In April, Apple plans to release iOS 18.4, which is expected to include a new Food section in Apple News along with more emoji. However, in December 2023, Apple released iOS 17.2, which included Contact Key Verification, a much-desired security feature. You can activate the program in four simple steps, and it’s designed to assist you confirm that the person you’re texting is who they claim to be.

Apple stated in December 2022 that Contact Key Verification allows anyone who may be in risky settings, such as government officials, journalists, and activists, to confirm that they are contacting the right person. Although the majority of individuals won’t be singled out in this manner, According to Apple, the technology gives anyone who could use it a crucial extra degree of protection.

Read more: Your iPhone Gets These New Features with iOS 18

Here’s how to utilise the new security feature and activate Contact Key Verification. Note that for this feature to function correctly, both you and the person you are texting must have it enabled.

How to activate Verification of Contact Keys
1. Go to Settings.
2. Near the top of your screen, tap your Apple ID, which consists of your name and photo.
3. In the menu towards the bottom, tap Contact Key Verification.
4. In iMessage, tap the switch next to Verification.

A splash screen explaining Contact Key Verification will then appear. On this screen, tap Continue.

To activate the function, you may be sent to a splash screen stating that you need to upgrade certain devices. Either choose Remove Devices in Settings or select OK and then update the devices. Even if Contact Key Verification is not something you intend to use, you should probably upgrade your devices.

Confirming your own and other people’s identities
Once the functionality is enabled, a new option named Show Public Verification Code will appear in the Contact Key Verification menu. A series of letters, numbers, and symbols will appear when you tap this new choice. People use this code to confirm that they are texting you.

Verification of Contact Keys for

You may then paste your code anywhere you wish to share it, such as online or in a message, by selecting Copy Verification Code under your code. People may now check whether they are texting you, and you can see if you might not be speaking to the appropriate person if their code differs from their online code.

Code generation in messages

In Messages, you may also immediately generate a code with someone. This allows you and another person to quickly confirm identities and devices at the same time, but it requires that both of you have Contact Key Verification enabled.

Here’s how to create a code straight in Messages if both of you have the tool enabled.

1 open messages.
2. Engage in discussion or strike up a suitable dialogue.

3. At the beginning of the chat, tap the individual’s name.

The Advanced Message Security section will then appear towards the bottom of the screen.

If this function is enabled on your contact, touch the contact and compare the six-digit codes that are produced on the two smartphones.

On the next screen, choose Mark as Verified if the codes match, and then select Update. The code will now be linked to that person’s contact card, and their name in Messages will have a checkbox next to it. Tap No Match if the codes don’t match. You should cease messaging them until you can confirm their identification since you could not be speaking with the correct person.

However, you won’t be able to confirm your contact’s identity if they don’t have this function enabled. You have two options: either ask them to activate the function so you can compare codes, or refrain from messaging the number until you can resolve the matter with the contact in person or another method.