LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Local law enforcement agencies in Kentuckiana are raising concerns about children's privacy following a new iPhone update.
The Floyd County Sheriff's Department is urging parents to check their child's iPhone to see if it has updated to the recent iOS 17 update. There's a new feature called NameDrop, which is automatically turned on.
NameDrop allows users to quickly share their contact information with a nearby iPhone or Apple Watch, according to Apple.
According to Apple, users only need to hold their phone or Apple Watch a few centimeters away from the top of the other person's device. After a short time, NameDrop will appear on screen.
Users can then choose to share their contact card and receive the other persons, or just receive the other person's. Contact cards can include a user's phone number as well as their email address and home address -- depending on if they have that information added to the contact card.
RELATED: Apple’s new NameDrop feature doesn’t automatically share your contact info with nearby iPhone users
Apple says NameDrop only works for sending new contact information, not updating an existing contact.
Floyd County officials are reminding parents to ensure this feature is turned off before their child accidentally shares their information with a stranger.
How to disable NameDrop
For Apple users to disable the new feature, simply follow the steps below:
- Go to your device's "Settings"
- Scroll down and click on "General"
- Look for "AirDrop"
- Search for "Bringing Devices Together" and slide the feature off. This will disable NameDrop.
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