Apple’s iOS 17.1 and watchOS 10.1 introduced a new NameDrop feature designed to allow users to quickly exchange contact information by bringing their Apple devices close together. Sharing of contact information takes place with your explicit permission, but some media outlets and law enforcement have spread misinformation about this feature.
as pointed out by washington post, I’m getting a warning about NameDrop popping up on FaceTime. Police in states like Pennsylvania, Oklahoma and Ohio have suggested that contact information can be shared “just by holding your phone close.”from Chester City Police Department Ohio:
Important privacy update: If you have an iPhone and recently updated to iOS 17, a new feature called NameDrop is turned on by default. This feature allows you to share contact information simply by bringing your mobile phone close. To turn this off,[設定],[一般],[AirDrop],[デバイスの統合]Move in this order. Please change it to OFF.
While it’s true that NameDrop is turned on by default, the way it works is more subtle than simply holding two iPhones close together.
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 next to each other so that they are almost touching. It works if you have. When the two devices are in close contact and both are unlocked, a pop-up appears asking the user to share contact information or an image.
Contact information is not automatically shared. This is a user-initiated process and requires both parties exchanging information to accept the transfer. Accidental exchanges may occur, but require the user to unlock the device and accept the sharing prompt.
Multiple police departments posted the above warning, which was widely shared on Facebook and other social networks. For example, a message from the Noble County Sheriff’s Office in Ohio was shared more than 70,000 times, and a warning from the Dewey Police Department in Pennsylvania was shared 11,000 times. Following criticism from some commenters, Noble County edited its message to clarify that there is a pop-up to forward content and that Dewey County strives to “ensure parents engage with their children.” Updated information that may not be visible to many people who saw the original post.
The purpose of this post was to get parents concerned about their children and what they are doing with their devices, not to fear-monger as has been suggested. Especially for kids, we encourage them to explore new technology and updates to learn more about what’s out there.
Several local news articles have also shared similar suspicious NameDrop information. KDKA-TV in PittsburghFor example, we interviewed several people and included quotes that suggest NameDrop happens automatically.
“I turned it off because I don’t have any use for it. I don’t have a cell phone at work either, so there’s really no use for it. But it might be a little difficult to turn it on by default.” I’m conscious of giving out my contact information. I think it should be a deliberate decision and not something that happens by chance,” Jerry said.
“That’s a little worrying. I think it should be an optional feature rather than automatic,” Liz Jones said.
If anything, NameDrop can be more frustrating than dangerous. That’s simply because you’re more likely to wake up when your phone is next to someone else and unlocked, in situations like dinner or a meeting. Following negative feedback, Apple may turn NameDrop off by default in a future update, but if you want to disable it now, open the Settings app, go to AirDrop, and select Device Integrations. You can disable it by turning it off.