Woman Reveals Frightening Reason You Should Never Use Your Full Name For Your IPhone AirDrop — ‘This Could Save Your Freakin’ Life'
"If you're a woman and you have an iPhone, please listen to this!"
Stokkete and FellowNeko via Shutterstock / Helga Frode via Canva A woman has issued a warning to anyone with an iPhone, especially other women, after admitting that she had been in a slightly terrifying situation. In a TikTok video, a content creator named Kelly explained that there was a feature on Apple's iPhone that could be extremely harmful to the well-being of women, especially when faced with gender-based violence.
She advised women to stop using their full names on their iPhone AirDrop.
"If you're a woman and you have an iPhone, please listen to this," Kelly urged at the start of her video. "This could either save your freaking life or at the very least, prevent a creepy man from stalking you."
Kelly explained that if you own an iPhone, your first and last name could show up for any stranger who uses the AirDrop feature, which allows you to send photos and videos to other Apple product users. Showing how people can change their name, Kelly advised anyone to go into the settings feature on their iPhone.
From there, at the top of the screen, your name should appear. If you click on it, it'll take you to "Name, Phone Numbers, Email," where you can change the name. Apple does require you to fill it in instead of leaving it blank, but instead of using your full first and last name, you could just use your initials, or your first name and the letter of your last name.
"Send this to your friends, your sisters, any feminine-presenting person that you know," Kelly urged, pointing out that someone could easily figure out your full name and from there look you up and find information about you online. "This could save your life or prevent an unwanted stalking situation."
Kelly shared a first-hand experience of this happening to her while in public.
In a follow-up video, Kelly explained that after making that PSA, a frightening experience happened with her and a strange man who found her name by using his Apple AirDrop feature. Kelly recalled that she had been sitting next to a man at the airport while waiting for her flight to board. "Keep in mind, I was sitting in the seat that I was because he originally got up and told me, 'Hey, if you need an outlet to charge your computer, you can use this one. I'm doing using it.'"
After thanking him, she ended up sitting down, and not even five minutes later did the same man come back over, sitting next to Kelly so that he could continue charging his phone. The entire time that he was sitting next to her, Kelly was working on her laptop with her AirPods Max on, clearly not wanting to converse with him. Unfortunately, he didn't get the memo and kept trying to have a conversation with Kelly. Right after she politely told him that she had work to do and couldn't keep talking to him, he suddenly turned to her and asked if her name was Kelly R.
"I literally froze like a deer in headlights and I was like, 'How do you know that?' He goes, 'Oh, I opened up my AirDrop,'" Kelly continued. "Change your AirDrop name now!"
Kelly's stark warning serves as a reminder that women have to take these extra precautions.
According to a survey conducted by the National Violence Against Women, it was found that at least 8% of women have been stalked at some point during their lives. In a world where technology is an integral part of our lives, protecting one's privacy is crucial.
By being able to provide practical steps to enhance privacy, Kelly enables women to take control of their digital presence and reduce the likelihood of becoming targets for unwanted attention or stalking. It's unfortunate that women must navigate such an intricate web of protective measures to exist in digital spaces without fear. Kelly's message challenges this normalization, urging society to acknowledge and rectify a reality that should not be accepted.
Nia Tipton is a Chicago-based entertainment, news, and lifestyle writer whose work delves into modern-day issues and experiences.