iOS 26 Adding Two New Wi-Fi Features, Allows AirDrop and AirPlay Alternatives

[MacRumors]

iOS 26 is gaining two new Wi-Fi features, including Captive Assist and Wi-Fi Aware.

MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris discovered a reference to Captive Assist within the code for the first iOS 26 developer beta, but Apple has yet to enable the feature. It should be available by the time the software update is released later this year.

In his Power On newsletter last month, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that Apple was working on a feature that would sync captive Wi-Fi network sign-in information across the iPhone, iPad, and Mac. This means that if you are asked to fill out a web form on one Apple device before connecting to a public Wi-Fi network at a hotel, airport, or coffee shop, that information would automatically be shared with your other Apple devices.

Ultimately, this Captive Assist feature will make connecting to public Wi-Fi networks more convenient across iOS 26, iPadOS 26, and macOS Tahoe.

Next, iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 add support for Wi-Fi Aware, which is essentially the industry-standard equivalent of the Apple Wireless Direct Link technology behind AirDrop and AirPlay. Apple is making a Wi-Fi Aware framework available to developers, allowing for App Store apps to offer peer-to-peer connections between Wi-Fi devices, without an internet connection or access point. Wi-Fi Aware will allow for third-party apps to offer new built-in features for high-speed file transfers, media streaming, screen sharing, and more.

Apple was required to support Wi-Fi Aware on the iPhone and iPad in the EU, under the terms of the Digital Markets Act. In fact, the European Commission specifically stated that iOS and iPadOS must allow for AirDrop and AirPlay alternatives by the end of next year. As noted by 9to5Mac, the Wi-Fi Aware framework seems to satisfy those requirements. Apple has actually gone a step further by making the Wi-Fi Aware framework available worldwide.

Apple says the following devices support the Wi-Fi Aware framework:

• iPhone 12 and later
• iPad (10th generation) and later
• iPad mini (6th generation) and later
• iPad Air (4th generation) and later
• iPad Pro 11-inch (3rd generation) and later
• iPad Pro 12.9-inch (5th generation) and later

Article Link: iOS 26 Adding Two New Wi-Fi Features, Allows AirDrop and AirPlay Alternatives

 

[hagar]

Great stuff.

And I’m glad Apple needs to open up Airplay and AirDrop. Interoperability is great.

 

[AppleTO]

This means that if you are asked to fill out a web form on one Apple device before connecting to a public Wi-Fi network at a hotel, airport, or coffee shop, that information would automatically be shared with your other Apple devices.

I setup these kinds of networks. It wouldn’t really work like this though. It must be something more along the lines of all the devices faking the same MAC address. Some (few) places charge for access per device, so I guess this gets around that. Not sure.

 

[con2apple]

This means that we can look forward to necessary improvements of AirDrop, perhaps as early as with an update to iOS 26, but no later than with iOS 27.

• Cconnection requests.
• PIN protection.
• Whitelist for companies.
• An error message when the connection cannot be established.

I could think of ten more points by tomorrow. Not to mention how fragile the protocol is between different devices. As a user, I feel like I always have to use the latest devices for the technology to work at all.

Competition drives progress and is finally giving Apple the kick it needs to improve its product.


PS
All of this is, of course, assuming that Apple doesn't quickly exclude the competition again with flimsy excuses and arbitrary restrictions.

 

[piccolamela]

a user friendly choice of Apple to make Wi-Fi Aware available worldwide.

 

[litmag01]

This means that if you are asked to fill out a web form on one Apple device before connecting to a public Wi-Fi network at a hotel, airport, or coffee shop, that information would automatically be shared with your other Apple devices.

I so want to play with this while at the airport and at hotels!

 

[svish]

WiFi Aware is interesting and will be very beneficial. Great to hear about a worldwide rollout. Waiting to see which apps will be making use of this immediately after launch.

 

[tivoboy]

Sounds like a great attack vector for an injection attack

 

[UliBaer]

Finally a user friendly decision - bravo! 👍

 

[Corefile]

iOS should have all the functionality that iPadOS 26 has right now. I should be able to move windows and such like on the iPhone.

 

[FeliApple]

This means that we can look forward to necessary improvements of AirDrop, perhaps as early as with an update to iOS 26, but no later than with iOS 27.

• Cconnection requests.
• PIN protection.
• Whitelist for companies.
• An error message when the connection cannot be established.

I could think of ten more points by tomorrow. Not to mention how fragile the protocol is between different devices. As a user, I feel like I always have to use the latest devices for the technology to work at all.

Competition drives progress and is finally giving Apple the kick it needs to improve its product.


PS
All of this is, of course, assuming that Apple doesn't quickly exclude the competition again with flimsy excuses and arbitrary restrictions.

For me, as somebody who does not update iOS, iPadOS, or MacOS, the interoperability has been incredibly good. OS X El Capitan, a 2015 release, works perfectly with iOS 18, iPadOS 18, iPadOS 15, iOS 12, iOS 14, iOS 10. Literally every software combo I have has performed flawlessly, I’m grateful to Apple for that.

