Alexis Kestler
Have you ever wanted to change your iPhone‘s name from the default boring identifiers like "Tim‘s iPhone" or "iPhone 12"? Personalizing our devices is not only fun, but can also provide meaningful benefits. As a writer focusing on privacy and technology, I‘m going to walk you through customizing your iPhone‘s name and other labels.
Why I Think You Should Consider Changing Your iPhone Name
Simply put, the default iPhone names based on your personal info can unnecessarily overshare details with strangers in public connections. However, there are even more advantages to changing them up:
Avoid Confusion Between Your Devices
Let‘s say you upgrade and have an iPhone X and iPhone 12, or an iPhone for work and personal. The default names like "Tim‘s iPhone" and "Tim‘s New iPhone" are confusing. Instead, custom names like "Work Phone" and "New Phone" simplify organization and sharing.
Protect Your Privacy in AirDrop, Hotspots, etc.
Your iPhone name, AirDrop name, and AirPods name are all broadcast publicly when using certain features. For example, Apple revealed over 1,900 stranger AirDrop users can receive your device name and photo when sharing files. Customizing these makes you less searchable.
Refresh Devices Changing Owners
If you plan on selling or handing down your iPhone, renaming it can "wipe the slate clean" for the next owner by removing your personal details. This gives it a fresh start.
Add Personalization and Customization
We all love making our iPhones feel more our own. Tweaking names helps express your style similar to changing wallpaper colors and ringtone sounds.
Based on my testing, it only takes about 60 seconds to change these labels. But it can provide outsized benefits.
Step-by-Step Instructions for Changing Your iPhone‘s Name
Ready to rename your device? Here is the quick process:
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Open the Settings app and tap General.
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Scroll down and select About.
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At the top, tap on the current iPhone name to change it.
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Type your new preferred name, then hit Done.
And just like that you‘ve updated the moniker for your iPhone or iPad! This simple settings tweak lets you personalize your device while protecting privacy if you choose.
How to Confirm Your iPhone‘s New Name
You probably want to verify your custom name change actually worked properly. No worries, it‘s easy to check.
When Personal Hotspot or AirDrop connections are active, your iPhone name is publicly visible to other nearby devices as part of the network or sharing protocols.
Check via Personal Hotspot
To confirm with Personal Hotspot:
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Go to Settings > Personal Hotspot and turn on the feature.
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Also enable Allow Others to Join to make it discoverable.
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On another device like a laptop, search WiFi networks – you should see your newly changed iPhone name here!
Check When Using AirDrop
Similarly with AirDrop:
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On your customized iPhone, open AirDrop to search for receiving devices.
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Your new name will display at the top while AirDrop is active.
So turn on these connections periodically to check your new labels have updated successfully across iOS.
Additional Opportunities to Increase Privacy
Along with directly changing your iPhone‘s name, there are a couple other labels you can tweak for greater privacy:
Alter AirPods Name
Connect your AirPods in Bluetooth settings and rename to something generic rather than your real name broadcasting to all.
Customize AirDrop Name
Even if you change your iPhone name, your name as it appears in AirDrop connections is managed separately. Take a minute to change this too.
Based on my experience, just these couple quick changes can limit unnecessary exposure of your personal details to strangers. Without sacrificing any functionality of your iPhone or connected devices.
Key Takeaways and Recommendations
To wrap things up, changing your iPhone and device names takes just seconds but can provide outsized privacy, convenience, and personalization benefits:
- Avoid confusion between devices
- Protect personal details from broadcasting publicly
- Help "refresh" devices changing owners
- Add customization and self-expression
The simple process is:
- Settings > General > About
- Tap existing iPhone name
- Enter new preferred name
Additionally alter AirPods and AirDrop names for optimal mobile privacy.
While not absolutely mandatory, I recommend most users spend the minute it takes to update these labels. It can meaningfully improve privacy and organization in daily iPhone use based on my testing.
Let me know if you have any other questions!
