To turn off AirDrop receiving on iPad, open Control Center, touch and hold the group of controls in the top-left corner, tap AirDrop, and choose Receiving Off. You can also go to Settings > General > AirDrop. Choose Contacts Only if you still want to get files from people you know.
These steps follow Apple’s iPad User Guide page Use AirDrop on iPad and its support article How to use AirDrop on iPhone and iPad. If you also share with an iPhone, see our iPhone AirDrop name and receiving guide.
How to Turn Off AirDrop Receiving in Control Center
- Swipe down from the top-right corner of the screen to open Control Center.
- Touch and hold the group of controls in the top-left corner (Airplane Mode, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth).
- Tap the AirDrop button.
- Choose Receiving Off. Or pick Contacts Only or Everyone for 10 Minutes.
Result: Your iPad stops accepting AirDrop items. Receiving Off prevents unexpected file transfers. Apple says the Contacts Only and Everyone for 10 Minutes options are available only on devices that meet minimum system requirements.
How to Turn Off AirDrop Receiving in Settings
Use this route:
- Open the Settings app.
- Tap General.
- Tap AirDrop.
- Choose Receiving Off, or Contacts Only for a middle ground.
Result: Your iPad stops accepting AirDrop items. Apple’s guide also points to this screen for the Use Cellular Data switch, which you can turn off to keep AirDrop from using cellular data when you leave Wi-Fi or Bluetooth range.
What the AirDrop Receiving Options Mean
- Receiving Off: no one can send you items with AirDrop.
- Contacts Only: Apple says a sender must be in your contacts, and you need their Apple Account email address or phone number on their contact card.
- Everyone for 10 Minutes: anyone nearby can send you items for a short time. Apple says that in iOS 16.2 and later, this setting changes after 10 minutes. It reverts to Contacts Only if you’re signed in to your Apple Account, or to Receiving Off if you’re not.
How AirDrop Protects You Even When It’s On
- Apple says transfers are encrypted, and you can accept or decline each one as it arrives.
- Starting with iPadOS 26.2, Apple says anyone who isn’t in your contacts must use an AirDrop code before they can send you something. You share the code with them, and they enter it on their device.
- Apple says you can keep sharing with that person for 30 days without a new code. To stop sooner, open the Contacts app, find them in your Other Known list, and select Forget This Person.
- Items sent between your own devices signed in to the same Apple Account are accepted automatically, according to Apple.
Other Ways to Block AirDrop on iPad
Receiving Off is usually all you need, but there are stronger options:
- Turn off Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. Apple says AirDrop needs both. AirDrop stops working if you turn off either one in Settings, and turning off Bluetooth also disconnects wireless headphones. See how to turn off Bluetooth on iPad.
- Restrict it with Screen Time. You can also turn off AirDrop under Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions > Allowed Apps & Features, which keeps others from turning it back on without the Screen Time passcode. That guide dates from 2023, and Apple reorganized Screen Time’s parental controls in iPadOS 27, so the menu names may differ on your iPad. See what Screen Time restrictions are.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did my AirDrop setting change back on its own?
If you chose Everyone for 10 Minutes, Apple says it switches back after 10 minutes, to Contacts Only if you’re signed in to your Apple Account or to Receiving Off if you aren’t. Choose Receiving Off directly if you want AirDrop to stay off.
Can I still send files if receiving is off?
Apple’s guide says both you and the recipient must have AirDrop turned on to send an item, so switch receiving back on (Contacts Only works) before you send. You can turn it off again afterward.
Related Guides
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- How to turn off Location Services on iPad
- How to reset settings on an iPad
- How to make text bigger on iPad
Matthew Burleigh has been writing tech tutorials since 2008. His writing has appeared on dozens of different websites and been read hundreds of millions of times.
After receiving his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science he spent several years working in IT management for small businesses. However, he now works full time writing content online and creating websites.
His main writing topics include iPhones, Microsoft Office, Google Apps, Android, and Photoshop, but he has also written about many other tech topics as well.