What Is Contact Key Verification in iMessage and How to Use It

With early exposure to Nokia Symbian phones, Subham got hooked on smartphones and consumer tech. He brings 1.5 years of writing experience with great investigative research skills. Subham is drawn to tech with aesthetic appeal and excellent UI; also, he primarily focuses on the Apple ecosystem. In his free time, Subham can be found diving into research and enjoying a good read.

There is no need to worry about whether your messages are reaching the right person. Apple has introduced yet another security feature that makes the iMessage on your iPhone more secure than ever, i.e., Contact Key Verification.

This is yet another time Apple delivers its bold promise of “Privacy. That’s iPhone.” from its ad. Let’s dive in and learn more about what Contact Key Verification is, how it works, how to use it, and much more.

What Is Contact Key Verification

Apple already has a list of advanced security features likeend-to-end encryptionfor iMessage, Advanced Data Protection, and Lockdown Mode up its sleeve. However,Contact Key Verificationfor iMessage is a new security feature that ensures your iMessages are reaching the intended person only. Hence, it provides an additional layer of security while messaging a VIP contact.

You can verify the keys manually in person or over a phone call (or FaceTime) to ensure they are the only person receiving your messages. Not only that, if you or the other person adds a new device to your (or their) Apple IDs, the other person is notified about the same.

Hence, you can easily know whether someone else is trying to eavesdrop on your conversation. If yes, you can remove the device from your Apple ID; if not, you can re-verify the keys to ensure the utmost privacy of the chat.

How Does iMessage Contact Key Verification Work

When yousend an iMessage, it is already end-to-end encrypted. However, if you still fear that the privacy of the chat is compromised as someone has gained access to your (or the other person’s) Apple ID credentials and added a new device, Contact Key Verification ensures that you are chatting with the right person, but how?

Here’s how the CKV works in a timeline form:

Also Read:The ultimate tips to make your iPhone more secure

Some Prerequisites for CKV

Before we show you how to use the Contact Key Verification feature in iMessage, here are the prerequisites that you should keep in mind:

How to Use Contact Key Verification

Using the Contact Key Verification in iMessage on your iPhone is simple. To use the Contact Key Verification feature, you must enable it from Settings. For better convenience, we will break this process into two parts, i.e., turning on CKV and verifying a contact after turning it on. Let’s look at the steps.

Part 1: Turn CKV On

Step 1: Open the Settings app on your iPhone and tap on name/Apple ID.

Step 2: Scroll down in the Apple ID settings and tap Contact Key Verification.

Step 3: Turn on the toggle for Verification in iMessage.

Step 4: Tap Continue.

Step 5: The CKV will now turn on. To ensure, tap ‘Show Public Verification Code’ to view or share your verification code.

Step 6: Tap Copy Verification Code and paste it in a chat or share it on your social media to share your verification code with others.

Part 2: Verify a Contact

Once you’ve turned on CKV, it won’t verify chats automatically in the iMessage. The process is manual because you need to pick which contact you want to verify from the iMessage app on your iPhone. Let’s take a look at the simple steps to do so.

Tip: You can also verify a contact by pasting their Public Verification Code in their contact from the Contacts app.

Step 1: Open the iMessage chat of the contact you wish to verify and tap on his/her profile picture.

Step 2: Scroll down the chat options page to the bottom.

Step 3: Tap Verify Contact.

Note: Ensure the other person is also on the same page and taps the Verify Contact option on their iPhone, or the Contact Verification Codes won’t appear.

Step 4: Once the Contact Verification Codes match, tap Mark as Verified.

Step 5: The contacts editing page will open; tap Update.

Note: Apple saves the other person’s Public Verification Code in the same person’s contact during the process. Hence, the contacts updating page is a must step.

Step 6: Tap Done.

Once you’ve verified the contact, you should see a verified check mark next to the contact name you are chatting with.

Also Read:Best iPhone privacy settings to secure your data

What to Do if You Can’t Turn On Contact Key Verification on iPhone

If you see errors like these (images below) while turning on Contact Key Verification on your iPhone, worry not. Here are some fixes you can try on your Apple devices to eliminate this issue.

No. Your previous devices are automatically verified along with your iPhone during the process. However, if you add a new device after verification, the other person might ask you to verify it again.

Yes, you can. But it will show a new device has been added to your Apple ID, and you need to verify again to ensure no one else is eavesdropping on your conversation.

You can get alerts if the other person adds a new device to their Apple ID, or due to Apple’s server outage, or it might be unavailable at the moment, or someone might be eavesdropping.

Yes. Go toApple ID’s official pageand select ‘Sign-In & Security’ > choose Contact Key Verification > select Reset Contact Key Verification. Additionally, we suggest resetting your Apple ID password and signing out of all Apple devices if you think your Apple ID is compromised or an unknown device has been added to your account.Once the Public Verification Code resets, re-verify with the contacts in the iMessage.

Keep Your Chats Safe and Sound

In brevity, if you are a journalist, human rights activist, diplomat, or are involved with one, this feature can help you be more private on the iMessage. By using Contact Key Verification, you can ensure that you are chatting with the right person.

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Last updated on 29 December, 2023

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