There are many ways to disguise your phone number or messenger account. This is often used by attackers to impersonate another person. Developers from Cupertino have added a new option that allows you to exchange encryption keys and confirm the identity of the interlocutor in iMessage.
If you know the person’s real Apple ID, you can easily verify their identity using other options.
Checking the contact switch works on any device
The option is available if the following conditions are met:
▶ The Enable option works on gadgets with iOS 17.2 and newer, iPadOS 17.2 and newer or macOS 14.2 and newer.
▶ You must log in to iCloud and iMessage with the same Apple ID account (if the ID in iMessge is a phone number, you must also enable mail), and also enable two-factor authentication.
▶ You need to add the Apple ID of the user you want to verify to your contacts.
How to enable and use iMessage contact key verification in iOS 17.2
1. Go to Settings – Apple ID Account – Check Contact Switcher and activate the main toggle switch. Your interlocutor must also enable this option.
2. Now the dialogue with the contact in iMessage. Sometimes communication with the user has already been carried out via SMS, then you need to create a new correspondence in iMessage.
3. Click on the contact’s avatar and go to the option View contact. Ask your interlocutor to open the same window and dictate his encryption key.
4. If the key received from your interlocutor and the key appears on the screen of your smartphone, press the button Mark contact as verified and update the contact. The key will be added to the contact card, and a check mark will appear next to the name in iMessage.
If the key received from the interlocutor does not match the key on the screen of your smartphone, does not correspond – press the button Code does not match and stop communicating with this person. He is not who he says he is.
Now you can update information with all contacts and confirm in this way new contacts with whom you have started communicating in the world.
Source: Iphones RU
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