Apple reportedly plans to roll out new iMessage security features with the release of iOS 166 and iPad OS 166

According to MacRumors, the recently released beta versions of iOS 166 and iPad OS 166 include iMessage Contact Key Verification However, it is still unclear if this new feature will be enabled in the first beta [iMessage Contact Key Verification was first announced late last year along with iOS and MacOS security key support, allowing Apple users to verify that the person they are texting in iMessage is indeed who they say they are

Apple explained in a press release at the time that the feature was intended for users "facing extraordinary digital threats, such as journalists, human rights activists, and members of government," but even for everyone who uses the best iPhone, a layer of security will be added

If you have iMessage contact key verification enabled and are chatting with someone else who has it enabled as well, Apple will send you an alert if your cloud server has been compromised or if your conversation could be infiltrated You can also use FaceTime or an encrypted messaging app to compare contact verification codes That way, you can verify the identity of the person with whom you are having an iMessage conversation

We will know more about iMessage contact key verification once this feature is in beta, but you may be wondering if it is worth enabling on your iPhone when it is officially released with the release of iOS 166

Fortunately, unlike Apple's Advanced Data Protection, there appears to be no hoops to jump through to use this feature Similarly, Google's similar Advanced Protection program requires you to use a security key every time you need to log into your Google account

The iMessage contact key verification is going to be much easier to use, and so far there seems to be no downside to enabling this feature We expect Apple to release more details about this new security feature when they are ready to make it generally available