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NameDrop lets you exchange selected contact details by bringing compatible iPhones or Apple Watches close together. Hold the devices near each other, choose whether to share your own contact card or receive only, and approve the exchange. Despite the “newest” wording sometimes used for it, NameDrop debuted with iOS 17 in September 2023 and remains an AirDrop feature—not a new feature exclusive to the latest devices. Apple announced it with iOS 17.
Before you start: check compatibility
NameDrop requires iOS 17.1 or later on participating iPhones and watchOS 10.1 or later on participating Apple Watches. The supported Watch models are Apple Watch SE (2nd generation), Apple Watch Series 7 or later, and Apple Watch Ultra models. An older or unsupported Watch does not become compatible just because it is paired with a newer iPhone. These are minimum software requirements, not a requirement to run the newest iOS or watchOS release. See Apple’s iPhone instructions and Apple Watch instructions.
Each person should have a usable contact card in Contacts. On the iPhone, also check that the proximity feature is enabled: open Settings > General > AirDrop and turn on Bring Devices Together.
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- Hold the iPhone display a few centimeters from the top of the other person’s iPhone or Apple Watch.
- Keep the devices close until the NameDrop interface appears on both screens.
- Choose the option to exchange contact information, or tap Receive Only if you want to receive their details without sending yours.
- If you are sharing, use the disclosure control to choose which available contact details to send, such as a phone number or email address.
- Tap Save when prompted, and keep the devices together until the exchange finishes.
To cancel before the transfer completes, move the devices apart. Locking the iPhone also cancels the process. Apple’s iPhone guide documents the positioning, sharing choices, and cancellation behavior.
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![Apple Watch Series 11 [GPS 46mm] Smartwatch with Jet Black Aluminum Case with Black Sport Band - M/L. Sleep Score, Fitness Tracker, Health Monitoring, Always-On Display, Water Resistant](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/416RQ0rtsUL._SL160_.jpg)
- A FULL-FEATURED HEALTH TRACKER—Apple Watch Series 11 gives you invaluable insights about your body, right from your wrist. Take an ECG anytime* and get alerts for a high and low heart rate or an irregular rhythm*—so you can stay closer to your heart. You can also view your overnight health tracking metrics with the Vitals app* and be notified of possible sleep apnea.*
- KNOW YOUR SLEEP SCORE—With advanced sleep tracking, Series 11 gives you a daily sleep score. It’s an easy way to help measure and understand the quality of your sleep, so you can make it more restorative.
- GET HYPERTENSION NOTIFICATIONS—Did you know that Series 11 can spot signs of chronic high blood pressure? By analyzing how your blood vessels respond to beats of the heart, it can notify you of possible hypertension.*
- SAFETY FEATURES—A smartwatch that puts your safety first. Series 11 can detect a hard fall or severe car crash, automatically help connect you with emergency services, and notify your emergency contacts.* Check In can automatically notify a loved one when you’ve arrived at your destination.
- A POWERFUL FITNESS TRACKER—With advanced metrics and motivating features like Pacer, Heart Rate Zones, training load, and Workout Buddy powered by Apple Intelligence from your nearby iPhone*—Series 11 is made to help everyone stay active, from runners and hikers to strength-training enthusiasts.
Use NameDrop from Apple Watch to iPhone
- Hold the Apple Watch display a few centimeters from the top of the other person’s iPhone.
- Wait for the connection animation and vibration, then keep the devices close until NameDrop appears.
- Choose to exchange contact details or select Receive Only.
- Keep the devices together until the exchange is complete.
The Watch must be a supported model running watchOS 10.1 or later, and the iPhone must meet its iOS requirement. Apple describes this Watch-to-iPhone gesture in its Watch guide.
Use NameDrop between two Apple Watches
For Watch-to-Watch sharing, start in Contacts rather than simply touching the two Watches together:
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![Apple Watch Series 11 [GPS 42mm] Smartwatch with Rose Gold Aluminum Case with Light Blush Sport Band - S/M. Sleep Score, Fitness Tracker, Health Monitoring, Always-On Display, Water Resistant](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/31caPPnRysL._SL160_.jpg)
- A FULL-FEATURED HEALTH TRACKER—Apple Watch Series 11 gives you invaluable insights about your body, right from your wrist. Take an ECG anytime* and get alerts for a high and low heart rate or an irregular rhythm*—so you can stay closer to your heart. You can also view your overnight health tracking metrics with the Vitals app* and be notified of possible sleep apnea.*
- KNOW YOUR SLEEP SCORE—With advanced sleep tracking, Series 11 gives you a daily sleep score. It’s an easy way to help measure and understand the quality of your sleep, so you can make it more restorative.
