AirDrop settings on a Mac: Contacts Only and Everyone

AirDrop and files Published 4 November 2026

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On a Mac, you choose who can send you files from Control Center: click the Control Center icon in the menu bar, then click the AirDrop icon, and pick Contacts Only or Everyone. This setting controls who sees your Mac in their AirDrop list.

Turn AirDrop on and set the audience

Click the Control Center icon in the menu bar.
Click the AirDrop icon to turn it on.
To choose who can send to you, click and hold the AirDrop icon, or click the AirDrop icon next to AirDrop.
Choose Contacts Only or Everyone.

Apple’s page for this was checked on 4 November 2026 and is shown at macOS 27 with a version selector back to High Sierra. Apple does not say on that page how the controls differ between versions, so if yours looks different, look for the AirDrop section in Control Center.

What each option means

Contacts Only. Only people in your contacts see your Mac. Both sides are normally signed in to an Apple Account. This is the safer everyday choice.
Everyone. Any nearby Apple device that can use AirDrop can see your Mac. Use it for a quick exchange with someone who is not in your contacts, then switch back.
Everyone for 10 Minutes. Apple lists this on iPhone and iPad, where it is available on devices that meet the minimum system requirements. On a Mac, Apple’s page lists Everyone, not the timed version.

When a sender is not in your contacts

On macOS 26.2 or later, a sender who is not in your contacts has to use an AirDrop code. See AirDrop codes on Mac. This reduces the need to leave your Mac set to Everyone.

If your Mac does not show up for someone

The most common cause is Contacts Only. Ask the sender to confirm you are in their contacts, or set your Mac to Everyone for the moment. If that does not help, see AirDrop not working on a Mac.

A habit worth having

Leave it on Contacts Only, switch to Everyone when you need it, and switch back after the transfer. To send files, you do not have to change anything: see how to AirDrop from a Mac. NotchStar’s File Shelf opens the standard macOS picker, so it follows whatever the receiving device allows.

Quick answers.

Is there a No One option?

Apple's AirDrop guide for Mac lists Contacts Only and Everyone. It does not list a No One option, so turn AirDrop off from Control Center to stop receiving.

Link to this answer

Keep reading.

How to AirDrop from a Mac to another device: Send a file from your Mac with AirDrop in two ways: the Share button in an app, or the AirDrop window in Finder. Steps, requirements and the 30 foot range.
What is an AirDrop code on a Mac (macOS 26.2 and later): From macOS 26.2, a sender who is not in your contacts needs an AirDrop code. How it works, how long it lasts and how to end sharing with a person.
AirDrop not working on a Mac: what to check, in order: A short ordered checklist for AirDrop failing on a Mac: WiFi, Bluetooth, distance, the visibility setting, then a restart. Based on Apple's own guidance.
A shelf and an AirDrop zone in the notch: Park files in the notch while you work, then drag them out or AirDrop them. Drag a file toward the notch and the shelf opens by itself.

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