Apple has patented a new ranking system for public Wi-Fi networks
According to the patent, Apple plans to collect data from Wi-Fi networks, without identifying the user or their exact location.
Apple has received a patent for a new system that will allow them to "rank" public Wi-Fi networks based on their connection quality and security.
This could potentially allow Apple to provide users with a way to easily identify and connect to high-quality networks in public areas without the need for user identification or location information.
Using the collected data, the system will display information about these Wi-Fi networks and their features in order to "improve the efficiency of the interactions between user devices and the detected access points."
For example, iOS users will see labels such as "High Quality", "Popular", and "Suspicious" in the Settings app to describe Wi-Fi networks. The system will also ask users if they want to connect to a popular available Wi-Fi network.
It is currently unclear whether the system will be integrated in the near future.
