Tech Reference

How to change the name of a Bluetooth device on your iPhone

Written by Dave Johnson
iphone bluetooth headphones
It's easy to change the name of many of the Bluetooth devices paired on your iPhone. Shutterstock
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You may have so many Bluetooth devices paired with your iPhone that it can be hard to keep track of them all – headphones, earbuds, speakers, perhaps even a few cars. 

The default name that appears in the Bluetooth settings are often no help either, with many cars simply identifying themselves as "Car Multimedia," for example. Thankfully, you can rename your Bluetooth devices to be more memorable.

Here's how to do it. 

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iPhone Xs (From $999.99 at Best Buy)

Airpods with charging case (From $159.99 at Best Buy)

How to change the name of a Bluetooth device on the iPhone

1. Turn on the Bluetooth device you want to rename so it connects to your iPhone. You can only rename devices that are actively connected.

2. Start the Settings app on your iPhone.

3. Tap "Bluetooth."

4. Find the device you want to rename. Make sure it says "Connected," and then tap the "i" on the right side of the screen. 

name 1
Make sure your device is connected and then tap the "i."  Dave Johnson/Business Insider

5. Tap "Name."

name 2
Most devices can be renamed with a few taps.  Dave Johnson/Business Insider

6. On the Name page, rename the device and then tap "Done" on the keyboard. 

name 3
Type the new name for the device and then tap "Done."  Dave Johnson/Business Insider

That's it – you've now renamed the device. 

If you don't see the option to rename the device, there are two possibilities:

  • The device is not connected to the iPhone. Make sure the device is turned on and connected.
  • The device can't be renamed. Not all Bluetooth devices allow you to rename them, so you have to keep the default name assigned by the manufacturer. 
name 4
If there's no Name field, then this device can't be renamed.  Dave Johnson/Business Insider

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dave june
Dave Johnson
Dave Johnson is a technology journalist who writes about consumer tech and how the industry is transforming the speculative world of science fiction into modern-day real life. Dave grew up in New Jersey before entering the Air Force to operate satellites, teach space operations, and do space launch planning. He then spent eight years as a content lead on the Windows team at Microsoft. As a photographer, Dave has photographed wolves in their natural environment; he's also a scuba instructor and co-host of several podcasts. Dave is the author of more than two dozen books and has contributed to many sites and publications including CNET, Forbes, PC World, How To Geek, and Insider.