Law enforcement agencies nationwide are warning people, especially parents and guardians, about a privacy update that inadvertently allow users to share private information they may not want others to have.
According to agencies in states including Ohio, Wisconsin and Virginia, the new update includes a feature that allows users to share contact information and photos by holding two iPhones together.
The feature, called NameDrop, is activated by users who have installed the recent iOS 17 update, The Middletown Division of Police, one of the agencies, located about 40 miles north of Cincinnati, posted on Facebook.
The newest operating system from Apple, iOS 17, was released Sept. 17.
Law enforcement in some states are warning people including parents about a new privacy update that allows users to easily share contact information and photos by simply holding two phones together. The feature, called NameDrop, is activated by users who have installed the recent iOS 17 update.
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How to turn off NameDrop: the new iPhone feature
According to police, when users install the update, NameDrop defaults to ‘ON’.
To shut the feature off, follow these directions: Go to Settings, General, AirDrop, Bringing Devices Together and select ‘OFF’.
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Police encourage parents to change settings on their child’s iPhone
As a safety precaution, police are warning parents whose children have iPhones to be sure to change the setting on their phone as well.
“This is intended for the public to be aware of as this is something that can easily be mistaken or looked past by elderly, children or other vulnerable individuals,” the Village of Mount Pleasant Police Department in Wisconsin posted on its Facebook page. “The intentions of the information provided is to inform the public of this feature and adjust their settings as needed to keep their own or their loved ones contact information safe.”
Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X @nataliealund.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Police warn parents about newest feature on updated iPhones