This article may contain affiliate links. Learn more on our Partner Program page.
Apple has announced that Advanced Data Protection is expanding beyond the United States. Starting with iOS 16.3, the security feature will be available worldwide and will give users the option to enable end-to-end encryption for many more iCloud data categories, including photos, notes, voice memos, message backups, device backups, and more.
By default, Apple Encryption keys for some types of iCloud data on its servers to ensure that users can recover their data if they lose access to their Apple ID account. When a user turns on Enhanced Privacy, the encryption keys are deleted from Apple servers and stored only on users' devices, so that even if a breach of iCloud servers occurs, Apple, law enforcement, or anyone else cannot access the data.
Advanced Data Protection: Apple expands the feature
iCloud already offers end-to-end encryption for 14 categories of data without Advanced Data Protection enabled. These include messages (excluding backups), passwords stored in iCloud Keychain, Health data, Apple Maps search history, Apple Card transactions, and more. With Advanced Data Protection, this protection is extended to most iCloud categories, with key exceptions like Mail, Contacts, and Calendar. Advanced Data Protection first rolled out in the US with iOS 16.2 in December. Apple announced that the feature will roll out to the rest of the world in early 2023, so the global rollout is on schedule. To use the feature, all of a user's devices must be updated to Apple's software versions that support Advanced Data Protection in their country. Outside the US, this includes iOS 16.3, iPadOS 16.3, macOS 13.2, tvOS 16.3, and watchOS 9.3.
iOS 16.3, iPadOS 16.3, macOS 13.2, tvOS 16.3 & watchOS 9.3 required
When Advanced Data Protection is enabled, access to iCloud.com is disabled by default. Users have the option to enable data access to iCloud.com, allowing the web browser and Apple to temporarily access data-related encryption keys. Advanced Data Protection is designed to maintain end-to-end encryption for most shared iCloud content, as long as all participants have Advanced Data Protection enabled, including shared iCloud Photo Library, shared iCloud Drive folders, and shared notes. However, Apple says that iWork collaboration, the Shared Albums feature in Photos, and sharing content with "anyone with a link" do not support Advanced Data Protection. For more information, see Apple's Advanced Data Protection support document. (Photo by nikkimeel / Bigstockphoto)
