Apple restricts AirDrop feature for China users in latest iOS update
- In its latest iOS update, Apple replaced the ‘everyone’ option for AirDrop with a function that only allows it to work for 10 minutes
- In 2019, AirDrop was used by young Hong Kong activists to send unsolicited messages inviting the public to join anti-government protests
Apple has implemented a 10-minute time limit for Chinese users of AirDrop, its wireless file transfer function, in a move that could stymie the ability of iPhone users in the country to circumvent Beijing’s strict censorship controls.
In its latest iOS update, version iOS 16.1.1, Apple replaced the “everyone” option for AirDrop with a function that only gives users a 10 minute time limit in which to receive files from non-contacts, according to domestic digital device reviewers. The other two options remain as “receiving off” and “contacts only”.
It is uncertain why Apple made the AirDrop change, or whether it initiated the move or was asked to do so by authorities.
The update only applies to iPhones purchased in mainland China, the Post learned.
Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Introduced in 2011, AirDrop enables file transfers by means of close-range wireless communication among supported devices, including the iPhone, iPad and MacBook, and is supported by Apple’s iOS and macOS operating systems.