NameDrop vs a business card: do you still need one?
iPhones can swap contacts by touching, and since August 2026 some Android phones can too. So is a business card still worth carrying? It depends on who you meet. Here is what each method needs, and the numbers for an Indian room.
NameDrop swaps contacts between two iPhones held together, and Google's Tap to share does the same between Pixel 6 or newer phones on Android 17. Both need the other person to have a matching phone. In India, StatCounter put iOS at about 6% of mobile web traffic in September 2026, so most people you meet can't receive a NameDrop. An NFC card with a QR code works with any phone.
Sources: Apple, Google, StatCounter Global Stats
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NameDrop, Tap to share, LinkedIn QR and a card, side by side
NameDrop and Tap to share are quick and private, but each works only with the same kind of phone. A LinkedIn QR code works across phones but opens LinkedIn, not the phone's contacts. An NFC card with a printed QR code works with any phone and opens a page you control, including save-to-contacts.
From Apple's, Google's and LinkedIn's own help pages, read on 24 October 2026.
| NFC card with QR | NameDrop | Tap to share | LinkedIn QR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Works with | NFC card with QRAny phone with NFC or a camera | NameDropA nearby iPhone or Apple Watch | Tap to sharePixel 6 and newer on Android 17 and higher | LinkedIn QRAny phone; the LinkedIn app to scan from inside it |
| What arrives | NFC card with QRYour profile page, with save-to-contacts | NameDropThe contact fields you chose | Tap to shareThe contact fields you chose | LinkedIn QRYour LinkedIn profile |
| If your details change | NFC card with QREdit the page; every card shows the change | NameDropSends new contacts only, not updates | Tap to shareShare again | LinkedIn QREdit your LinkedIn profile |
| Prices, booking, payment | NFC card with QROn the page, if your plan has them | NameDropNo | Tap to shareNo | LinkedIn QRNo |
Apple says NameDrop "only works for sending new contact information, not updating an existing contact", and that it is on by default. Google says Tap to share is on by default except on managed devices, and that received items land in the Files app under Downloads, Quick Share.
How many of the people you meet can receive each?
Phone-to-phone sharing only works when both phones match. StatCounter measured iOS at 6.05% and Android at 93.89% of mobile web traffic in India in September 2026. Enter how many people you meet and the share you expect to have a matching phone; the estimate shows how many you could reach each way.
StatCounter counts page views from phones, not phones owned, so treat the split as a guide to the mix, not a census. Source: StatCounter Global Stats, mobile operating system share in India.
LinkedIn QR codes: good for connecting, not for a phone book
LinkedIn's QR code is in the app's search bar, under My code, and scanning someone's code takes you to their profile. That makes it a good way to connect on LinkedIn. It doesn't add anyone to the phone's contacts, and it shows only what LinkedIn shows: not your prices, your booking slots or a way to pay you.
Find your code
Tap the QR code in the search bar at the top of the LinkedIn homepage, then the My code tab.
Scan theirs
Same icon, then the Scan tab, and hold your phone over their code; LinkedIn redirects you to their profile.
Then what?
You are connected on LinkedIn. To call or WhatsApp them later, you still need their number in your phone.
Steps from LinkedIn Help. A Beeps profile can carry your LinkedIn link next to Save to contacts, so one tap gives both.
When phone-to-phone sharing is enough, and when a card still wins
If you mostly meet people with the same phone as yours and only need to swap numbers, NameDrop or Tap to share is enough and costs nothing. A card wins when the room is mixed, when you want people to see what you sell and book or pay, and when you want a record of who saved your contact.
Phones are enough when
- everyone in the room carries the same platform as you
- you only need to swap a number and an email
- you don't need to know afterwards who kept your details
A card wins when
- the room is mixed - in India, mostly Android
- people should see your services and prices, book or pay
- you want the list of who saved your contact, which a Beeps profile keeps for you
NameDrop and business cards: questions
Does NameDrop work with Android phones?
No. Apple describes NameDrop as sharing contact information with a nearby iPhone or Apple Watch. Android has its own feature, Tap to share, which Google lists for Pixel 6 and newer phones running Android 17 and higher; the two do not swap contacts with each other.
Is there a NameDrop for Android?
Google's Tap to share works the same way: hold the tops of two unlocked phones together until they glow, choose what to share, or only receive. Google's help page lists it for Pixel 6 and newer on Android 17 and higher, so most Android phones in use don't have it yet.
Sources: Google
Do I still need a business card if I have NameDrop?
If almost everyone you meet carries a recent iPhone, NameDrop covers swapping numbers. In India, StatCounter put iOS at about 6% of mobile web traffic in September 2026, so most people you meet can't receive it. A card with NFC and a printed QR code works with any phone that has a camera or NFC.
Sources: StatCounter Global Stats
How do I turn off NameDrop?
Apple says NameDrop is on by default. Go to Settings, General, AirDrop, and turn off Bring Devices Together. That also turns off the other Bring Devices Together features.
Sources: Apple
Is a LinkedIn QR code enough instead of a business card?
It is good for connecting on LinkedIn: LinkedIn says scanning the code redirects you to the member's profile. It doesn't put you in the other person's phone contacts, and it shows what your LinkedIn profile shows, not your prices, booking or payment details.
Sources: LinkedIn
Sources
Facts about other companies and the wider market come from the pages below, as published by them. Each was read on the date shown. Beeps Card prices come from our own pricing page.
- Apple, Use NameDrop on iPhone to share your contact info - iPhone User Guide. Checked .
- StatCounter Global Stats, Mobile Operating System Market Share India (September 2026). Checked .
- LinkedIn, Using a LinkedIn QR Code to Connect with Members - LinkedIn Help. Checked .