Have you ever wanted to change your Airdrop name on your Mac? Maybe your current name is boring, outdated or just not reflective of your fun personality. Well, you’ve come to the right place. Changing your Airdrop name is actually really simple, it’ll only take a couple of minutes. My name used to be the default ‘MacBook Pro’ but I decided to spice it up and now it’s ‘Tech Guru.’ Much more exciting, right? In this quick tutorial, I’m going to walk you through the simple steps to change your Airdrop name to whatever clever name you want. Get ready to impress everyone next time you’re sharing photos or documents on Airdrop! Changing your Airdrop name is a simple way to add a bit of fun and personality to your Mac. Let’s get started!
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Why Your Mac Name May Not Show Up on Airdrop
When I first got my Mac, I was excited to start using Airdrop to quickly share files with friends and family. But for some reason, my Mac name didn’t show up on their devices when trying to send files. After some troubleshooting, I figured out a few reasons why your Mac name may not appear for Airdrop.
First, make sure Airdrop is enabled on your Mac. Open the Finder, select ‘AirDrop’ from the sidebar, and check that ‘Allow me to be discovered by’ is set to ‘Everyone’ or ‘Contacts Only’. If it’s off, no one will see your Mac for file sharing.
You should also check your firewall settings. If you have a firewall enabled, it may be blocking the connections needed for Airdrop. Try temporarily disabling your firewall to see if your Mac name then shows up for others. If it does, you’ll need to adjust your firewall settings to allow Airdrop.
Another thing to consider is your Wi-Fi network. Airdrop works best when both Macs are on the same Wi-Fi network. So if you’re on a public network and the other person isn’t, that could be preventing your Mac from being discovered.
Finally, check if ‘Hide my Mac’ is selected in Airdrop. This option prevents your Mac from being seen by others for file sharing. Deselect this option and your Mac name should then appear for Airdrop on other local Macs.
With some quick troubleshooting, you’ll be sharing files over Airdrop in no time. Let me know if any of these tips help get your Mac name showing up again!
How to Change Your Airdrop Name on Mac
As an avid AirDrop user, I like to change my device name from time to time. Mostly just for fun, but also so friends can easily recognize which device is mine when there are a few of us sharing files.
Changing your AirDrop name on Mac is pretty straightforward. Here’s how I do it:
- Go to the Apple menu and select “System Preferences”.
- Click on “Sharing”. This opens the Sharing Preferences pane.
- Look for the “Computer Name” section. By default, your Mac will have a generic name like “Joe’s MacBook Pro”.
- Click the “Edit” button next to the current name. This will allow you to edit the name.
- Type in the new name you want to use for your Mac. I like to use fun names related to my interests or hobbies. For example, you could use your favourite movie character, sports team or band.
- Check the box next to “Use this name to identify this Mac on the network”. This ensures the name change applies to AirDrop and other services.
- Click “OK” to save the new name.
- Your Mac may restart to apply the changes. Once it’s back on, the new name should appear at the top of the Sharing preferences pane and will now display in AirDrop on other nearby Apple devices.
Pretty easy, right? Now you can set a fun, memorable name for your Mac that friends will recognize when sharing with AirDrop. Let me know if you have any other questions!
Updating Your Mac’s Hostname
To change your Airdrop name on Mac, you’ll need to update your Mac’s hostname. This is the name that identifies your Mac on a network. By default, it’s usually just your Mac model name followed by a series of numbers.
Find your current hostname
To see your current hostname, open System Preferences and click Sharing. Your hostname will be listed under “Computer Name”. Mine is currently “MacBookPro17-2”. Not very descriptive!
Choose a new hostname
Pick a new name that’s easy to recognize and remember. I went with “My Awesome MacBook”. Keep in mind the name can only contain letters, numbers, dashes and underscores. No spaces allowed!
Update your hostname
- Open System Preferences and select Sharing.
- Click the lock icon in the bottom left corner to make changes. Enter your admin password.
- Click “Edit” next to “Computer Name”.
- Enter your new hostname and click “OK”.
- Your Mac may restart to apply the changes. If not, you’ll need to restart it manually.
Once your Mac restarts, the new name should appear under “Computer Name” in Sharing preferences. Your Airdrop name will also now display as the new hostname to other Mac users.
Additional tips
- Keep your hostname under 15 characters for the best compatibility with networking equipment.
- Consider using part of your name, initials or location in the hostname to make it more personally identifiable.
- If you have multiple Macs, give each a unique hostname to avoid confusion when using Airdrop or screen sharing between them.
- You can change your hostname as often as you like. Just follow the steps above to update it.
Changing your hostname is an easy way to give your Mac a friendlier name for use with Airdrop and on networks. Pick a name you like and update it in just a few clicks using your Mac’s Sharing preferences. Let me know if you have any other questions!
Renaming Your Mac on the Apple ID Website
To change your Airdrop name on Mac, you’ll need to log in to your Apple ID account. This is the account you use for iTunes, iCloud, and other Apple services.
Sign in to Apple ID
Go to appleid.apple.com and sign in with your Apple ID email address and password. Once signed in, you’ll see your account information, including the name currently displayed for Airdrop.
Edit your information
Click “Edit” next to your name to make changes. Here you can enter a new first and last name, or a nickname you prefer to use for Airdrop. I like to use something simple like my initials or a shortened version of my name. Keep in mind that anyone within range of your Airdrop signal will see this name, so don’t enter anything too personal.
- You can also add an optional profile photo to display next to your Airdrop name. This can make it easier for others to identify you when sending files or links.
- Enter a security code sent to your trusted phone number to verify the changes.
- Review and save your updates.
Refresh your devices
For the new Airdrop name to take effect, you need to refresh the name on all your signed-in Apple devices like iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
- On your iPhone or iPad, open the Settings app. Tap your name at the top, then tap Name. Tap “Use Apple ID for Name” to refresh.
- On your Mac, open the Apple menu and select System Preferences. Click Users & Groups, then your user account. Click the lock to make changes, enter your password, and click Name. Select “Use Apple ID for Name” here as well.
Your new Airdrop name should now display on your devices and to others when sharing content. Be sure to let friends and family know about the change to avoid any confusion. Their devices may also need to refresh to see your updated name right away.
Let me know if you have any other questions! I’m happy to help explain the steps in more detail.
Changing Your Mac’s Name in System Preferences
Changing your Mac’s name is pretty straightforward. I’ve done it a few times myself whenever I’ve wanted to freshen things up or after getting a new Mac.
Open System Preferences
The first thing you’ll need to do is open the System Preferences app on your Mac. You can find it in the Applications folder or by clicking the Apple logo in the top left corner of your screen and selecting “System Preferences.”
Select “Sharing”
In the System Preferences window, click the “Sharing” icon. This is where you’ll find the name and username associated with your Mac for services like AirDrop, file sharing, screen sharing, and more.
Click “Computer Name”
Under the “Computer Name” section, click the “Edit” button next to “Name.” This will allow you to edit your Mac’s name.
Enter a New Name
Delete the current name and enter a new one. You can name your Mac whatever you like, though I recommend keeping it simple by using your first name or a nickname. Avoid using spaces or special characters.
Click “OK”
Once you’ve entered a new name you’re happy with, click the “OK” button to save the changes.
Restart Your Mac
For the new name to take effect, you’ll need to restart your Mac. Click the Apple logo in the top left corner and select “Restart.”
When your Mac restarts, the new name should now appear at the top of the screen on the menu bar. It will also be visible to other devices when using AirDrop, file sharing, and other services. Changing your Mac’s name is a quick way to give it a fresh new identity and help differentiate it from other devices on your network. Let me know if you have any other questions!
