Rename Your iPhone in Bluetooth Settings

You can change the name your iPhone broadcasts to other Bluetooth devices directly in Settings. This name appears when someone tries to connect a speaker, headphones, car stereo, or other device to your phone. The process takes about one minute and requires no restart.

Open Settings on your iPhone, then tap General. Scroll down and tap About. At the top of the screen, you will see a field labeled Name with your current device name — usually something like "John's iPhone" or "iPhone 14 Pro". Tap that field, delete the existing text, type your new name, and tap Done. The change takes effect when ready.

Key Takeaways

  • Your iPhone's Bluetooth name is found in Settings > General > About, in the field labeled Name at the top of the screen.
  • You can use any name you want, including spaces and most special characters, up to about 30 characters.
  • The new name appears to other devices the next time they search for Bluetooth connections — you do not need to restart your phone.
  • If a Bluetooth device remembers your old name, you may need to "forget" that device on the other device and reconnect it to see the new name.

What Name to Choose

Pick a name that is straightforward to recognize when you are pairing a new device. Avoid names that are too similar to other phones nearby — if three people in a room all have "iPhone", it becomes confusing. A name like "Sarah's iPhone" or "Kitchen iPhone" helps you and others identify which device is which.

You can include spaces, numbers, and hyphens. Avoid very long names; most devices truncate names longer than 30 characters. Once you set the name, it stays the same until you change it again — changing your Apple ID, updating iOS, or resetting your phone does not affect it.

When a Connected Device Does Not See the New Name

If you have already paired your iPhone with a Bluetooth speaker, car stereo, or headphones, that device may still show the old name in its list of paired devices. This happens because the other device has saved your iPhone's old name in its memory. The pairing still works, but the label does not update automatically.

To fix this, go to the other device's settings and find the option to "forget" or "unpair" your iPhone. The exact steps vary — a car stereo might have a Bluetooth menu, a speaker might have a button you hold, and a smartwatch has its own pairing settings. Once you have removed your iPhone from that device's list, search for Bluetooth devices again and reconnect. Your iPhone will now appear with the new name.

Changing the Name on a Shared or Family iPhone

If multiple people use the same iPhone, you can still change the Bluetooth name — there is only one name per phone, not one per user. Whoever changes it in Settings affects what all Bluetooth devices see. If you share an iPhone with a family member and want to change the name, let them know first so they understand why their paired devices might show a different label.

If you have a child's iPhone that you manage through Family Sharing, you can change its Bluetooth name from your own phone. Open Settings, tap your name at the top, select Family Sharing, choose the child's account, and look for device management options. However, the fastest way is usually to change it directly on the child's phone using the steps above.

Troubleshooting a Name That Will Not Change

In rare cases, the name field in Settings > General > About appears locked or will not save your changes. First, try closing Settings completely and reopening it. Swipe up from the bottom of the screen (or swipe down from the top right on newer iPhones) to close all apps, then reopen Settings and try again.

If the field still will not accept changes, restart your iPhone. Press and hold the power button and volume down button together until the power-off slider appears, then slide to power off. Wait 10 seconds, then press and hold the power button again until the Apple logo appears. Once your phone restarts, return to Settings > General > About and try changing the name again. This resolves most software glitches that prevent the name from updating.

How Bluetooth Device Names Work on iPhone

Your iPhone's Bluetooth name is separate from your device's actual model name (like "iPhone 14 Pro"). The Bluetooth name is what you control in Settings, and it is what other devices see when they search for Bluetooth connections. This name does not affect your Apple ID, iCloud account, or how your phone appears in Find My iPhone.

When you turn on Bluetooth and another device searches for connections, your iPhone broadcasts this name for about two minutes. If no one tries to connect during that time, your iPhone stops broadcasting to save battery. Other devices can still see your iPhone in their paired list, but new devices will not find you unless you turn Bluetooth off and back on to restart the broadcast.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use emoji or special characters in my iPhone's Bluetooth name?

Most emoji and special characters work, though some devices may not display them correctly. Stick to letters, numbers, spaces, and hyphens if you want the name to appear the same way on all devices. If you use emoji and a car stereo shows a question mark instead, the device does not support that character.

Does changing my iPhone's Bluetooth name affect my Wi-Fi network name?

No. Your iPhone's Bluetooth name and Wi-Fi network name are completely separate. Changing one does not change the other. If you want to rename your Wi-Fi network, that is a different setting in your router or in Settings > Wi-Fi on your iPhone.

Will my iPhone's Bluetooth name change if I update iOS?

No. iOS updates do not reset your Bluetooth name. It stays the same unless you manually change it in Settings. Even if you restore your iPhone from a backup, the Bluetooth name transfers with the backup.

What happens if two iPhones in the same house have the same Bluetooth name?

Devices that search for Bluetooth connections will see both names in their list, but they will appear identical. This can cause confusion when pairing. Give each iPhone a unique name so other devices can tell them apart — for example, "Living Room iPhone" and "Bedroom iPhone".

Can I change my iPhone's Bluetooth name from my Mac or iPad?

No. The Bluetooth name is specific to each device and can only be changed on that device itself. You must go to Settings on your iPhone to change its Bluetooth name. You can change your Mac's Bluetooth name in System Settings > General > About, and your iPad's name in Settings > General > About, but each device has its own separate name.