A self-proclaimed “digital whispering wizard” went viral on TikTok last month after claiming he found a “creepy” iPhone setting and urged viewers to change it.
In his video, which has garnered over 4.1 million views at the time of writing, TikTok user Chip Hallet (@hustlewithchip) starts by addressing Apple directly.
“Apple, Apple, what are you doing to us?” he exclaims. “Here’s another setting that’s a little bit creepy that Apple has defaulted on your iPhone.”
What’s the ‘creepy’ iPhone setting?
Hallet then walks viewers through the process of finding and disabling the setting on their iPhones.
He starts by telling users to open their iPhone’s Settings and navigate to the Privacy and Security section. From there, he points out a setting called “Journaling Suggestions,” which he claims is turned on by default.
If an iPhone user wants to disable the suggestions, they simply need to click on the setting and toggle it off.
According to Hallet, this feature makes the iPhone discoverable to others, and he recommends turning it off immediately.
“If this is something that you want, I would leave it on,” he concluded. “I turned it off and I highly suggest that you turn it off as well.”
Should you be concerned about the feature?
Journaling Suggestions is a feature tied to Journal, the iOS app introduced in December, where users can document meaningful moments in their lives.
Apple stated that the Journaling Suggestions feature helps group important moments, like workouts or significant locations, to provide personalized journaling prompts.
It processes this information on your device, keeping data private unless you choose to share it with journaling apps.
The feature Hallet is referencing, called “Discoverable by Others,” uses Bluetooth to detect nearby devices to improve suggestions, but no specific contact information is stored or shared.
For example, if you went to a football game with friends, Journaling Suggestions could recommend adding details like your location, photos you took, or even messages you sent about the game, making your journal entry more personal.
Moreover, just like the TikToker stated, Apple allows users to easily turn off this feature, giving them full control over privacy settings.
‘WHAT is that for? WHAT does it do?’
In the comments, some users expressed confusion about the feature’s purpose, a few debunked the TikToker’s claim, while others mentioned that their device already had it turned off.
“Thanks! I turned it off but what is it for?” asked one user. “Discoverable for what reason?”
“What he declined to mention is that it only applies if someone’s already in your contacts,” noted another. “So it’s not as scary as he’s making it out to be.”
“Not true,” wrote a third. “I just did this and it’s off unless you turn it on.”
@hustlewithchip Iphone users need to know about this default setting🫵 come along let me show you this crazy setting Apple has on OUR Iphones📱🤯#iphone #privacy #privacymatters ♬ original sound – hustlewithchip
The Daily Dot has reached out to Chip Hallet (@hustlewithchip) via Instagram direct message and TikTok messaging. We’ve also contacted Apple via email.
Internet culture is chaotic—but we’ll break it down for you in one daily email. Sign up for the Daily Dot’s web_crawlr newsletter. You’ll get the best (and worst) of the internet straight into your inbox.
