iOS 18 adds a higher level of security to one of the most overlooked native apps

You probably know by now that iOS 18 will be adding new features to apps like Safari, Notes, Mail, Photos, Siri, Messages, Maps, and more. Changes are also in store for the Home Screen, Lock Screen, and Control Center. The next iteration of iOS is also making a change to one app that no one ever thinks about using and this is the Contacts app. When was the last time that you consciously made the decision to open the Contacts app on your phone?

With iOS 18 installed, the Contacts app will be more secure. For example, every time you install a new app and it requests access to your contacts list, Apple will allow you to decide which connections the new app can view. This prevents your contacts from potentially having their data stolen. Some of the information that might be in your Contacts app includes birth dates, anniversary dates, email addresses, and more. This information, if stolen, could be used by attackers to guess passwords and passcodes or to open fraudulent accounts.

But with iOS 18, Apple will allow users to limit the connections available to third-party apps. Apple iPhone users will be able to choose to give third-party apps "full access" to their contacts (which means all of their contacts) or to select specific contacts that the iPhone users will allow third-party apps to access. Apple notes, "iOS 18 puts users in control by letting them choose to share only specific contacts with an app. In addition, developers now have a way to seamlessly connect third-party accessories with iPhone without letting an app see all the other devices on a user's network, keeping a user's devices private and making pairing seamless."

iOS 18 developer beta 2 is currently available and the public beta is expected to launch sometime this month. The decision to install the beta on your iPhone is up to you. If you do plan to install the beta, keep in mind that it is unstable. Some apps may not work like they should, and battery life will drop. Make sure you back up your data before installing the beta. Of course, there is no pressure on iPhone owners to install the beta. They can wait until September which is when we expect the stable version of iOS 18 to be disseminated.