If you happen to’ve ever been annoyed by connecting a number of units to a public Wi-Fi hotspot, then iOS 19 might have the reply you’re on the lookout for. Based on a brand new report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple is engaged on a function for iOS 19 that can make it simpler to attach an iPhone, iPad, and Mac to a captive Wi-FI portal whereas on the go.
In case you’re not accustomed to the time period, a captive portal refers to these net pages that you simply’ve undoubtedly seen pop up as quickly as you connect with a public Wi-Fi hotspot, whether or not that’s in your native espresso store or at an airport or lodge whereas touring. These can take a number of types; some merely require you to comply with phrases and circumstances earlier than continuing, whereas others ask you to produce an e-mail deal with and even pay for Wi-Fi providers. Resorts may have a room quantity and title to confirm that you simply’re a visitor.
Captive portals have at all times been a little bit of a nuisance, however Apple has finished all the things it could actually to make the method of connecting by means of one as seamless as it could actually. A few years in the past, it started routinely detecting captive portals and displaying a simplified browser window for the portal as quickly as you linked to a public Wi-Fi hotspot; earlier than that change, customers needed to open their browser and attempt to go to an online web page earlier than they’d be allowed to proceed, which was an additional headache (and generally complicated) when you had been connecting to make use of different apps like mail.
Apple units have been routinely syncing Wi-Fi networks and passwords through iCloud since 2013 when iOS 7 and macOS Mavericks 10.9 launched iCloud Keychain as a way of securely storing and exchanging this info, together with web site passwords and saved bank card info. This turned the inspiration for Apple’s new Passwords app in iOS 18.
Synced Wi-Fi networks are nice for conventional residence, enterprise, and college connections, the place a typical WPA2/WPA3 password is enough for entry. Sadly, one frustration stays when utilizing captive portals with a number of Apple units: though the Wi-Fi community could also be synced, you continue to must undergo the hoops on every system to hook up with a Wi-Fi hotspot. Wish to use your iPhone, iPad, and Mac in your lodge room? Be ready to take every one by means of the captive portal — and you’ll have to do that a couple of times a day throughout an prolonged keep, because the authentication on most tends to run out.
The excellent news is that it appears like Apple could also be addressing this drawback in iOS 19 within the type of “a system that may synchronize captive Wi-Fi entry particulars throughout the iPhone, iPad and Mac,” Gurman reviews.
What does this imply? Nicely, if you go to a brand new lodge, workplace constructing or fitness center, you’re typically requested to fill out an online type on all of your units earlier than you possibly can entry the web. This new function will allow you to enter that info on one system and have it synched to your different merchandise. That ought to make issues a bit extra handy subsequent time it’s essential to entry a brand new Wi-Fi community.
Mark Gurman
Whereas it’s not fully clear how this can work, my educated guess from Gurman’s description and my expertise with how captive portal know-how works is that this can merely be a synchronization of captive Wi-Fi portal entry throughout all units for the present connection, however not essentially for future entry.
For instance, this may will let you signal right into a captive portal out of your iPhone after which entry it out of your iPad, Mac, and different units without having to undergo the captive portal on every one. It’s unlikely this can work for each captive portal — ones that require fee or another type of authentication is likely to be more difficult for Apple to beat. Nevertheless, there are a number of methods Apple might implement this, and it’s arduous to say for certain and not using a deeper understanding of what is going to be occurring beneath the hood.
However, it’s impossible that this can provide an “all-access move” to a given captive portal. Actually, you’ll doubtless nonetheless must re-authenticate regularly in locations like accommodations when the credentials expire.
Both manner, we shouldn’t have to attend too lengthy to seek out out. Apple is anticipated to unveil iOS 19 throughout its Worldwide Builders Convention (WWDC) keynote on June 9, so if that is certainly slated to be a part of iOS 19, it should undoubtedly be revealed as a part of that, even when it’s simply briefly talked about within the nice print.
[The information provided in this article has NOT been confirmed by Apple and may be speculation. Provided details may not be factual. Take all rumors, tech or otherwise, with a grain of salt.]