First iOS 26.2 beta hints at new AirDrop feature for secure sharing

Macworld

Just one day after releasing iOS 26.1 to the public, Apple has made the first beta of iOS 26.2 available to developers. While it’s too early to know everything that will be coming in the update, we already have a clue about something Apple has been working on: making AirDrop more secure and private.

Based on code discoveries, Macworld has learned that Apple is developing a new option that will presumably allow users to set a PIN code for AirDrop, so that other people will need this PIN before sending files via AirDrop.

References to the ‘‘AirDropPINPairing’ feature were found in iOS 26.2 beta 1, but interestingly, this is not the first time we have found a reference hinting at updates to AirDrop. With iOS 26.1, Macworld found a mention of another feature called “AirDropPrivacyImprovements” being implemented by Apple.

This could work similarly to Bluetooth pairing or AirPlay authentication, where the receiving device shows a short numeric code that the sender must confirm before a connection is established. The change would make AirDrop safer in public places, preventing unwanted or mistaken file transfers, an issue Apple has been slowly addressing in recent years.

Currently, AirDrop lets users choose between three options: “Contacts Only,” “Everyone for 10 Minutes,” or “Receiving Off.” The new PIN pairing system could add an extra authentication option as part of Apple’s ongoing privacy initiatives.

It’s not yet clear when or if AirDrop PIN Pairing will be officially introduced. The feature we found hidden in the code can’t be enabled in beta 1. Apple sometimes tests features internally for several beta cycles before making them available to the public.

We’ll continue to keep an eye on upcoming betas to see how Apple develops this new AirDrop security mechanism.

For now, iOS 26.2 beta remains available exclusively to developers, with a public beta likely to arrive later this week. There’s no word on when the update will be released to the public, but presumably it will land sometime in December.