Apple patent hints at new system to rank Wi-Fi networks in iOS

July 17, 2024

2 min read

It’s been a while since iOS began warning iPhone and iPad users about the security of Wi-Fi networks in the Settings app depending on their password type. However, it seems that Apple wants to take this system to the next level, at least that’s what one of the company’s latest patents shows.

Apple wants to give users more details about Wi-Fi networks

The company has filed a patent with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) demonstrating a new system for ranking public Wi-Fi networks based on multiple criteria (via The Mac Observer).

Based on the patent description, Apple devices would collect data about Wi-Fi networks without identifying the user and their exact location. With this data, a system would map these Wi-Fi networks and their characteristics in order to “improve the efficiency of the interactions between user devices and the detected access points.”

One of the patent illustrations gives us a better idea of how this new system would work. For example, iOS users would see labels such as High Quality, Popular, and Suspicious in the Settings app to describe a Wi-Fi network. The system would also prompt users if they want to connect to a popular Wi-Fi network available.

Of course, it’s worth noting that Apple is always filing new patents and not all of them see the light of day. Even so, given that Apple is committed to privacy, it seems very likely that such a system will be implemented in the future to alert users as to whether a Wi-Fi network is reliable or not.

What do you think of this idea? Let us know in the comments section below.