BILLINGS — In a time when everything from family photos to banking information can be found on cell phones, seeing posts on social media across the nation from law enforcement warning about a new iPhone update caused concern, even in Montana.
The iPhone operating system (OS) 17 update has a new feature called NameDrop. Similar to the feature AirDrop, it allows users to share photos, videos, and contact information quickly without needing the other user's number. NameDrop differs from AirDrop because it requires the top of the phones to be touching and for both users to accept a prompt before sharing any information.
Billings Police Lt. Matt Lennick first heard about the update on Sunday and posted to the police department's Facebook page that evening.
"I just saw a post on another platform that was talking about the privacy settings and so I checked my phone, my iPhone, and mine was turned on. Not something I would normally keep on,” Lennick said on Monday. “I caution the public to be aware about what these settings are.”
Law enforcement agencies are warning users about the new feature because once the phone completes the update, the feature is automatically enabled.
“I think most people are probably most concerned about their kids making good decisions on what they're accepting," Lennick said. "It wasn’t meant to scare anybody. I think there are still checks in place.”
Billings resident Justin Hutchinson purchased the newest iPhone, so he's already had iOS 17 on his phone for awhile. He was excited that NameDrop was a feature.
“Android has had a similar feature for about three years. So, I was like, 'Hey, alright, us iPhone people finally have a similar feature,'” Hutchinson said.
He isn't worried about the new update and said he wants others to understand that it is not easy for people to get your information unless you want them to.
"I think the biggest concern is that this feature is like someone comes near you, is in the grocery store with you, can steal your information and it’s just not like that,” Hutchinson said. “There’s so many layers to this, that it’s really not a problem.”
To turn off the NameDrop feature, go to Settings, General, AirDrop, and switch Bringing Devices Together to off.
