Summary
Apple has added a setting to iOS called “Discoverable by Others”. This feature is enabled on your iPhone and iPad by default, so what does it actually do and how do you turn it off?
What iOS Journal’s New “Discoverable by Others” Is
“Discoverable by Others” is part of the functionality of Apple’sJournal App for iOS. The Journal app is installed on your iPhone or iPad when you purchase it, or will be automatically installed when you update your device to iOS 17.2 or iPadOS 17.2.
The Journal app lets you record journal entries, like a diary. Part of this functionality is prompting you to make an entry with suggestions based on photos you’ve taken, contacts you’ve recently chatted with, and interactions with your apps. This is where “Discoverable by others” comes in.
The feature lets other nearby iOS devices know via Bluetooth that another journaling device is nearby, providing context for these prompts. If a number of your contacts are nearby, the Journal app may identify a prompting opportunity that includes both you and your friends.
What “Discoverable by Others” Isn’t
The Journal appdoesn’t share your name or location with others, that’s a misunderstanding that has spread in a bit of a panic. No information about which specific contacts were found is recorded, and all data remains on your device. Nothing is shared with other devices or is uploaded to the internet.
Apple has a generally good track record when it comes to user privacy. All Journal data is encrypted both on your device and on iCloud. Apple also already collects your location data in a highly beneficial way with their Find My network, letting your family and friendsshare their location with you, and helping youlocate lost devices.
If you’re a user of the Journal app, and the social sort, there’s no reason to turn it off (it could remind you to jot down a fun moment for later recollection). However, enabling any new feature on a users' device without their consent has, justifiably, irked some iPhone owners who would rather have been given the choice to enable it themselves.
How to Disable “Discoverable by Others” on iPhone and iPad
If you don’t use the Journal app or just want to turn this setting off, you may disable “Discoverable by Others” in iOS by following these steps:
And that’s it!
If you’re concerned about your privacy,iOS includes a number of featuresyou can use to reduce your online footprint. you may alsobeef up your iCloud privacy(you can even check if any of the passwords you have stored in your iCloud Keychain have been compromised), tighten yourprivacy settings on your iOS device itself, and make sure you’re notover-sharing your private info with your apps.
