How to change your AirDrop name on iPhone, iPad or Mac

Apple’s AirDrop system is a bit of a genius one, letting you easily move files between your Apple devices without having to worry about attaching things to emails or using third-party software.

It’s handy all the time, but with generic default names, you might be wondering if it’s possible to give your devices more personalised names – especially if people around you have similar iPhones or iPads that you can get confused by. Here are all the key steps involved.

One thing to understand before you get started is that your device’s AirDrop name is actually taken from the name of the device itself, so these changes aren’t so much specific to AirDrop. They involve giving your device a new internal name – which affects very little, so don’t worry about it!

How to change AirDrop name on iPhone

If you’re on your iPhone and looking to change your AirDrop name, just follow the steps below and you should be able to do so easily.

1. Open the Phone app
2. Tap on Contacts at the bottom of your display
3. Tap on your name at the top of the list
4. Tap Edit
5. Change how your name appears

Since your personal details in this contact card are what determines how your AirDrop option appears, this will knock-on and change the latter for you, too.

How to change AirDrop name on iPad

The method to change your AirDrop name on an iPad is slightly different but still easy – follow these steps.

1. Open the Settings app
2. Tap on General
3. Tap on About
4. Tap on Name
5. Type your new AirDrop name

This will rename your iPad, and therefore also its AirDrop appearance, to whatever you prefer.

How to change AirDrop name on Mac

Finally, if you’re on a Mac, whether it’s a laptop or any other model, the steps are a little different, but you can follow them below.

1. Click the Apple icon at the top left of your screen
2. Click on System Settings
3. Click General on the left-hand sidebar
4. Click About
5. Click Name and type a new name

The change you make will save, and boom – just like that, you’ve changed your AirDrop name (and your Mac’s name more widely).