iOS 17.2 expands Apple’s Sensitive Content Warning feature to detect nudity in two new places on your iPhone, including reaction stickers in the Messages app.
First, you’ll see sensitive content warnings on any iMessage stickers in the Messages app that might contain nudity, giving you the choice to blur or delete them.
This ties nicely with another new feature in iOS 17.2 that lets you react to iMessages with stickers, including your own custom stickers. So, if you’re afraid someone might drop a sticker with nudity onto a message bubble, iOS 17.2 will take care of that.
And second, iOS 17.2 will block any custom contact posters for people in the Contacts and Phone apps that might contain nudity.
iOS 17.2 lets your iPhone detect nudity in more places
This change is also present in iPadOS 17.2 and macOS Sonoma 14.2. For those wondering, this feature works across the iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch.
Apple is currently testing iOS 17.2, iPadOS 17.2, watchOS 10.2 and macOS Sonoma 14.2. After those updates launch to the public in December, you’ll be able to enjoy expanded nudity protection in stickers and contact posters.
Like before, this feature continues to detect unwanted nudes in Messages chats, FaceTime video calls and AirDrop transfers on the iPhone and iPad. On the Mac and Apple Watch, however, sensitive content warnings are restricted to Messages.
Introduced with iOS 17.0, sensitive content warnings are entirely optional.
How to enable Sensitive Content Warning on Apple devices
To automatically blur sensitive photos and videos, go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Sensitive Content Warning and turn on the Sensitive Content Warning switch in the Settings (iPhone, iPad) and System Settings (Mac) apps.
Don’t forget that Apple provides a similar feature to shield youngsters from nudity, dubbed Communication Safety.
Nudity warnings and your privacy
Apple says the Sensitive Content Warning feature uses on-device machine learning and computer vision to spot what might be classified as nudity. Since all processing is performed on-device, Apple does not get access to flagged media, nor does it receive any indication that nudity was detected in the first place.
Additional information about this feature is available in a support document on Apple’s website titled “About Sensitive Content Warning on Apple devices.”
iOS 17.2 brings other refinements and surprises, like Apple’s brand-new Journal app, playlist collaboration on Apple Music, iMessage Contact Key Verification, an overhauled TV app, under-the-hood tweaks and more.