Enable iPhone 3.1’s Anti-Phishing Feature

One feature that comes with iPhone OS 3.1 is the anti-phishing feature of mobile safari that protects you from fraudulent websites. You probably expects this feature is ready after upgrading iPhone 3.1. However, it’s widely reported this feature does not work properly right after upgrading. And, it turns out that you’ll need to take a few extra steps to enable the anti-phishing feature.

Jim Dalrymple at LoopInsight have asked Apple regarding the anti-phishing feature. And here isthe response from Apple spokesman Bill Evans:

“Safari’s anti-phishing database is downloaded while the user charges their phone in order to protect battery life and ensure there aren’t any additional data fees,” Apple spokesman, Bill Evans, told The Loop. “After updating to iPhone OS 3.1 the user should launch Safari, connect to a Wi-Fi network and charge their iPhone with the screen off. For most users this process should happen automatically when they charge their phone.”

I’m a bit confused why the anti-phishing database for Safari is not downloaded right after the upgrade. If it’s not widely reported by the media and bloggers, we already assume this feature is enabled by default. Anyway, it’s highly recommended to take these extra steps to enable this feature and protects you from phishing sites. So, right after the iPhone 3.1 upgrade, remember to launch Safari, turn on Wi-Fi and charge your iPhone with the screen off!

NOTE: You may wonder how you can test out the anti-phishing feature. Normally, you can assume it works after charging your iPhone with Wi-Fi connection. But if you really want to try out the feature, you can go to Phish Tracker of dslreports.com (under Tool section) to test out the feature. Remember those are phishing sites, so tap “Go Back” button when you see the warning and test it at your own risk.