Police departments from New Jersey to California have been sounding the alarm in recent days about NameDrop, a new feature of the Apple iPhone's latest operating system that allows users to wirelessly exchange contact information. Apple declined to comment, but experts say the warnings that scammers and thieves could exploit the feature to harvest a user's personal information appear to be overblown, if not entirely unfounded.
To use the feature, Apple users need to have updated their devices to the latest version of the operating system iOS 17.1 for the iPhone or WatchOS 10.1 for the Apple Watch, both of which have the feature enabled as a default setting. Users hold one device over the other, within a few centimeters, until NameDrop appears on both screens. They can then choose to exchange contact details, or one may simply receive contact information from the other without reciprocating.
NameDrop works similarly to AirDrop, which allows users of Apple laptops, iPhones and iPads to exchange photos as long as they are within Bluetooth and Wi-Fi range. But while some people exploited that feature in its early days to harass unsuspecting strangers with explicit images, it appears to be much harder, if not impossible, to use NameDrop to send unwanted information or harvest personal details without consent.
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