Apple plans to significantly improve the Wi-Fi menu on iOS and Mac and fix an annoying problem, according to a new patent. iPhoned catch up.
Unknown wifi networks have problem
When you are on the road, whether in the Netherlands or on holiday, it is nice to always be on a wifi network somewhere. It often works a bit faster than your mobile connection, and you also keep your data bundle under control.
What you probably don’t think about very often is that all public Wi-Fi networks can be potentially dangerous. For example, Apple already gives a warning if you’re connected to a Wi-Fi network that doesn’t have proper encryption. But there are many more factors that determine whether a Wi-Fi network is safe or not. And according to a new patent, Apple wants to tackle that very thing.
Also read: Why public Wi-Fi networks are unsafe (and what you can do about it)
New patent surrounding wifi network problem
The patent was discovered by The Mac Observer. The idea is that Apple collects data from all Wi-Fi networks worldwide – without involving sensitive user data. Based on that data, Wi-Fi networks found in the menu should be given extra labels. At the moment, there is only something if the encryption does not meet the most modern standards (‘Weak security’), but according to the patent, that should be expanded. A known airport network, for example, would then be given the labels ‘popular’ and ‘trustworthy’. An unknown network with a strange name would be given the label ‘suspicious’. That should help you decide whether to actually connect or to play it safe.
Of course, Apple is constantly applying for new patents, so it is not certain that this feature will eventually find its way to your iPhone and Mac. However, we think the chances are very high. It is not a huge addition for Apple, but it offers a lot of added value for users. Moreover, such software patents are easier to realize than new hardware.
When could that happen?
Usually it takes quite a while before a patent is actually worked out, but as said, with software things can go pretty fast. The first version of iOS 18 seems to us to be iPhoned a bit short notice (after all, the function is still in the public beta). A release in one of the later versions seems plausible to us. We expect the function with iOS 19 next year at the latest. If not, it will probably remain a patent because Apple has not got everything working properly.