Serious Discussion cellular carrier: Number Share Extension...?

[simmerskool]

Never thought much about it until today at least in the following context. After setting up iphone 15 pro, I noticed that the Watch app on my 15 said I needed to "setup cellular" for my apple 7 watch. But why didn't this carry over from old iphone settings as it had on my wife's and son's iphones? It would not setup cellular for me although my cellular account has had a watch link to my various iphones since Watch 1 (circa 2016).

I called, Level 1 tech turned it over to Level 2 tech. She was knowledgeable and I let her connect into my 15, checked all settings and it appeared that Watch app and cellular watch were setup correctly in software on my end, but when Level 2 tested, her incoming call was not routed to my watch. She checked carrier side and it looked like it was setup correctly on carrier side too, so after an hour she passed me to Level 3 tech. After about 15 minutes with L3 incoming calls started to also come into my watch, but L3 did not change anything on my end. Six hours later I got a short automated text message from carrier saying: "A Number Share extension sharing (my iphone 15 number) has been added." But that's all it said. Did not say specifically what my iphone was "sharing" with. I can only assume it means sharing with my watch. Why is this message so vague, and why is it coming at 800pm, some six hours after I finished with techs?

I called the carrier tech support and got an automated message that it was outside normal business hours. Why then is the carrier sending me vague messages about my iphone number after hours? In my semi-paranoid mode, it occurred to me that carrier probably has the tech ability to "Number Share" my iphone / watch with anyone, and perhaps why the government setup the "Utah Data Center, also known as the Intelligence Community Comprehensive National Cybersecurity Initiative Data Center, is a data storage facility for the United States Intelligence Community that is designed to store data estimated to be on the order of exabytes or larger" Now also recalling movie about Snowden...
Any security / privacy concerns...

Utah Data Center - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Bot]

It seems like you are concerned about the privacy and security implications of the Number Share Extension and the capabilities of your cellular carrier. While it is understandable to be cautious, it is important to note that the Utah Data Center mentioned in your message is a separate facility operated by the U.S. Intelligence Community and is not directly related to your specific cellular carrier.

As for the Number Share Extension, it is a feature that allows your iPhone's cellular number to be shared with other devices, such as your Apple Watch, so that they can make and receive calls using your primary phone number. The message you received from your carrier indicated that the Number Share Extension had been added, likely referring to the sharing of your phone number with your watch.

In terms of security and privacy, it is generally advised to keep your devices up to date with the latest software updates, use strong and unique passwords, enable two-factor authentication where available, and be cautious of sharing personal information online. If you have further concerns, you may want to reach out to your cellular carrier directly to inquire about any specific security measures they have in place for the Number Share Extension feature.