- Police departments are reportedly warning iPhone users about iOS 17’s ‘NameDrop’ feature.
- This feature lets you easily share your contact info by bringing two iPhones close to each other.
- But is it really a matter of concern? Here’s what you should know.
Apple introduced a new way to share contacts with the iOS 17 update. It’s called ‘NameDrop’, and it requires iPhone and Apple Watch users to simply bring their devices close to each other to share their contacts. There’s now a warning issued by a police department that might have caused panic among iPhone users about this feature.
How iOS 17’s NameDrop feature works
iOS 17’s NameDrop is not just useful but very cool as well. It basically uses AirDrop to share contacts with each other but with in an easy way, and with a cool animation. All you have to do is bring two iPhones (or Apple Watch) close by letting the top part of the device touch each other.
Once the devices are recognised it’ll trigger a vibration, and you’ll see an animation on the screen with details of the iPhone and your contact info displayed. Next step is for you to choose to share your phone number or email with the other person. So if you want someone’s contact who also has a compatible iPhone, you can simply go ahead with NameDrop.
Is iOS 17’s NameDrop feature not secure?
This iOS 17 feature’s privacy concerns have been raised after police departments started issuing notices about its dangers, according to a report by Forbes. The City of Chester Police Department in Pennsylvania even posted on their Facebook page telling iPhone users to turn off the NameDrop feature, and how to do it.
This feature is turned on by default so not everyone might be aware about it. But for the feature to work, both iPhones will have to be unlocked, and you’ll still need to give permission before your contact is shared. So even though the process is triggered your contact details won’t be shared until you agree to.
Now we can’t speak for the company and say that this feature is completely secure. But if you’re still concerned you can turn it off by going to Settings > General > AirDrop > Bringing Devices Together > Toggle off.
