New iPhones will have to go without iCloud's new end-to-end encryption feature.
As spotted by MacRumors, developers testing out iCloud's new Advanced Data Protection feature have noticed that new devices are unable to turn on the feature right away. The expanded iCloud encryption, which offers end-to-end encryption on iCloud backups, was announced by the company earlier this week.
One user took to Twitter to share a screenshot which said that, due to their device recently being added to their Apple account, they would not be able to turn on Advanced Data Protection until February 2, 2023.
They said that the most recent device added to their account was the iPhone 14 Pro Max when it launched back in September.
Excuse me, what?Anyone else? pic.twitter.com/JVRm91XzbdDecember 7, 2022
There appears to be a buffer
According to the report, Apple has added the buffer to "prevent a malicious actor from enabling the feature if a user is hacked." Users can, of course, still enable the feature on an older device like an iPhone, iPad, or Mac, so you're not fully blocked from enabling Advanced Data Protection.
One thing that is currently unclear is exactly how long Apple considers a device "recently added." The report notes that some users have reported seeing restrictions until January or February of next year, so it roughly appears to be upwards of six months on new devices.
Even with the restriction, it's great to see Apple is rolling out end-to-end encryption for iCloud backups. The feature is rolling out to users in the United States by the end of the year and globally throughout 2023. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal's Joanna Stern, Apple's Craig Federighi said that the feature would even be coming to China.
When he was asked about the country, which doesn't have the greatest track record when it comes to user privacy, the executive said "We want to roll out across the world." When asked how the Chinese government feels about this, Federighi said, "they have not told me," with a grin.
