iPhone settings alert after woman receives explicit image

Owners of iPhones and parents of children who have them have been urged to check the settings of a feature on the device which could mean they receive unsolicited explicit images.

Earlier this week, it emerged a woman in London travelling on a train received an image of a man’s genitalia on her phone. The person responsible had to have been in close proximity because the image had been sent using AirDrop.

That feature is built into the iOS and Mac OS X operating systems to transfer files between Macs, iPhones, and iPads. It uses Bluetooth to create a short-range wifi network between devices. It is used by people to share pictures and documents between phones. However, it can potentially be exploited by anyone nearby to send inappropriate material.