NameDrop allows you to quickly exchange contact details, but the American police do not consider this safe. This is what’s going on.
NameDrop on iPhone: is it safe?
Apple has introduced a new NameDrop feature with iOS 17.1 and watchOS 10.1 that lets you quickly exchange contact information when you’re near each other. NameDrop requires explicit permission, but there are news organizations that have spread misinformation about how it works, saying it is not secure.
So saw The Washington Post warnings about NameDrop popping up on FaceTime. And police in Pennsylvania, Oklahoma, Ohio and other states have said contact information can be shared “by holding your iPhones close together.” The Chester Police Department, Ohio reported the following:
NameDrop is indeed enabled, but it is also safe
It’s true that NameDrop is enabled by default, but the way it works is a lot more nuanced. NameDrop works when two iPhones running iOS 17.1 or an iPhone running iOS 17.1 and an Apple Watch running watchOS 10.1 are placed right next to each other. When this happens and both devices are unlocked, a pop-up will appear asking you to share contact information. So the contact details are not automatically shared and both people must accept the transfer.
Several police departments posted the above warning. The message was subsequently shared more than 70,000 times. It has since been edited and nuanced, but many people who saw the original post may not see that update.
More annoying than dangerous
However, NameDrop is more annoying than dangerous, simply because it can be triggered inadvertently when your iPhone is next to someone else’s and is unlocked. Think of a dinner or a meeting.
Apple may disable NameDrop by default in a future update due to the negative feedback. Do you want to turn off the function now? You can do this in the Settings app. Go to General > AirDrop and disable the ‘Bring devices together’ option.
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