Police have warned parents about the NameDrop feature in the iOS 17 update for iPhones. The feature allows users to share contact information and images with nearby iPhones or Apple Watches by holding the devices close together. NameDrop is automatically turned on after updating to iOS 17.
Police warn that NameDrop could put children in danger by giving bad actors access to their personal information. They advise parents to turn off the feature in their children’s iPhone settings. Police also recommend not letting strangers hold your phone.
Police departments that have issued warnings about NameDrop include:
- Henry County Sheriff’s Office: Tennessee
- Middletown Division of Police: Ohio
- Halifax Police Department: Virginia
- Village of Mount Pleasant Department: Wisconsin
The release of iOS 17, and NameDrop with it, follows the announcement of the iPhone 15 series, the Apple Watch Series 9 and the Apple Watch Ultra 2 at Apple’s Wonderlust event in September.
If you’ve got an iPhone running iOS 17, you’re in luck: NameDrop is simple to use. Read on for everything you need to know about this feature.
NameDrop is the newest way iPhone users can share contact information with each other. You no longer have to fork over your phone to strangers if you want to swap contact info. All you need to do is simply tap your phones together to swap information.
If you’re an iPhone user, you’re in luck. NameDrop is available to you right now, or as soon as you update to iOS 17 — that is, as long as you have a supported iPhone.
In a Newsroom post, Apple called NameDrop a “new AirDrop experience.” People with iPhones can “hold their iPhone near another to share their contact information with only their intended recipients.”
Recently, Forbes reported that law enforcement authorities around the country have been raising concerns about the privacy of NameDrop. These concerns are focused on the ease at which people could potentially steal your information.
However, when the feature was released back in September, Apple clarified that you’ll be able to select what information you share with other people, so you won’t have to worry about accidentally sending super-personal information to strangers.
Essentially, all you have to do is place your iPhone close to the intended recipient of your NameDrop, and you’re done. Once you’ve placed the phones together, a Contact Poster will pop up (that is, the image that pops up when you call someone). After that, you’ll have the option to just receive the contact or send your own back.
You’ll only be able to NameDrop with other iPhone users running iOS 17 or later and Apple Watch users running Watch OS 10 or later. So, if you want to get in on the contact-sharing action, you’ll want to make sure your device is running the right version of its operating system.
If you still feel uncomfortable or unsafe using NameDrop, Apple’s got you covered. All you have to do is open the Settings app, and then tap on General. After that, navigate to the AirDrop tab. Once you open the tab, simply toggle the Bring Devices Together option off. And just like that, no more NameDrop.
For more iOS 17 details, check out everything you should do before updating to iOS 17 and five hidden iOS 17 features we think you should know about.
