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How to Turn Off AirDrop Receiving on iPad

Disable incoming AirDrop on iPad in Settings, and see why Contacts Only still allows transfers from people in your contacts.

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To stop your iPad from receiving AirDrop items, open Settings > General > AirDrop and choose Receiving Off. This disables incoming AirDrop on the iPad. Apple’s iPad guide and its security documentation describe the setting.

Turn off AirDrop receiving in Settings

  1. Open Settings on your iPad.
  2. Tap General.
  3. Tap AirDrop.
  4. Choose Receiving Off.

Apple documents this Settings route for choosing who can send items to your iPad. Menu presentation can differ between iPadOS versions, so the wording or screen layout may not look identical on every device. See Apple’s iPad AirDrop guide.

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What the AirDrop receiving options mean

Setting Who can send items to your iPad Time limit
Receiving Off No one can send AirDrop items to the iPad. Not stated by Apple’s AirDrop security guide.
Contacts Only People in your contacts can send items. Not stated by Apple’s AirDrop security guide.
Everyone for 10 Minutes People nearby can send items while this option is active. After 10 minutes, Apple says it returns to Contacts Only if you are signed in to an Apple Account, or Receiving Off if you are not. See Apple’s AirDrop instructions.

Contacts Only is not the same as off: it still allows AirDrop transfers from contacts. Choose Receiving Off when you want to disable incoming AirDrop rather than restrict who can send.

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Can you turn off AirDrop from Control Center?

Apple also documents AirDrop controls through Control Center. If your goal is specifically to disable receiving, use the Settings route above and select the explicit Receiving Off option. The available controls and their presentation may vary by iPadOS version; Apple’s iPad guide covers the Control Center route.

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Do you need to turn off Wi-Fi or Bluetooth?

No. You do not need to change Wi-Fi or Bluetooth to turn off AirDrop receiving; selecting Receiving Off is the relevant setting. Apple explains that AirDrop uses Bluetooth Low Energy for discovery and peer-to-peer Wi-Fi for encrypted transfers in its AirDrop security overview.

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  • PERFORMANCE AND STORAGE — The superfast A16 chip delivers a boost in performance for your favorite activities. And with all-day battery life, iPad is perfect for playing immersive games and editing photos and videos.* Storage starts at 128GB and goes up to 512GB.*
  • 11-INCH LIQUID RETINA DISPLAY — The gorgeous Liquid Retina display is an amazing way to watch movies or draw your next masterpiece.* True Tone adjusts the display to the color temperature of the room to make viewing comfortable in any light.
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