AirDrop on iPhone 14 can be turned off by setting its receiving option to Receiving Off. You can also limit who can discover the phone instead of disabling AirDrop completely.
Steps
- Open Control Center by swiping down from the upper-right corner of the screen.
- Touch and hold the connectivity panel containing Airplane Mode, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth.
- Tap AirDrop.
- Choose Receiving Off to stop receiving AirDrop requests.
- To turn AirDrop back on, return to the same menu and choose Contacts Only or the available Everyone option.
- You can also open Settings > General > AirDrop to review the same receiving choices.
- Test with a nearby trusted Apple device if you need to confirm discoverability.
Everyone access can be temporary
On current iOS versions, the broad Everyone option is time-limited rather than remaining permanently open. This reduces unintended long-term discoverability.
AirDrop uses more than one wireless service
AirDrop relies on Bluetooth for discovery and Wi-Fi for the direct transfer. You normally do not need to turn off Wi-Fi or Bluetooth just to disable AirDrop receiving.
Contacts Only depends on identity information
For Contacts Only to work reliably, the people involved need appropriate Apple Account contact information stored in Contacts and must be signed in correctly.
Receiving Off is reversible
Turning AirDrop off does not delete received files or change your Apple Account. Re-enable receiving whenever you need another nearby transfer.
Kermit Matthews is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with more than a decade of experience writing technology guides. He has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Computer Science and has spent much of his professional career in IT management.
He specializes in writing content about iPhones, Android devices, Microsoft Office, and many other popular applications and devices.