Apple Has Changed the Way You Can Share Data Via AirDrop With Strangers.
AirDrop is one of Apple’s best features. I use it daily to share files between different Apple devices, but it truly shines when I’m sharing files with other people, or vice versa. Finding a quick solution for sending large files can be challenging. Email has a low file size limit, chat apps can compress files, and cloud storage fills up quickly, but AirDrop is a simple, built-in, and reliable solution. It now even works with Android , though only on the Pixel 10.
If AirDrop has one drawback, it’s that it’s not very convenient to use with strangers. Apple has changed the way AirDrop works over the years. For a long time, there were two AirDrop modes: “Contacts Only,” which allowed only saved contacts to find your device to send files, and “Everyone,” which left your AirDrop open to any iPhone user who wanted to send you anything. This was convenient for sharing files with strangers, but inconvenient if you left it enabled: anyone with an iPhone could see your iPhone and send you anything —like a bomb threat on an airplane . That’s not good.
Then Apple changed this feature to “Everyone for 10 Minutes.” Since then, if you want to open AirDrop to people outside your contacts, you have to manually turn on this switch, which will only remain open for 10 minutes. After that, it reverts to “Contacts Only” mode. This is an improvement in security, but not in convenience. If you ever find yourself in a situation where you need to frequently send something via AirDrop to someone but don’t want to add that contact to your iPhone, you’ll have to switch back to “Everyone for 10 Minutes” every 10 minutes.
iOS 26.2 , Apple’s latest iPhone update at the time of writing, introduces a solution: AirDrop codes. This feature requires any user not saved in your contacts who wants to share something with you via AirDrop to first request a one-time code. After you share this code, the user is temporarily stored on your iPhone for 30 days, allowing you to use AirDrop repeatedly without any issues. After these 30 days, the user leaves your iPhone, and you don’t need to worry about deleting the Contacts app in the future. (This same feature also applies to AirDrop in iPadOS 26.2 and macOS 26.2.)
How to send messages to strangers via AirDrop using AirDrop codes.
Here’s how the new AirDrop feature will work with strangers in the future. Let’s say you’re at a conference and meet someone who wants to send you some useful content via AirDrop. You set the AirDrop setting to “Everyone within 10 minutes,” and they see your contact and try to send you a file.
On your end, you’ll see a prompt with the “Continue” option. After tapping it, an AirDrop code will appear on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac. You can share this code with the sender, who can enter it on their device. If successful, the file will be transferred as with any other AirDrop interaction.
As noted above, this allows you to AirDrop with this contact for 30 days without needing a new AirDrop code. However, if you no longer want to share contacts with this person, you can delete their temporary contact early. Go to the Contacts app, tap the back button in the upper-left corner (if applicable) to go to Lists , then select Other Known . Here, you’ll see all temporary contacts created in previous AirDrop sessions, which you can delete before the 30-day period expires. Otherwise, your device will delete them after that time.