Apple released iOS 17.2 in December, and the update brought security patches and long-awaited features, like the Journal app, to your iPhone. Among the new features is Contact Key Verification, a security tool meant to help verify that the person you’re texting is who they say they are.
Apple wrote in December 2022 that with Contact Key Verification, people who might find themselves in dangerous situations, like journalists, activists and members of government organizations, can verify that they are messaging who they intend to. While most people won’t find themselves targeted in such a way, Apple wrote that the tool provides an important layer of security to those who might.
Here’s how to enable Contact Key Verification and how to use the new security feature. Note, both you and the person you’re messaging need to have this feature enabled for it to work properly.
How to enable Contact Key Verification
1. Open Settings.
2. Tap your Apple ID (your name and picture) near the top of your screen.
3. Tap Contact Key Verification near the bottom of the menu.
4. Tap the switch next to Verification in iMessage.
Next you’ll see a splash screen that explains Contact Key Verification. Tap Continue on this screen.
You might be taken to another splash screen that says you need to update some of your devices in order to turn the feature on. You can either tap OK and then update the devices, or you can tap Remove Devices in Settings. However, you should probably update your devices even if you don’t plan on using Contact Key Verification.
Verifying the identity of yourself and others
After you’ve enabled the feature, the Contact Key Verification menu will have a new option called Show Public Verification Code. Tap this new option and you’ll see a string of letters, numbers and symbols. This code is how people verify they are messaging you.
Next, tap Copy Verification Code beneath your code, and you’ll be able to paste your code…
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