iOS 16.6 beta adds iMessage Contact Key Verification, here’s how it works

Apple announced the iMessage Contact Key Verification tool at the end of last year. This tool is to protect conversations from malicious actors, particularly those who face “extraordinary digital threats.” The feature was expected to arrive sometime in 2023, but the exact date wasn’t known. However, it now seems likely that iMessage Contact Key Verification will be included in the release of iOS 16.6, which is set to arrive just over two weeks before WWDC 2023.

On Friday, Apple released the beta of iOS 16.6, and a new feature to be included is iMessage Contact Key Verification. However, turning on the feature seems to do nothing. It is speculated that this may be because Apple has not fully implemented it yet, according to MacRumors.

What is iMessage Contact Key Verification
iMessage Contact Key Verification is designed to protect individuals who are at risk of cyber attacks from state-sponsored or malicious actors.