What NameDrop is on iPhone.
NameDrop is an iPhone feature for swapping contact details by holding two devices a few centimeters apart. It works between iPhones, or an iPhone and a recent Apple Watch, running iOS 17.1 or watchOS 10.1 or later. Each person chooses to share or only receive, and only the name, one chosen number or email, and Contact Poster go across.
Make your free cardA free Apple Wallet business card, in about a minute
NameDrop shares only your name, the phone number or email address you choose, and Contact Poster information associated with your Contact Card.
- What it shares
- “Only your name, the phone number or email address you choose, and Contact Poster information,” per Apple. Not your company, title or website.
- What it needs
- iOS 17.1 or watchOS 10.1 or later on both devices. Watches: Apple Watch SE (2nd generation), Series 7 and later, and Ultra.
- Default
- On. Turn it off in Settings, General, AirDrop, Bring Devices Together.
What goes across.
NameDrop shares only your name, the phone number or email address you choose, and Contact Poster information associated with your Contact Card. It doesn’t share other information in your Contact Card, like your home address or birthday.
Nothing is sent by touching phones alone: each person chooses Share or Receive Only on screen, and moving the phones apart or locking one cancels it.
Three steps, both phones unlocked.
From Apple’s iPhone User Guide.
-
01
Hold the phones together
Hold the top of your iPhone a few centimeters from the top of theirs, or from their Apple Watch. Both must be unlocked.
-
02
Choose share or receive
Keep holding until NameDrop appears on both screens, then choose to share your contact card and receive theirs, or only receive.
-
03
Pick the fields once
To choose what you share, tap the arrow, pick the fields and tap Save. The same fields are chosen next time.
Good between two iPhones. That is the limit.
| NameDrop | QR code to your card | |
|---|---|---|
| Android phones | No | Yes, with the camera |
| Across a table or a stand | No: a few centimeters | Yes, from a meter or more |
| Company, title, website | Not sent | On the card, and saved with Save |
| Updating a contact you already have | No: new contacts only, says Apple | The page always shows the latest |
| Cost and setup | Free and built in | Free with Cardr |
The full comparison, with when each one wins, is in NameDrop vs a digital business card.
- iPhone and iPhoneWorks
- iPhone and Apple WatchWorks
- iPhone and AndroidNo
- Android and AndroidNo
Where these facts come from.
Primary documents only: the standard, the platform’s own documentation or the chip maker’s datasheet. Each was read on October 29, 2026.
- Apple iPhone User Guide: Use NameDrop on iPhone to share your contact info: how to share or only receive, the watch models, and turning it off under Bring Devices Together
support.apple.com/en-us/guide/iphone/iph1b6c664b7/iosRead October 29, 2026 - Apple Personal Safety User Guide: NameDrop: what NameDrop shares, and iOS 17.1 or watchOS 10.1 on both devices
support.apple.com/en-us/guide/personal-safety/ips97e16d3b1/webRead October 29, 2026
Common questions.
Does NameDrop share my information automatically?
No. The phones must be unlocked and held close, and each person chooses on screen to share or only receive. Moving apart or locking the iPhone cancels it.
Does NameDrop work with Android?
No. It needs an iPhone, and an iPhone or supported Apple Watch on the other side.
How do I turn off NameDrop?
Settings, General, AirDrop, then turn off Bring Devices Together. That also turns off the other hold-together sharing features.
Which Apple Watch models support NameDrop?
Apple lists Apple Watch Ultra models, Series 7 and later, and SE (2nd generation) or later, with watchOS 10.1 or later.
Can NameDrop update a contact I already have?
No. Apple notes that NameDrop only works for sending new contact information, not updating an existing contact.
For everyone who is not on an iPhone.
Your Cardr card opens from one scan on any phone, from across a table, and they can send their details back. Free forever.