How to Turn Off NameDrop on iPhone [Video]

NameDrop is a feature that can be used to quickly share new contact information with a nearby iPhone or Apple Watch. It's automatically activated when you hold the display of your iPhone a few centimeters from the top of another person's iPhone or Apple Watch.

You may want to disable the NameDrop contact sharing feature over privacy concerns, the risk of accidental sharing, or a preference for traditional contact sharing methods.

Here's how to disable contact sharing on iPhone...

TURN OFF NAMEDROP ON IPHONE

Step One

Tap to launch the Settings app from your Home Screen.

Step Two

Tap to open General from the iPhone's Settings menu.

Step Three

Choose AirDrop from the General menu.

Step Four

Under the heading "Start Sharing By", you'll see a switch named "Bringing Devices Together" and a message that reads, "Easily swap numbers with NameDrop, share photos, and more by holding the top of your iPhone close to another iPhone.

Toggle the "Bringing Devices Together" switch to the OFF position.

Step Five

Confirm the contact sharing feature is turned off by attempting to share contact info with another user. Bringing the devices together should no longer initiate NameDrop.

Downsides to Turning Off NameDrop

Unfortunately, at this time, turning off the NameDrop feature also disables the ability for iPhone users to share photos and video between two iPhones using the "bring together" action. Hopefully, Apple will give us the ability to selectively disable bring together for NameDrop and photo/video sharing in the future. For now if you wish to bring devices together to share photos, you'll also need to have NameDrop enabled.

Police Warning About NameDrop

Numerous police departments have shared a warning claiming that NameDrop "allows any individual with this feature to place their phone next to your iPhone or your child's iPhone and automatically receive their contact information". This is NOT TRUE. The NameDrop feature will initiate contact sharing when two devices are place together; however, you will be prompted to approve the sharing of your contact info. It will NOT be sent to the other device automatically, you need to tap share manually. If this is the reason you decided to disable NameDrop, you can safely leave it enabled.

Technology Behind NameDrop

Apple has not specifically outlined the tech behind its NameDrop feature; however, the ability to easily share your contact card is likely made possible by a combination of existing technology features such as Near-Field Communication (NFC), Bluetooth, and perhaps Apple's proprietary U1 chip that utilizes Ultra Wideband (UWB) technology.