPad feature that tracks lost or stolen devices, iTunes, iCloud, and Personal Hotspot. Changing a device name does not affect existing settings.

If you have been using Airdrop for a while and want to change your current AirDrop name on your Apple device, this guide is for you. In this post, we will show you how to change your AirDrop name on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. All of these methods are very easy and simple to use.

How to Change Your AirDrop Name on iPhone

There are two ways to change your AirDrop name on your iPhone. You can change the name on your contact card or your device name. Changing your name on your contact card not only changes your appearance in AirDrop, it also changes your name in all apps that access your contact card. This can sometimes be annoying if you do not set an actual name.

For instance, if we wanted to change the name on your Contacts from “Ramesh” to “Vascular,” anytime Safari tries to autofill the name in a form on a website, it would use “Vascular” as the first name, which can be annoying sometimes. If you are not settings your name, follow the other process where you can change the device name (second procedure).

Change AirDrop Name on iPhone by Changing Name on Contacts Card:

  1. Open the Contacts app (or open Phone and tap Contacts).
  2. Tap your name at the top of the list.
    change airdrop name by changing contact card
  3. Tap Edit.
  4. Tap your first name and then tap the x in this field to delete what’s there.
  5. Type in the new first name you want to use and tap Done to save it.
    edit airdrop name

Change AirDrop Name on iPhone by Changing Device Name:

  • Open Settings and go to “General”
    settings general
  • Tap “About” at the top of the screen.
    about phone
  •  Tap “Name” at the top of the screen.
  • Enter what you want to name your device and select “Done” to rename the device.
    change name

How to Change AirDrop Name on iPad

Compared to iPhone and Mac, changing your name in AirDrop on an iPad is very simple and different from an iPhone. It’s not a matter of changing your name in Contacts. Instead, you change the name on your iPad itself by simply going to Settings. Follow the steps below to change your Airdrop name on your iPad.

  • Open the Settings app on your iPad, click General, and tap About

    image showing ipad general settings

  • Once you are in, click on the Name
    image showing ipad general settings about device
  • Now type in the new name. Changing the device name on your iPad also reflects on your AirDrop name.

    image showing ipad change device name settings

How to Change AirDrop Name on Mac

The process to change the Airdrop name on Mac is different from that on iPhone and iPad. Just like on iPad, it is very simple and straightforward. Follow the steps below to change the AirDrop name on Mac.

On macOS Ventura

  • Click the Apple icon in the upper-left corner of your screen.
  • From the list of options, select System Settings.
    go to system settings
  • Click on General > About.
    general-about
  • Next to Name, you can type a new name to set the AirDrop name for your Mac.
    change airdrop name on mac
  • Your changes will save automatically. You can exit System Settings by clicking the red circle in the upper-left corner of the window.

On macOS Monterey and earlier versions

  • Click the Apple icon in the upper-left corner of your screen.
  • From the list of options, select System Preferences.
  • Click Sharing
  • Next to Computer Name, you can type a new name to set the AirDrop name for your Mac.
  • Your changes will save automatically. You can exit System Preferences by clicking the red circle in the upper-left corner of the window.

So this is how you can change your AirDrop name on your iPhone, iPad, and Mac. In some cases, it may take some time for your new name to be updated on your Apple devices. If you are having issues with AirDrop, like the device name not popping up, you can check our detailed guide on How to Fix AirDrop Not Working. If you have any problems changing your AirDrop name, let us know in the comments below.

FAQs on Changing AirDrop Name on iPhone, Mac, and iPad

loader image

There is no limit to the number of times you can change your device name or your contact name. You can change them as often as you want.

Follow these steps to learn the name of your computer on AirDrop:

  1. On a Mac, click the Apple icon in the upper-left corner of your screen.
  2. Select "System Preferences" from the drop-down menu.
  3. Click "Sharing".
  4. Your computer name will be listed at the top of the Sharing window, next to the label "Computer Name".

If you are a geek, you can also use Terminal to find out your computer name:

  1. Open Terminal.
  2. Type the following command: "scutil --get ComputerName"
  3. Press enter.
  4. The output of the command will show your computer name.

To make your Mac discoverable for AirDrop, you need to follow the steps below:

  1. Open Finder: Go to the Finder app on your Mac and click on "Go" in the menu bar, then select "AirDrop."
  2. Turn on Wi-Fi: Make sure your Mac's Wi-Fi is turned on. If it is not, go to the "Wi-Fi" menu in the menu bar and select "Turn Wi-Fi On"
  3. Turn on AirDrop: In the AirDrop window, you should see the option to turn on AirDrop. Click on "Allow me to be discovered by" and select "Everyone."
  4. Wait for your Mac to be discovered: Once you have followed these steps, your Mac should now be discoverable for AirDrop.
  5. If your Mac is still not discoverable, restart both your Mac and your other device, and try the steps again.

In most cases, you can see the changes immediately. However, sometimes it can take longer depending on your device's settings. If you think it is taking too long, you can restart your device. This should fix the problem.

No, AirDrop requires both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth to work. It uses Wi-Fi to connect to the Internet and find other devices, and Bluetooth to create a peer-to-peer connection between devices to transfer files. AirDrop can not work without either of these technologies. It is important to note that Wi-Fi and Bluetooth must be enabled on both devices for AirDrop to work properly. Also, both devices must be within about 30 feet of each other for AirDrop to work effectively.

Yes, when you receive an AirDrop request, the sender's name is displayed on the recipient's device along with their profile picture (if available). This allows you to easily identify the sender and decide whether to accept or reject the AirDrop transfer.

No, you cannot change your AirDrop name for specific devices. AirDrop's name is associated with the device name and will be shared with all other devices alike.

Was this article helpful?
YesNo