Hopefully they don’t destroy the current protocol. I don’t care about improvements if that means that my entire group of devices will be mutually incompatible in the future. The cornerstone of AirDrop for me is OS version interoperability. I lose that, and it’s useless, considering I don’t update anything.

 

[bluecoast]

Just waiting for someone to say that this is terrible and apple should pull out of the EU!

Apple gets to keep control of their own technologies and be free to innovate, but implement similar technologies for devs to use.

A win for all. Or am I missing something?

 

[Sophisticatednut]

For me, as somebody who does not update iOS, iPadOS, or MacOS, the interoperability has been incredibly good. OS X El Capitan, a 2015 release, works perfectly with iOS 18, iPadOS 18, iPadOS 15, iOS 12, iOS 14, iOS 10. Literally every software combo I have has performed flawlessly, I’m grateful to Apple for that.

Hopefully they don’t destroy the current protocol. I don’t care about improvements if that means that my entire group of devices will be mutually incompatible in the future. The cornerstone of AirDrop for me is OS version interoperability. I lose that, and it’s useless, considering I don’t update anything.

Well an interesting thing is Apple is the one who recommended its use and have had it implemented for 10~ years. Just nobody was allowed to use it

 

[Leon Nash]

All I want is a “Wi-Fi off” switch.

 

[turbineseaplane]

Supporting standards for integration -- I like it!

👏

 

[cartmn]

Wow, where are all the EU-hate posts?
Like Apple doing it proactively themselves to be so cool and user friendly, and not because EU mandated it with DMA?

 

[atoqir]

For me, as somebody who does not update iOS, iPadOS, or MacOS, the interoperability has been incredibly good. OS X El Capitan, a 2015 release, works perfectly with iOS 18, iPadOS 18, iPadOS 15, iOS 12, iOS 14, iOS 10. Literally every software combo I have has performed flawlessly, I’m grateful to Apple for that.

Hopefully they don’t destroy the current protocol. I don’t care about improvements if that means that my entire group of devices will be mutually incompatible in the future. The cornerstone of AirDrop for me is OS version interoperability. I lose that, and it’s useless, considering I don’t update anything.

That seems like a very secure setup.

 

[211]

Yet I still connect to a "dead" WiFi connection when I chose not to connect because I didn't input the password

 

[crisss1205]

Captive Assist within the code for the first iOS 26 developer beta, but Apple has yet to enable the feature

It already is active.

This means that if you are asked to fill out a web form on one Apple device before connecting to a public Wi-Fi network at a hotel, airport, or coffee shop, that information would automatically be shared with your other Apple devices.

Not exactly. It works similar to autofill. When you enter in details on the captive portal login page such as a password or access code, the device will remember it and on other devices you will get an "Autofill from XXX Device" option when on the same page.

As you see, I now get the "Autofill from iPhone 17 Air" option after signing in on my phone.

 

[jarman92]

What's the over/under on how long it'll take the EU to claim that requiring a PIN is "anticompetitive?"

Wow, where are all the EU-hate posts?

Maybe—and this may come as a shock to you—many of the "EU-hate" posts are actually by thoughtful people who understand that this particular change is welcome but says nothing about how outrageous other DMA requirements are.

 

[lotones]

Can someone help ease my worried mind... how is "allowing for App Store apps to offer peer-to-peer connections between Wi-Fi devices, without an internet connection or access point. Wi-Fi Aware will allow for third-party apps to offer new built-in features for high-speed file transfers, media streaming, screen sharing, and more" not a huge security risk?

 

[cartmn]

many of the "EU-hate" posts are actually by thoughtful people who understand that this particular change is welcome but says nothing about how outrageous other DMA requirements are.

lol of course, cause Apple choose to flag them so. And many those "thoughtful" haters doing that without even reading the full text of the DMA requirements/decisions.

how long it'll take the EU to claim that requiring a PIN is "anticompetitive?"

Example

 

[cartmn]

Can someone help ease my worried mind... how is "allowing for App Store apps to offer peer-to-peer connections between Wi-Fi devices, without an internet connection or access point. Wi-Fi Aware will allow for third-party apps to offer new built-in features for high-speed file transfers, media streaming, screen sharing, and more" not a huge security risk?

Not "huge", but there is still a risk, like with everything else in iOS.
Bluetooth works fine, AirDrop too (similar to WiFi Aware), so nothing to worry about unless Apple deliberately does not patch security exploits.

 

[Sophisticatednut]

Can someone help ease my worried mind... how is "allowing for App Store apps to offer peer-to-peer connections between Wi-Fi devices, without an internet connection or access point. Wi-Fi Aware will allow for third-party apps to offer new built-in features for high-speed file transfers, media streaming, screen sharing, and more" not a huge security risk?

It’s exactly as insecure as airdrop because it allows the exact same thing

 

[JosephAW]

What?!? Not the iPad 9th gen?