Date:
September 16, 2024
A new feature has emerged from the iOS 18 Beta testing community, which allows credit and debit cards to be added to the Apple Wallet with just a tap.
Adding new cards to any wallet requires multiple layers of authentication to protect users from fraud. Worldwide, mobile device communities have commended higher security over faster processes any day. However, Apple has made a completely opposite move to the popular sentiment by bringing a new ‘Tap to Provision’ feature that utilizes NFC technology to add cards to the Apple Wallet.
iOS18 beta users have reported a new notice demonstrating how to add credit and debit cards to their Apple Wallet using the NFC technology. While the new feature has gained rapid popularity, many users have reported security and fraud-related concerns about the simple step.
It is unknown whether the app conducts an authentication to ensure the user's consent through some validation process. An Apple beta tester shared his concern, saying, “I'm going to assume there's a provision preventing nefarious use of this feature. Otherwise, couldn't someone just open the app, tap add, and casually walk the phone in proximity to pockets in a crowd at a concert, for example?”
Wireless transactions are now shifting from physical cards to mobile devices. The Android community had embraced this feature much before Apple and has subsequently faced multiple security challenges due to it. From backdoor loopholes that allow access to sensitive information to validate transactions that misinterpret authentication, many challenges have emerged from wireless tap-based transactions.
Apple seems to be embracing more than just NFC-enabled transactions on Android devices. iOS 18 allows complete home screen customization, unlike the top-to-bottom sorting format it has carried for years. With a C-type universal charger, third-party applications enabled, and external AI App compatibility, iPhone users can come neck-to-neck with Android users in many aspects. The final conclusion of these universal inclusions will reveal their results only after the stable version of iOS18 launch.
