Apple Expanding 10-Minute 'Everyone' AirDrop Limit to All Users With iOS 16.2

[Böhme417]

I wish they would leave an option for everyone. I, with some frequency, airdrop with people not in my contacts.

In all the years since this feature has been available, I’ve never had an issue until recently. I’ve never received any unsolicited airdrops until this past October when I had two separate instances of people trying to send something at Disneyland. I mean, with so many people around, I suppose it’s possible that someone just accidentally tapped on me, but still…

People would set it to everyone then, complain and sue Apple when they receive porn,graphic images and spam

But, they don’t “receive” them unless they accept. Not that hard…

 

[T Coma]

Hey, let's not drag logic into this!

Kinda of reminds me of how most Americans think the world uses iMessage, when hardly anybody uses it.

Please cite the study showing what most Americans think the world uses for messaging.

“Let’s not drag logic into this,” indeed.

 

[Rockondevil]

Never had problems here. I’d much rather have the always option remain and just add the 10 minute option too.

 

[siddavis]

And people were actually thinking this was used to thwart protests.It was always set to contacts only by default and people used it to spread porn,spam and graphic images. In China those who want these unknown files can set to everyone for 10 minutes.

Then people would leave it on for everyone,then get porn and graphic images from strangers.Then they would sue Apple for not ‘protecting’ them like AirTags case

People would set it to everyone then, complain and sue Apple when they receive porn,graphic images and spam

yeah, I think it’s better than the alternative of getting something graphic from a stranger. If you want always receiving use email or iMessage. If it’s a huge 100gb file, I think it should get enough attention to go to control center and Haptic Touch and enable to everyone for 10 mins

Apple just doesn’t want lawsuits with this. That’s why they changed the preview option previously

you are lucky you never received any child porn or graph image yet. i thank Apple for doing this

Some people get curious and get to see graphic photos or child porn. Then they sue Apple for not ‘protectin’ them

They had that, and people keep it at that and get traumatized seeing child porn of graphic images. It’s good to get rid of it. People will have harder time to sue

Yes, you are lucky we get it. Now say this to the people who received child porn and graphic imagery on your device. You wouldnt be so cheerful

No homie, WE get it. Sheesh, 9 posts...

 

[SanderEvers]

Guys this has NOTHING to do with China. It's all because of people AirDropping fake bomb threads in airports and on planes to other passengers.

 

[macdrej]

This should be a bigger deal and I can‘t think of a more cowardly move by Apple ever. There is only one reasonable explanation for not adding the option to turn off the 10min limit (even if it‘s the new default) and that is pretending that it didn‘t happen in China to bend down to Jinpings demands to curtail people‘s ability to protest… „guys, it‘s just a new feature we force everyone into suddenly after a decade and no opt out and quite by accident at the same time that mainland China experiences its biggest people‘s protest since the Tianmen Square massacre. Oh and we first introduced that cool feature in China, before the rest of the world. 100% coincidence.“ Shame on you apple. The least you could do is be upfront about your motivations.

 

[macdrej]

Guys this has NOTHING to do with China. It's all because of people AirDropping fake bomb threads in airports and on planes to other passengers.

so why not defaulting to 10mins and have an option to go back to limitless? yea, no other explanation than china.

 

[siddavis]

Guys this has NOTHING to do with China. It's all because of people AirDropping fake bomb threads in airports and on planes to other passengers.

Then why was it implemented in China first? Honest question...

 

[iAppleOrchard]

I am not updating my iPad because of this change. I have Beta 3 on my iPad of 16.2. If they want to add a feature like this, please Apple add a time limit and an always on option.

 

[mookc1]

Looks like and smells like cover for decisions made for China.

 

[macdrej]

It's incredibly stupid, the original story had no merit. I'm seriously thinking that nobody actually even wrote about it in China.

Firstly, Chinese people all use WeChat so the idea of having airdrop on for everyone doesn't make sense. There are many many places of anti-government talk on wechat. It's just a cat and mouse game, they use different words for Xi and CCP.

The number of people in China who actually use airdrop and have it on, I would say is minimal. If i take me 100+ family members who all use iPhones or Huawei, the iPhone users, ZERO of them use airdrop. They all use WeChat.

What I think was happening was there were people going around sending out anti-government propaganda to ANYONE who had airdrop on. So a feature that many didn't know had on, suddenly started getting anti-CCP spam by probably a select few people.

This lead to complaints to Apple, and then Apple did something about it.

I'm so tired of westerners that think Chinese are stupid, and don't know. Chinese people are WELL aware of their history, they are WELL aware of chaos times, dictators, emperors, they learn that from birth a vast history of knowledge of how the past was. I would even say Chinese people are more educated than westerners on history as they have far more than we do.

