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With iOS 17.1 and watchOS 10.1, Apple brought a new feature to its iPhones and smart watches called NameDrop. The feature lets Apple users exchange their information by placing the iPhone display a few centimeters from the top of the other person’s device. While NameDrop makes it much easier to pick up other people’s contact info, a local police division in Ohio is warning parents about it.
According to the Middleton Police Division, parents need to disable NameDrop on their kid’s devices in order to prevent them from exchanging contact information with others. The feature transfers personal data, including phone numbers, pictures, and email addresses.
Police departments across the US are asking parents to disable NameDrop on kids’ iPhones
The Watertown, Connecticut police is another law enforcement agency in the United States urging parents about NameDrop on iPhones. The agency issued its warning through Facebook and asked parents to disable the feature. Some parents noted they’ve updated their kid’s device but didn’t know about the addition of NameDrop and its functionality.
While NameDrop is causing concern among Police and parents, some iPhone users stated that the feature needs a person’s approval to exchange information, and it’s not working automatically. The official Apple video for the feature also shows users needing to choose to share their contact cards.
The biggest concern about NameDrop is that kids could exchange their information with strangers. As a parent, it’s much safer to disable the feature on your kid’s device and give them instructions on never exchanging their personal data with people they don’t know.
To turn off NameDrop, go to Settings > General > AirDrop > Bringing Devices Together and turn off the toggle switch.
NameDrop is also available on the Apple Watch Ultra, Apple Watch Series 7 and later, and Apple Watch SE (2nd generation). So, if your kids are using an Apple Watch along with an iPhone, you need to ensure they don’t use the feature on their wearable too. The Apple support page notes that the NameDrop on Apple Watch is accessible through the Contacts app.