If you visit websites and are asked to prove you’re a real person, you’ll be familiar with CAPTCHA. The new Automatic Verification feature that is part of iOS 16, and will come to iPadOS 16.1 and macOS Ventura, will allow you to skip past those annoying grids of traffic lights, boats and bicycles or the need to read terrible fonts. Here’s what you need to know.
Sitting behind a simple checkbox called Automatic Verification that you can find on your device under Apple ID > Password & Security, lies a standard called Private Access Tokens. When you visit a website that has enabled Private Access Tokens, you won’t see the CAPTCHA as it will be deemed that you come from a trusted device. By the way, if you’re using iOS 16, you won’t need to do anything as Automatic Verification is enabled by default.
While the implementation of Private Access Tokens is still not widespread that is set to change. Cloudflare, a company that provides security and access services to millions of websites across the world, has created an API (APIs are bits of software that connect other bits of software together) that enables Private Access Tokens to be implanted by website owners more easily. Access to a beta version of the Turnstile API is available.
Cloudflare’s API, called Turnstile, isn’t limited to its customers – the company is making it available to everyone. So, as more people use it, we’ll see fewer CAPTCHAs as we browse the web.
Anthony is the founder of Australian Apple News. He is a long-time Apple user and former editor of Australian Macworld. He has contributed to many technology magazines and newspapers as well as appearing regularly on radio and occasionally on TV.