Share iPhone photos with AirDrop safely.

Quick answer: Set AirDrop to Receiving Off or Contacts Only when you are not actively receiving files. Before you send from Photos, tap Share, then Options, and turn off Location unless you intend to include it. Tap the correct person or device, wait for them to accept, and remember that a saved AirDrop copy stays on their device.

Limit who can AirDrop items to you

1. Open Control Center.
2. Touch and hold the top-left group of connectivity controls, then tap AirDrop.
3. Choose Receiving Off, Contacts Only, or Everyone for 10 Minutes.

Apple’s AirDrop instructions explain that Contacts Only limits incoming items to people in your contacts, while Everyone for 10 Minutes accepts nearby senders temporarily. Apple’s AirDrop overview notes that Everyone for 10 Minutes reverts to Contacts Only after ten minutes when you are signed in to your Apple Account, or to Receiving Off when you are not. Use Receiving Off in public places so strangers cannot prompt you with unexpected transfers.

If someone not in your contacts must send you a file, Apple may require an AirDrop code on supported software versions before the transfer completes. See the same AirDrop guides for code and acceptance steps.

Review share options before you send

1. In Photos, open the items you want to send and tap Share.
2. Tap Options near the top of the share sheet.
3. Turn off Location if you do not want coordinates included, and leave All Photos Data off unless you intend to send the original with edit history and metadata.
4. Tap Done, choose AirDrop, then select the recipient.

Apple’s photo and video sharing guide states that sharing can include associated metadata such as date, time, location, device details, and captions. Turning off Location or avoiding All Photos Data changes what that particular share includes; it does not encrypt the file or remove other copies already on your iPhone. For location-specific steps, see how to remove location before sharing.

Send with AirDrop

1. Confirm Wi‑Fi and Bluetooth are on for both devices and that Personal Hotspot is off if transfers fail.
2. On the sending iPhone, tap Share, tap AirDrop, then tap the person or device under People or Nearby.
3. On the receiving iPhone, tap Accept on the AirDrop alert.

Apple notes that transfers between devices signed in to the same Apple Account may be accepted automatically. Items you accept are saved to the recipient’s library or app, not merely previewed. AirDrop is a convenience feature, not a way to hide photos from your own Photos library or from someone who already received a copy.

Nearby iPhone transfers

On supported iPhone models, you can also bring two unlocked iPhones close together to start a transfer from Photos. Apple’s sharing guide describes selecting items, bringing the devices together, and tapping Share on the prompt. The same metadata and copy limits apply: the recipient gets files for their library, and you should still review Options before confirming.

After a photo leaves your phone

• A successful AirDrop or Messages share creates a copy on the recipient’s device. You cannot remotely delete what they saved. See how to remove attachments from your side of Messages without assuming recall.
• Keeping items in Apple’s Hidden collection or locking the Photos app does not stop you from accidentally sharing visible items while a vault or album is open. See how Apple’s Hidden collection works and how app lock differs from file encryption.
• If you import into a separate encrypted vault, the source in Photos or Files usually remains unless you delete it yourself. Read what happens to the original after import before you move sensitive items.

Ego is in development for iPhone; its public App Store release has not launched. When available, saving or sharing out of an unlocked vault is designed to require explicit confirmation because the exported copy leaves Ego’s encryption and may sync or backup elsewhere. Read the current product and availability details; do not assume AirDrop can send directly from a locked vault or that sharing removes your original files.