APPLE’S signature AirDrop feature is about to get a new makeover, which can help save iPhone from hefty data charges.
With the upcoming iOS 17, the tech giant is adding five new features to make sending pictures and videos to friends and family much easier.
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Improving AirDrop means iPhone owners will be less likely to send photos and videos via iMessage, WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger – where data charges may apply if you’re not connected to Wi-Fi.
But before you get excited about these new features, make sure your iPhone is eligible for the iOS 17 update which is arriving in the coming motnhs.
NameDrop
Apple fans will have the opportunity to create a personalised contact poster which will appear for friends and family you’re trying to share digitised memories with under the new NameDrop feature.
It’ll feature your name in a bold fold, in a colour of your choosing.
As well as a your favourite picture or avatar of yourself.
These will replace the contact posters iPhone users know and love today, and will be able to be shared with new people you want to exchange information with.
If you have multiple phone numbers and email addresses, Apple’s NameDrop feature, will let you pick which ones you want to send along.
New gesture
Apple is even introducing a new gesture to trigger AirDrop, so your iPhone will recognise another iOS device when the pair are brought close together.
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When two iPhones are held close, the new contact posters will appear and Apple will start the sharing process.
It will save the faff of users having to wait to find them them in the drop down menu in the Photos app.
SharePlay
Alongside AirDrop and NameDrop, comes SharePlay.
SharePlay is a new iOS 17 feature intended to share music playlists, so that you can hook your friends up with your favourite tracks, or even jog along to the same anthem in sync.
But it doesn’t stop there.
Users can also use SharePlay to watch movies or TV shows at the same time through a variety of different streaming apps, including Disney+, Paramount+ and CrunchyRoll.
It’s unclear whether Netflix and Amazon Prime TV can support this feature yet, but time will tell.
iCloud boost
AirDrop will also benefit from a new iCloud boost in iOS 17.
This means if users start sharing via AirDrop and walk out of range, your iPhone will keep sharing over iCloud.
However, it’s important to note that for this to work, both parties need to have iCloud accounts.
Soon, the days of having to send a special download link or offer reduced-size images if you didn’t have time to complete an AirDrop session, will be over.
Safety improvements
Apple is also set to roll out its Sensitive Content Warning to AirDrop.
This is to help combat iPhone owners being the target of receiving unwanted images via AirDrop.
Now users can block and blur anything they might not want to see in AirDrop.
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