The Public Broadcast Problem
AirDrop is a remarkably convenient macOS feature that allows you to instantly beam files, photos, and links to nearby Apple devices using a combination of Bluetooth and Wi-Fi Direct. By default, many Macs are configured so that their AirDrop discoverability is set to “Everyone.” This means that if you are sitting in a coffee shop, an airport lounge, or a university library, any stranger with an iPhone or Mac within a 30-foot radius can see your computer’s name pop up on their screen. This opens the door to “cyber-flashing”—receiving unsolicited, inappropriate images—or simply annoying pranks from people trying to beam random files to your desktop.
Restricting the Discovery Scope
To secure your Mac and stop it from constantly broadcasting its presence to every random Apple device in your immediate vicinity, you must severely restrict the AirDrop discovery permissions.
Open a new Finder window (click the smiling Mac face icon in your dock). In the left-hand navigation sidebar, look near the very top and click on AirDrop. The main window will display the AirDrop radar screen. At the very bottom of this window, you will see a small line of blue text that reads: Allow me to be discovered by: followed by a dropdown menu. Click the dropdown menu. If it is currently set to “Everyone,” immediately change it to Contacts Only. This ensures that only people whose email addresses or phone numbers are already saved in your Contacts app can see your Mac. If you are highly security-conscious and rarely use the feature, you can select No One, which completely disables the discovery broadcast until you manually turn it back on.