Conference Wi-Fi is famously bad. Cell service inside large venues is famously worse. If you can't load a webpage, scanning a QR code won't help anyone. This is exactly when AirDrop is useful: it works peer-to-peer over Bluetooth and direct Wi-Fi, no internet required.
From the businesscards.io iOS app, you can AirDrop your card straight to another iPhone. The recipient gets your vCard in their Contacts app a second later.
How to AirDrop your card
- Open the businesscards.io iOS app.
- Find the card you want to share and tap the share icon.
- Tap AirDrop in the share sheet.
- Nearby AirDrop-enabled devices appear. Tap the recipient.
- The recipient sees an AirDrop prompt on their phone. They tap Accept.
- Your contact info opens in their Contacts app. They tap Save to add it to their address book.
What it sends
AirDrop sends your vCard (.vcf) file, which contains all the details from your card: name, contact info, photo, social profiles, and the URL of your card. The recipient can call you, email you, or open your full card from the saved contact whenever they want.
Requirements
- Both phones need to be iPhones (or Macs).
- Both need Bluetooth and Wi-Fi turned on.
- Both need AirDrop set to receive from at least Contacts. The recipient can temporarily switch theirs to "Everyone for 10 Minutes" if you're not in each other's contacts yet.
When AirDrop is your best bet
- Conferences, expos, and trade shows with overloaded Wi-Fi.
- Stadiums, festivals, and other dense venues.
- Airplanes (Bluetooth still works in airplane mode if you turn it on).
- Coffee shops with captive-portal Wi-Fi that the recipient hasn't joined.
Android recipients
AirDrop is Apple-only. If you're sharing with an Android user, fall back to the QR code on your Apple Wallet pass, an NFC tag, or your card link via Messages.