GREENVILLE, S.C. — A new feature that allows the quick exchange of contact information between Apple products might be a bit of a surprise to some users. Still, a South Carolina sheriff's office said on Sunday that parents shouldn't be too concerned.
The Greenville County Sheriff's Office shared information on how to turn off Apple's new "NameDrop" feature but said the circumstances under which it works don't appear to be something that could accidentally share information.
"The new feature allows people to share basic contact information between two Apple devices, like iPhones, by holding them close together and performing a few other actions - similar to the existing AirDrop function. It also comes activated by default on some devices as part of a recent iOS 17 update," the department said.
But the sheriff's office said that while people should be aware of it, the feature should generally be safe.
"There's nothing to fear if you have the setting turned on," the sheriff's office said in a social media post. "The only way your contact information will be shared is if you and the other person hold your phones very close to each other, unlock them both, and then accept the swap."
Even so, the sheriff's office explained that the feature can be turned off by going to Settings, General, AirDrop, Bringing Devices Together and switching it to the Off position.
The sheriff's office said it shared the information to bring awareness to the feature since it is something that can easily be mistaken or looked past by elderly, children, or other vulnerable adults.
Users can visit the Apple user guide page for more on the feature.