- GET HYPERTENSION NOTIFICATIONS—Did you know that Series 11 can spot signs of chronic high blood pressure? By analyzing how your blood vessels respond to beats of the heart, it can notify you of possible hypertension.*
- SAFETY FEATURES—A smartwatch that puts your safety first. Series 11 can detect a hard fall or severe car crash, automatically help connect you with emergency services, and notify your emergency contacts.* Check In can automatically notify a loved one when you’ve arrived at your destination.
- A POWERFUL FITNESS TRACKER—With advanced metrics and motivating features like Pacer, Heart Rate Zones, training load, and Workout Buddy powered by Apple Intelligence from your nearby iPhone*—Series 11 is made to help everyone stay active, from runners and hikers to strength-training enthusiasts.
- On your Apple Watch, open Contacts.
- Tap your picture in the upper-right corner, then tap Share.
- Bring your Watch close to the other person’s Watch.
- When the glow, vibration, and NameDrop controls appear, choose to exchange contact details or receive only.
- Keep the Watches close until the transfer finishes.
Both Watches need to be supported models running watchOS 10.1 or later. The specific Contacts-app workflow is in Apple’s Watch instructions.
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What does NameDrop share?
NameDrop shares the contact information you choose, which can include your name, a selected phone number or email address, and Contact Poster information associated with your Contact Card. It does not send your entire Contacts database, messages, photos, or files. Apple describes NameDrop as a way to exchange new contact information, not to update an existing contact entry. For an existing contact correction, edit or send the details separately. See Apple’s privacy explanation.
Rank #3
![Apple Watch SE 3 [GPS 40mm] Smartwatch with Starlight Aluminum Case with Starlight Sport Band - S/M. Fitness and Sleep Trackers, Heart Rate Monitor, Always-On Display, Water Resistant](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/31YiTby0pOL._SL160_.jpg)
- GET SMARTER HEALTH INSIGHTS—Apple Watch SE 3 is an advanced health tracker that helps you better understand your body. The smartwatch sends alerts for an irregular heart rhythm, or an unusually high or low heart rate.* You can view your overnight health tracking metrics with the Vitals app,* track your sleep score, and get sleep apnea notifications.*
- A GREAT FITNESS TRACKER—SE 3 can track your workouts in a healthy number of ways—from running and strength training to simply achieving your 10K steps a day. With real-time metrics and Workout Buddy powered by Apple Intelligence from your nearby iPhone,* you’ll hit your goals like never before.
- KEEP HELP CLOSE AT HAND—SE 3 is a smartwatch that can detect a hard fall or severe car crash and automatically help connect you to emergency services and notify your emergency contacts.* Check In can automatically notify a loved one when you’ve arrived at your destination.
- WOMEN’S HEALTH INSIGHTS—SE 3 has advanced sensors that track your wrist temperature while you sleep. With this smartwatch, you can log your periods and symptoms, get period predictions, and get notified of cycle deviations.*
- GREAT BATTERY LIFE AND FASTER CHARGING—Enjoy a smartwatch with all-day, 18-hour battery life* from sunup to sundown. Then charge up to twice as fast as SE 2* and get up to 8 hours of battery in just 15 minutes.*
Review your own Contact Card before sharing if you are unsure what it contains. The fields you select for sharing are remembered as the default for your next NameDrop use, so check the selection again when needed. Apple explains field selection in its iPhone guide.
Share or Receive Only?
- Exchange contact information: Send the selected portion of your card and receive the other person’s selected information.
- Receive Only: Receive their contact information without sending yours.
Choose Receive Only if you have not reviewed your card or simply do not want to share your own details. It does not change what the other person chooses to send.
