This HIDDEN iOS 16 system can stop you from using top iPhone features if you do this | Tech News

This HIDDEN iOS 16 system can stop you from using top iPhone features if you do this

The iOS 16 update for your iPhone has a hidden system that stops you from using certain features. Here's how.

By: HT TECH
| Updated on: Apr 27 2023, 19:08 IST
Sports live to screen recording, here is what iOS 16.5 first public beta focuses on
iOS 16
1/5 iOS 16.4 update has been released for the iPhone users, and now Apple has started focusing on the next update- iOS 16.5. The company has even rolled out the first public beta of iOS 16.5 for testers. "Apple today (March 30) seeded the first betas of upcoming iOS 16.5 and iPadOS 16.5 updates to public beta testers, allowing non-developers to test out the software head of its official launch. The public betas come two days after Apple provided the betas to developers," a report by MacRumors stated. (Pixabay)
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2/5 In order to test the iOS 16.5 update, people who have signed up for Apple's free beta testing program can go to the Settings of their phone. Then click on General, select Software Update. Meanwhile, here is what the iOS 16.5 will bring to your iPhone. (HT Tech)
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3/5 My Sports tab in Apple News: It seems like with iOS 16.5 Beta 1, a new Sports tab can be found at the bottom of the screen which will let users keep up to date with the news and performance of their preferred sports teams. (Unsplash)
iOS 16
4/5 Screen recording by Siri: According to 9to5Mac, this update is expected to allow Siri to start screen recording without any manual intervention. All you need to do is simply say "Hey Siri, start screen recording", and it will start capturing what's on your screen. (Unsplash)
iOS 16
5/5 Sports multi-view on Apple TV: The iOS 16.5 Beta 1 can allow users to stream up to four different sports simultaneously, giving users an opportunity to catch all the action live. (Unsplash)
iOS 16
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iOS 16 has this secret system which may make it difficult for iPhone users to bypass limitations set by Apple. (Pexels)

iPhones are available across the world, but certain iOS features are limited to specific locations or regions only. The reason behind the unavailability of these iPhone features in certain regions can be many, however, in some cases, local regulations play an important role. For example, FaceTime isn't available in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). To deal with such a situation, Apple has started using a more advanced and up-to-date approach. According to 9to5Mac, Apple has reportedly been experimenting with a new hidden system in iOS 16 that uses location-based restrictions to limit certain features. So, if a you are in a certain location where something is like Face ID is forbidden, then your iPhone will not allow its use, depending on the law of the land.

This new feature will precisely determine the user's location. So far, Apple has used hard-coding methods to limit access to certain iOS features in particular regions based on the regulations. Essentially, this involves linking most restrictions to the geographical location of the device, which can be determined by the iPhone's software settings or the origin of the hardware itself.

As per the report by 9to5Mac, this new hidden system being used by Apple is known as "countryd", which was silently added to the iOS 16.2 update. However, it has not been used in anything yet, the report added. "It combines multiple data such as current GPS location, country code from the Wi-Fi router, and information obtained from the SIM card to determine the country the user is in," the report explained.

It seems that it will be difficult for users to bypass these limitations by Apple. The good part is that, it should become simpler for the device to recognize and disregard such restrictions automatically when a user travels to a different region.

So, what is the main purpose for Apple to use this system?

Several leaksters suggest that with iOS 17, Apple is planning to allow sideloading of apps, which will be limited to Europe. It seems that it could be simple for Apple to identify if an iPhone is being used in an EU country and allow sideloading. Also, if other nations mandate Apple to permit sideloading, a simple update to this system should make the feature available in those areas as well.

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First Published Date: 27 Apr, 19:08 IST
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