Apple‘s upcoming iOS 18 update will introduce stricter controls on how apps access user contact information. The move essentially targets social networking apps that often request contact access to connect users with friends or suggest who to follow.
What is changing
Currently, social media apps receive the permission to access all or no contacts via a single prompt.If tapped ‘allow’, the apps get a broad access to the entire contact list. iOS 18 changes this with a two-step permission process revealed during the recently-held Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference.
“Control how you share contacts with apps,” the pop-up will read.
“Decide which contacts to share with an app, rather than giving it access to all your contacts. Or give the app access only to those you message and call most,” it adds.
How its will work
In the first prompt, users will encounter a familiar prompt to allow or deny access to their entire contact list. If the permission is granted, a second prompt emerges, allowing users to choose to share specific contacts with the app, rather than the entire list. If the access is denied, the second pop-up won’t emerge.
According to Apple, this change is to curb the access provided to future contacts. Once granted permission, the social media apps can access not only existing contacts but also any new ones added over time. The two-stage process aims to give users more granular control over which contacts are shared with specific apps.
It’s worth noting that some app developers have misused the existing single-permission system. They may have blocked users who declined contact access from using the app entirely. While iOS 18 doesn’t directly address this practice, the increased user control over contact sharing may indirectly impact such app behaviour.
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