As noted by 9to5Mac, iOS 16.1.1 and the iOS 16.2 beta add a new "Everyone for 10 Minutes" option for AirDrop in China, limiting the amount of time that iPhone users can wirelessly receive files from strangers. The setting was reportedly added after protesters in the country used AirDrop to spread anti-government material.
AirDrop normally has three options, including "Receiving Off," "Contacts Only," and "Everyone." When the "Everyone" option is selected, any other iPhone user within close proximity can attempt to send you a file over AirDrop, resulting in a pop-up on the screen with an option to accept or deny the file transfer, with no time limit. In China, Apple has replaced the "Everyone" option with "Everyone for 10 Minutes," which has a 10-minute limit. After this time elapses, AirDrop automatically switches to the "Contacts Only" setting.
Screenshot Credit: Mark Gurman
Apple told Bloomberg's Mark Gurman that it plans to roll out the new AirDrop setting globally in the coming year in an effort to reduce unwanted file sharing. Since the feature launched in 2011, some iPhone users have received inappropriate photos or been pranked by strangers via AirDrop, especially in crowded areas like shopping malls and airplanes.
It's unclear exactly when the setting will be made available in additional countries, or if Apple will allow users to customize the time limit in the future.
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Friday December 5, 2025 9:40 am PST by Tim Hardwick
Apple is about to release iOS 26.2, the second major point update for iPhones since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least 15 notable changes and improvements worth checking out. We've rounded them up below.
Apple is expected to roll out iOS 26.2 to compatible devices sometime between December 8 and December 16. When the update drops, you can check Apple's servers for the ...
Monday December 8, 2025 4:54 am PST by Tim Hardwick
Apple is actively testing under-screen Face ID for next year's iPhone 18 Pro models using a special "spliced micro-transparent glass" window built into the display, claims a Chinese leaker.
According to "Smart Pikachu," a Weibo account that has previously shared accurate supply-chain details on Chinese Android hardware, Apple is testing the special glass as a way to let the TrueDepth...
Monday December 8, 2025 10:18 am PST by Juli Clover
Apple today seeded the second release candidate version of iOS 26.2 to developers and public beta testers, with the software coming one week after Apple seeded the first RC. The release candidate represents the final version iOS 26.2 that will be provided to the public if no further bugs are found.
Registered developers and public beta testers can download the betas from the Settings app on...
Apple has ordered 22 million OLED panels from Samsung Display for the first foldable iPhone, signaling a significantly larger production target than the display industry had previously anticipated, ET News reports.
In the now-seemingly deleted report, ET News claimed that Samsung plans to mass-produce 11 million inward-folding OLED displays for Apple next year, as well as 11 million...
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One thing worth...
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Apple's chipmaking chief Johny Srouji has reportedly indicated that he plans to continue working for the company for the foreseeable future.
"I love my team, and I love my job at Apple, and I don't plan on leaving anytime soon," said Srouji, in a memo obtained by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
Here is Srouji's full memo, as shared by Bloomberg:I know you've been reading all kind of rumors and...
Apple's senior vice president of hardware technologies Johny Srouji could be the next leading executive to leave the company amid an alarming exodus of leading employees, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports.
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Intel is expected to begin supplying some Mac and iPad chips in a few years, and the latest rumor claims the partnership might extend to the iPhone.
In a research note with investment firm GF Securities this week, obtained by MacRumors, analyst Jeff Pu said he and his colleagues "now expect" Intel to reach a supply deal with Apple for at least some non-pro iPhone chips starting in 2028....
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Apple and Google are teaming up to make it easier for users to switch between iPhone and Android smartphones, according to 9to5Google. There is a new Android Canary build available today that simplifies data transfer between two smartphones, and Apple is going to implement the functionality in an upcoming iOS 26 beta.
Apple already has a Move to iOS app for transferring data from an Android...
Apple today announced that Fitness+ is expanding to 28 new markets on December 15 in the service's largest international rollout since launch, accompanied by new language dubbing and a K-Pop music genre.
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