AirDrop showing the wrong name and picture with iOS 7

I understand your frustration but as I explained before, AirDrop recognizes the device only by the Apple ID associated with it. You can name your device whatever obscure name you want but your Apple ID is your Apple ID. That is the way it is designed for better or worse. You can leave Apple feedback about it here: http://www.apple.com/feedback/

As far as children having their own Apple ID, you can use restiction on their device to block the iTunes Store or simply set up an account without credit card info. http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2534

or simply use their own ID for iCloud, iMessage, FaceTime and add it to their contact info to use AirDrop and share the same ID for iTunes and App Stores.

The alternative is to disable AirDrop and use shared Photo Streams or Bump.

I know you don't want to hear that but is it a coincidence that people sharing an Apple ID are having this problem?

I am not sure it is just an iCloud issue, I got my wife and son to create new iCloud accounts, removed all emails from contact details and each iCloud account has different id and email. If I chose everyone it shows up correctly with each of us displaying the correct name. However if I chose my contacts it immediately refers to my wife's details. So somehow it is linked with contacts. I have turned off airdrop until apple fixes the defect.

OK I figured it out!

1 - Where my wife maiden name was showing up.

Under my own Contact card I had my wifes maiden name there as "spouse". I changed this and it updated it correctly.

2 - Where my mom and Dad were both coming up as my dad.

Under my own Contact card I had my "parents" as my dads name. I deleted that and they were then fixed.

If Hanes doesn't work, give mine a try.

EDIT - nevermind.. This did not work. I tried it on photostream. After they joined it changed their names back incorrectly.

You may find this of interest:

http://www.mactrast.com/2013/08/apple-allows-itunes-accounts-for-children-under- 13/

Also you can use Shared Photo Stream to share photos and now video.

http://support.apple.com/kb/TS4379

Axeman1020 New Jersey, USA

Re: AirDrop showing the wrong name and picture with iOS 7

Sep 19, 2013 3:18 PM (in response to rtpnchawk)

I understand your frustration but as I explained before, AirDrop recognizes the device only by the Apple ID associated with it. You can name your device whatever obscure name you want but your Apple ID is your Apple ID. That is the way it is designed for better or worse.

Just one question on this point, if this were actually true, why oh why would it be my daughter's photo and name isted for our single Apple ID? AirDrop is basic bluetooth networking protocol, it should have nothing to do with an Apple user ID. It is one device networked wirelessly to another device in a relatively small amount of physical space. Come on.

larryr1 wrote:

Setting up different Apple ID's will also work but then you cannot share purchased items and shared application data.

Sharing purchases has never been a problem, even with different primary iCloud accounts. Scroll to the bottom of a "Store" app (iTunes Store, iBooks, App Store) and sign in with the family Apple ID. Or you can simply sign in with the family Apple ID in Settings/(iTunes and App Store). This is also documented here, http://support.apple.com/kb/ht4895 under the section "Using one Apple ID for iCloud and a different Apple ID for Store Purchases".

Hi larryr1,

My wife and I have been sharing the same Apple ID since iCloud was launched. I too want to resolve the AirDrop problem without giving up our shared Apple ID.

I have been reading this thread backwards and just got to your post which explains resetting iMessage and FaceTime. This is what I have under Settings/Messages/(Send and Receive) on my phone.

Apple ID: <shared Apple ID>

YOU CAN BE REACHED BY IMESSAGE AT

<check mark> <my phone number>

<check mark> <my email address, (shared Apple ID)>

<not checked> <icloud.com email address>

<not checked> <me.com email address>

How do I delete the phone number and email addresses? I can tap on the blue circled "i" against the email addresses and tap "Remove This Email". But, the phone number is greyed out and I can't seem to do anything with it.

Thanks!

PS: I just found these instructions "iOS 6 and OS X Mountain Lion: Link your phone number and Apple ID for use with FaceTime and iMessage" here http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5538 . There is a section titled "How to unlink a phone number".

Go to this site: https://appleid.apple.com/cgi-bin/WebObjects/MyAppleId.woa/

You must have been going to iCloud before.

When you get there you will de an option to edit emails associated and already verified with your Apple ID. Delete the email that is assigned to the contact that air drop shows you as.

Unfortunately, air drop does not have an area you can log into and change information. It automatically gathers it's information based on your account information with Apple. That is what is causing all of the air drop identity issues. Hopefully Apple will eventually address this. But for now, this is your best option.

weemoo, your situation is not unique. I personally have the same issue. It causes an issue for anyone with multiple PERSONAL devices but I don't think that is the OP's point of this thread. You can submit feedback to Apple as I did at the following url: http://www.apple.com/feedback/

I don't think that's the issue. I'm having the same problem. My wife, my son, and I all use the same Apple ID, but we have different email addresses and phone numbers for facetime and imessage (we've never had an issue with imessage or facetime). Today, I updated my phone and ipad to ios 7 and tried to experiment with airdrop. On both devices it showed my son's name. Then my son updated his ipad and we tested airdrop again. His ipad shows up on my phone and ipad with his name as well. The email address that I use for Apple ID is not associated with him on any device. His name is not listed on our Apple ID account. One of them shows his photo that he uses for his facebook profile, but the other's just have a gray circle with his first initial. I'm hoping it's just a bug that will get fixed soon, but if anyone knows a fix, please share.

I'm having the exact same problem. When using air drop between my and my wife's iPhone 5, her name comes up when she is trying to air drop something to me. We have different iCloud accounts even. Any help? More bugs in apple software. What happened to " it just works"?

AirDrop use the contact info in your Contacts app to identify other AirDrop users. Does your daughter share similar contact info with the rest of your family?

Try editing the contact info (phone numbers/email) so that they are specific to one contact.

I don't know if it really fixed my problem, but I did reset all settings on my iphone when I was having this issue last night. I didn't think it was the fix because every device worked correctly after I reset just my phone, but who knows. Maybe give it a shot.

Hi All,

I have two iPhone me and my wife with different Phone number and the same account, but in Airdrop i see all iPhone whit my wife image and name, i don't know really where is the method used by the IOS 7 to choose the name and foto for the own iPhone.

Best Regards

DAVIDE RISI

Hi All,

I am having the same problem, ipad 4 and an iphone 5 both on ios7, air drop shows up that both devices are called my son's ipad !!!!! this is still on ios 6 so no air drop on that device, we are all using the same apple ID but with separate e-mail addresses and when applicable, phone numbers, no problem with i-message, this is a weird one, anyone found a way to sort this yet?

Thanks

Jon