Rank #4
![Apple Watch SE 3 [GPS 40mm] Smartwatch with Midnight Aluminum Case with Midnight Sport Band - S/M. Fitness and Sleep Trackers, Heart Rate Monitor, Always-On Display, Water Resistant](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/31Gq8SToFJL._SL160_.jpg)
- GET SMARTER HEALTH INSIGHTS—Apple Watch SE 3 is an advanced health tracker that helps you better understand your body. The smartwatch sends alerts for an irregular heart rhythm, or an unusually high or low heart rate.* You can view your overnight health tracking metrics with the Vitals app,* track your sleep score, and get sleep apnea notifications.*
- A GREAT FITNESS TRACKER—SE 3 can track your workouts in a healthy number of ways—from running and strength training to simply achieving your 10K steps a day. With real-time metrics and Workout Buddy powered by Apple Intelligence from your nearby iPhone,* you’ll hit your goals like never before.
- KEEP HELP CLOSE AT HAND—SE 3 is a smartwatch that can detect a hard fall or severe car crash and automatically help connect you to emergency services and notify your emergency contacts.* Check In can automatically notify a loved one when you’ve arrived at your destination.
- WOMEN’S HEALTH INSIGHTS—SE 3 has advanced sensors that track your wrist temperature while you sleep. With this smartwatch, you can log your periods and symptoms, get period predictions, and get notified of cycle deviations.*
- GREAT BATTERY LIFE AND FASTER CHARGING—Enjoy a smartwatch with all-day, 18-hour battery life* from sunup to sundown. Then charge up to twice as fast as SE 2* and get up to 8 hours of battery in just 15 minutes.*
Turn NameDrop off
On iPhone, go to Settings > General > AirDrop and turn off Bring Devices Together. This disables NameDrop’s proximity gesture along with other Bring Devices Together features; it does not necessarily turn off other AirDrop sharing methods. Apple documents the setting in its current iPhone guide.
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- Confirm software on both devices. Check for iOS 17.1 or later on each iPhone and watchOS 10.1 or later on each Watch involved.
- Confirm Watch hardware. NameDrop on Apple Watch requires SE (2nd generation), Series 7 or later, or an Ultra model.
- Check the iPhone setting. Make sure Settings > General > AirDrop > Bring Devices Together is on.
- Adjust position and wait. Bring the top of the iPhone near the other device, or the Watch display near the top of the iPhone. Keep them close and awake long enough for the prompt or animation.
- For two Watches, start in Contacts. Open Contacts, tap your picture, then Share before bringing the Watches together.
- If it used to work, restart the devices. This is a general troubleshooting step, not a NameDrop-specific requirement.
NameDrop is designed for compatible Apple devices, so it is not a universal iPhone-to-Android or Apple Watch-to-non-Apple-watch exchange method. For someone without a compatible device—or to correct an existing contact—send the details through Messages or Mail, use Contacts, or share them another way.
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Best Value
![Apple Watch Series 11 [GPS 42mm] Smartwatch with Jet Black Aluminum Case with Black Sport Band - S/M. Sleep Score, Fitness Tracker, Health Monitoring, Always-On Display, Water Resistant](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41s72HIk5TL._SL160_.jpg)
- A FULL-FEATURED HEALTH TRACKER—Apple Watch Series 11 gives you invaluable insights about your body, right from your wrist. Take an ECG anytime* and get alerts for a high and low heart rate or an irregular rhythm*—so you can stay closer to your heart. You can also view your overnight health tracking metrics with the Vitals app* and be notified of possible sleep apnea.*
- KNOW YOUR SLEEP SCORE—With advanced sleep tracking, Series 11 gives you a daily sleep score. It’s an easy way to help measure and understand the quality of your sleep, so you can make it more restorative.
- GET HYPERTENSION NOTIFICATIONS—Did you know that Series 11 can spot signs of chronic high blood pressure? By analyzing how your blood vessels respond to beats of the heart, it can notify you of possible hypertension.*
- SAFETY FEATURES—A smartwatch that puts your safety first. Series 11 can detect a hard fall or severe car crash, automatically help connect you with emergency services, and notify your emergency contacts.* Check In can automatically notify a loved one when you’ve arrived at your destination.
- A POWERFUL FITNESS TRACKER—With advanced metrics and motivating features like Pacer, Heart Rate Zones, training load, and Workout Buddy powered by Apple Intelligence from your nearby iPhone*—Series 11 is made to help everyone stay active, from runners and hikers to strength-training enthusiasts.
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