Key Takeaways
- Apple Wallet’s new Tap to Cash feature raises security concerns.
- Apple must provide more details on how it works.
- Safeguards needed to prevent theft (and offer the ability to turn it off or disable it completely).
Apple certainly didn’t hold back during its keynote presentation on the first day of WWDC 2024. The Cupertino-based company showed off several new features with serious flair, mimicking action movie scenes with a wide range of cringe. But outside of that, the company revealed several real tweaks, additions, and new features to look forward to when iOS 18 finally arrives this fall.
Among the exciting features coming to iOS 18, one in particular piqued my interest. It was briefly mentioned but not fully revealed, and it sparked concerns. This feature, if not managed with caution, could potentially disrupt users significantly. More importantly, it might pose a threat to their financial security.
WWDC 2024: The 7 biggest announcements from Apple’s developers conference
Apple Intelligence, iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS Sequoia, watchOS 11 and more — this year’s event was packed with announcements.
Tap to Cash seems too good to be safe
The new Apple Wallet feature will make things easier, but should it?
Apple
Tap to Cash clearly isn’t something that will always be the focal point of iOS 18 when it launches later this year, but it’s a feature that deserves more attention. Apple presented it as a way to simplify and secure peer-to-peer payments, but the ‘secure’ part gave me pause when the company explained how Tap to Cash operates.
The feature was introduced as a service enabling two users to tap their phones together to transfer money without the need for contact information, which raises potential security issues. This new feature presumably uses NFC technology that’s almost identical to the Tap to Pay functionality that already exists in Apple Wallet.
This new feature presumably uses NFC technology that’s almost identical to the Tap to Pay functionality that already exists in Apple Wallet.
Of course, even when using Tap to Pay, the person doing it knows exactly where that payment is going. They’re not tapping with someone randomly. They’re not doing it to a person at all, as a matter of fact, because for the most part, Tap to Pay is used at retailers.
Tap to Cash, on the other hand, is all about walking up to someone, tapping your phones together, and both parties going on their way. Obviously, Apple intends for this to be between people who know each other. But if you’re paying someone, what if it’s an individual you don’t feel comfortable giving your contact info to? I’m having a difficult time coming up with a situation where I’d be comfortable enough to give someone access to my Apple Wallet directly, but not my phone number.
We now know more details about Apple’s RCS implementation in iOS 18 Messages
It looks like China’s rules are forcing Apple to stay reasonably current.
What security is in place for Tap to Cash?
Apple needs to explain how this feature works
Apple
While the presentation involving Tap to Cash was brief compared to the time Apple spent on features like the ability to customize the iPhone’s Home Screen, hiding and locking applications and AI integration into several of the company’s operating systems, that’s part of the problem.
When mentioning that Tap to Cash makes it easier for me to give money to someone else — again, someone who I would be bothered by if they called me — I would have liked more detail about how that function works. I would also like more details about how Apple aims to ensure this doesn’t turn into an easy way to steal cash.
5 exciting new features hitting the Mac in macOS 15 Sequoia
Alongside updates to its other operating systems, Apple has unveiled what’s in store for the Mac later this year.
When Tap to Cash was announced (maybe it was all the crazy action movie sequences in the presentation?), the first thought that ran through my head was, what stops someone from grabbing my phone, entering their money request, tapping the devices together, and then hightailing it out of there?
There will obviously be safeguards in place, likely related to Face ID — there have to be. I’d just like Apple to outline what those safeguards will be. It felt strange this information wasn’t at least briefly mentioned during the keynote.
There should also be a way to make sure that I can turn Tap to Cash off…
To that end, there should also be a way to make sure that I can turn Tap to Cash off or a method of ensuring it’s never activated in the first place. When it comes to the safety of my wallet, I don’t want to accidentally tap someone else’s iPhone and suddenly be out any amount of money.
The bottom line is that Apple has some questions to answer about this particular feature.
How to install Apple’s iOS 18 developer beta on your iPhone
Apple’s adding more than just “Apple Intelligence” to its operating systems. Here’s how to try it all early.
Trending Products
