Apple made a major change to how users share contacts with third-party apps in iOS 18. Privacy advocates view it as a win for users, but some developers feel the shift threatens an app's potential for success, particularly those that are social-based. Here's what's changed.
Apple's contact sync feature was designed to keep your contact information up to date across all of your Apple devices. You can sync your contacts with all of your Apple devices directly from your iPhone by going to:
Now, with the release of iOS 18, sharing contacts with third-party apps isn't all-or-nothing. Previously, when you logged in to an app for the first time, you would be asked if you agreed to share your contacts with the app developer. Apple has taken this one step further in iOS 18 with a second question after you agree to share your contacts that now asks which contacts you'd like to share.
Granting an app permission to contacts is often beneficial. The app will tell you which of your contacts are also using the app or service and may recommend new connections based on your contacts. On the flip side, some apps, like dating services, allow you to exclude being discovered by your existing contacts.
Time will tell if this tweak to contact syncing hurts or helps third-party apps. The door swings both ways. Some users, like myself, are hesitant to share contacts for privacy purposes. However, I might be more inclined to share specific contacts with newly downloaded apps given the option. At the same time, it's easy to see how such a feature could stifle the growth of any app, especially those new to the market.
Can you guess whether or not this change applies to Apple's own apps? Correct. It doesn't. In that context, it's understandable why developers view the change as an intentional barrier to entry. As a user who takes privacy and security seriously, I welcome the additional flexibility of being able to selectively share contacts. Maybe you will, too.