Is it “My iPhone (2)” or “My iPhone (4)”? Tired of wondering which iPhone is which when you share via AirDrop or browse synchronized tabs in Safari? Find out here how to change your name for AirDrop (for an iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and other Apple devices) so you can identify them at first glance.
First, a Name with One Degree of Liberty
In the game of Go, you capture pieces by surrounding them. When a piece is almost captured and has only one way left to hatch an escape, the (for you) auspicious situation is called ta chi’ih—or, in Japanese, atari.
When Nolan Bushnell needed a new name for the company he had recently co-founded, he turned to the game of which he was reportedly a fan, and Syzygy Co. became—you guessed it—Atari.
Both cofounders of Apple Computers, Inc. were early employees at Atari, of course. While they didn’t rename the company, you can now rename one of the company’s devices:
How to Change Your Name for AirDrop on iPhone, Mac, Apple Watch,…
on iPhone or iPad
Time needed: 3 minutes
To change the name with which an iPhone appears in AirDrop, for WiFi hotspots, in synchronized Safari tabs, Find My etc. using iOS and iPad OS:
- Open the Settings app.
- Open the General category.
- Now choose About.
- Select Name at the top.
- Type the desired name that lets you distinguish this iPhone (or iPad) from others.
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Change the Name of an Apple Watch (for AirDrop etc.)
To change the name by which an Apple Watch appears:
- Open the Apple Watch App on the iPhone or iPad connected to the watch.
- Go to the My Watch tab.
- Select General.
- Now choose About.
- Enter the name you want to give this Apple Watch.
Change the Name of an Apple TV (for AirDrop etc.)
To make an Apple TV identifiable by name (and, if you care, room):
- Open Settings on the Apple TV.
- Go to the General category.
- Choose About.
Tip: For Apple TV 2nd and 3rd generation, you can skip this step. - Now select Name.
- Enter the desired name to change the Apple TV’s name.
Change the Name on AirDrop for a Mac
To change the name with which a Mac (such as MacBook, MacBook Air, iMac, etc.) appears on AirDrop:
The Mac’s name will also be used for AirDrop.
How to Change Your Name for AirDrop: FAQ
Can the name on AirDrop be blank?
No, the name for an iPhone or iPad cannot be blank for AirDrop.
If you set an “empty” name, iOS will keep using the previous name.
Can I use emoji and special characters in my iPhone name for AirDrop?
Yes. Use any special character and emoji in addition to plain text as you please.
iPhone names can bear all Unicode characters.
Important: Do start your iPhone name with a text character—this can also be a whitespace character, however.
Can I change the name remotely?
No.
While you can see all devices connected to your iCloud account listed by name (and locate them using Find My), to change any name, you need to use the device itself.
Where can I find a list of my iCloud devices by name?
To see the iPhones, iPads and Macs connected to your iCloud account:
Mac
- Open the Apple menu.
- Select System Preferences….
- Go to the Apple ID category.
- Find your devices listed by name on the left.
iPhone or iPad
- Open the Settings app.
- Tap your name (over Apple ID, iCloud, iTunes & App Store) on the top.
- Find the names of your devices listed.
On the Web
- Open your Apple ID overview in a browser.
- Find your devices listed by name under Devices.
(How to change your iPhone name for AirDrop tested with iOS 13–17; updated December 2023)