iOS 16 has new hidden system to restrict specific features based on the user’s location

A hidden system has been found in the iOS 16 operating system that disables some iPhone functions depending on where the user is located, reports 9to5Mac.

In general, iPhones and iPads work worldwide. However, there are some iOS features that are available in some regions and not available in others. In some cases, these restrictions are subject to local laws. For example, FaceTime is banned in the UAE. 9to5Mac has revealed that Apple is testing a new, more advanced system of restrictions based on the user's location in iOS 16.

Apple currently uses methods to severely restrict certain iOS features in certain regions of the world. This means that most of these restrictions depend on the region where the device is sold. However, the company is developing a smarter system to determine the region where the device is being used.

The new system, dubbed countryd for internal use, was secretly added in iOS 16.2, but hasn't been used anywhere yet. It determines a more accurate location of the user based on GPS data collection, the country code that the device receives based on the information collected from Wi-Fi routers and the SIM card. Given this data, it becomes more difficult for the user to bypass iOS restrictions, but at the same time, it becomes easier for the device to ignore them if the owner of the device travels to another country where these restrictions do not exist. According to 9to5Mac, the system is designed with the ability to introduce certain restrictions that may be determined by the regulatory authorities of some countries.

In December last year, Bloomberg reported that due to pressure from the EU, Apple plans to allow iOS apps to be downloaded and installed from third-party sources for the first time, bypassing the official App Store. According to the latest publications in the magazine, Apple plans to introduce this feature in iOS 17. However, this feature will not be available worldwide, but only in European countries. That's probably what the new countryd system is for, which will be able to determine if a device is being used in a European country and then allow third-party downloads.

If other countries also force Apple to allow the download and installation of third-party applications, a regular update to this system will add such a feature. However, with the implementation of this system, it will not be possible to bypass the ban on third-party downloads in other regions.

It is not yet clear whether or not Apple plans to add third-party app downloads to iOS. The company will introduce iOS 17 at the WWDC event in June.