iPhone users have been complaining that the new anti-phishing feature introduced in iPhone OS 3.1 released last week isn’t working properly.

Jim Dalrymple over at The Loop reports that Apple has given them the reason for the issue observed by some users with the anti-phishing feature.

Safari's anti-phishing feature is expected to warn users when they visit fraudulent websites but some users have been complaining that the feature isn't working.

The Loop’s Jim Dalrymple reports that they spoke to Apple about the issue and got the following response from them:

“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. 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.”

It was nice of Apple to think about the battery life and additional data fees, though I must admit I wouldn’t have figured it out, unless I had read Dalrymple’s article. Kudos to him for figuring out why the feature wasn’t working properly.

If you are observing an issue with the new anti-phishing feature in Safari after upgrading to iPhone OS 3.1, then please follow the steps mentioned above and let us know how it goes.

[via The Loop]