TL/DR: Airdrop story is most likely false, as 100% of Chinese people are on WeChat. Few Chinese even know what airdrop is. More likely is that few bad actors airdropped to people who didn't know they had everyone open, thus complaints from users came in.

Chinese are not stupid just poorly informed because of ridiculous, undeniable government censorship. And if you defend that, you are doing the Chinese people a great disservice.

As for your Apple argument, it completely breaks apart since you can‘t explain why there isn‘t an option to opt back into limitless Everyone. The only reasonable answer is pressure from China.

 

[macdrej]

Looks like and smells like cover for decisions made for China.

sure does and no one defending Apple AND china has successfully argued against that.

 

[macdrej]

Then why was it implemented in China first? Honest question...

Exactly.

 

[JPack]

Then why was it implemented in China first? Honest question...

To direct the negative attention away from Apple on limiting this feature. AirDrop is a huge security weakness allowing anyone to drop files and images. We've seen bomb and child photos being shared.

Think about it. Protests in HK happened in 2019. If China wanted this done, it would been implemented a long time ago. Not 3 years later. And it wouldn't be 10 minutes. It would be completely removed.

 

[siddavis]

To direct the negative attention away from Apple on limiting this feature. AirDrop is a huge security weakness allowing anyone to drop files and images. We've seen bomb and child photos being shared.

Think about it. Protests in HK happened in 2019. If China wanted this done, it would been implemented a long time ago. Not 3 years later. And it wouldn't be 10 minutes. It would be completely removed.

Wait, whaaaah? So the answer to why they did this in China first (which caused all sorts of negative attention for Apple) was because they wanted to direct negative attention away from Apple for limiting the feature? Got it.

 

[JPack]

But, they don’t “receive” them unless they accept. Not that hard…

The term is "bluejacking." You see the images immediately as a preview.

In some places around the world, AirDrop is used for guerrilla marketing.

 

[DoctorApple]

“Apple said that the feature was actually introduced in an effort to cut down on spam content spread in crowded areas like malls and airports.”

While the change is actually a move that makes much sense, what doesn’t add up is China had this changed one version before of everyone else. How do you explain that?

 

[macdrej]

Can we please have ability to keep “everyone” indefinitely? I prefer to have mine always on.

China prefers everyone wouldn‘t and Apple obliges. Adding that feature outside of China would expose Apple‘s shameful behaviour so they just remove the opt in option for everyone.

 

[dk001]

For all the great features Apple comes up with, it seems like every time I turn around Apple is doing another Nanny feature on my iDevices. This gets to be so bloody tiring.

 

[DougiePhresh]

All these people in the comments who are praising Apple for this are so beta 😂. Why would anyone welcome less options on their own devices? If you don’t want your AirDrop on, turn it off. Don’t make it my problem that you are irresponsible.

 

[omihek]

They had that, and people keep it at that and get traumatized seeing child porn of graphic images. It’s good to get rid of it. People will have harder time to sue

It's not good to get rid of it; it would be better to have both options. At some point Apple should let grown adults make their own choices. If they had both options, you could choose Everyone for 10 Minutes, and I could choose Everyone forever. Now we're both happy.

 

[PauloSera]

Because EU regulators are proactive. It's a natural follow-up to the App Store investigation. India hit Apple with an antitrust case over in-app payments. India is about as Android dominated as it gets. It doesn't mean the App Store is popular in India.

You're right, people waste time and effort regulating unpopular things. That's why Apple has attracted so much regulation. Because they're unpopular.

 

[JPack]

Wait, whaaaah? So the answer to why they did this in China first (which caused all sorts of negative attention for Apple) was because they wanted to direct negative attention away from Apple for limiting the feature? Got it.

Glad you get it. PR is not easy when Apple is faced with a difficult decision.

This AirDrop feature is a potential repeat of their CSAM fiasco. Some users want it all - freedom at all costs. Others will consider suing Apple for being exposed to bomb threats and child photos - because Apple ought to have known the feature could be used this way.

Right now, Apple's narrative is, don't blame us.

 

[supremedesigner]

Then people would leave it on for everyone,then get porn and graphic images from strangers.Then they would sue Apple for not ‘protecting’ them like AirTags case

If you are not happy with iPhone, go switch to Android or Blackberry.

 

[siddavis]

Glad you get it. PR is not easy when Apple is faced with a difficult decision.

This AirDrop feature is a potential repeat of their CSAM fiasco. Some users want it all - freedom at all costs. Others will consider suing Apple for being exposed to bomb threats and child photos - because Apple ought to have known the feature could be used this way.

Right now, Apple's narrative is, don't blame us.

So, still are not going to answer the question. Being sued or the potential of it does not have anything to do with why China first. Right now, your narrative is, gobbledy goop nonsense.