Recent concerns raised by police departments and news outlets about the safety of the new ‘NameDrop’ feature in iOS 17 have led to unwarranted fearmongering.
Despite warnings, however, NameDrop is relatively safe and not the risk it’s been portrayed to be, The Washington Post reports.
Chester Wisniewski, a digital security specialist at Sophos, has dismissed these warnings as “hysteria” and “nonsense.”
Users need not worry about the safety of NameDrop itself but should be concerned about false alarms raised by authorities regarding technology.
For those who aren’t familiar, NameDrop enables users to quickly share contact info and media when two Apple devices are tapped together, unlike AirDrop, which operates within a 30-foot range.
Apple clarifies that NameDrop functions only when devices are within a few centimeters, requiring unlocked devices for contact sharing.
Although there’s a minor risk of accidental contact sharing with an unintended person in close proximity, it’s improbable to share contact information inadvertently.
Despite this, several police departments across states like Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Oklahoma have issued warnings about NameDrop’s privacy risks, a move met with skepticism due to the feature’s limited scope.
For those preferring to disable NameDrop, Apple offers a straightforward process. Access Settings on the iPhone, go to General → AirDrop → toggle off “Bringing Devices Together.”
Additionally, adjusting AirDrop settings to “Receiving Off” or “Contacts Only” reduces the chance of receiving unwanted files or photos from strangers nearby.
However, it’s essential to recognize that the concerns about NameDrop’s safety have been blown out of proportion. The feature poses minimal danger under regular usage conditions.
