iOS 16.1 Introduces New Copy-and-Paste Permission Settings on Per-App Basis
iOS 16 introduced a new privacy feature that requires apps to receive a user's permission before directly accessing their iPhone's clipboard to paste text from other apps, but some users experienced an issue that caused the prompt to appear excessively. Apple released iOS 16.0.2 with a fix for the issue and other bugs in late September.
Apple has continued to refine the copy-and-paste feature in the weeks since. In the Settings app on the fourth beta of iOS 16.1 and later, a new "Paste from Other Apps" menu appears for apps that have previously asked for permission to paste content from another app. The menu can be found in the Settings app → [App Name] → Paste from Other Apps.
The menu presents users with three options:
- Ask: The app must continue to request permission to paste content from other apps.
- Deny: The app cannot paste content from other apps.
- Allow: The app can paste content from other apps without asking for permission again.
The menu gives users more granular control and flexibility over the copy-and-paste permission prompts, which should help make the privacy feature less of a nuisance. Note that the menu does not appear for apps that have never requested clipboard permission.
Last month, an Apple engineer said the copy-and-paste permission prompt only appears when an app attempts to access the clipboard directly. The prompt does not appear when a user selects the "Paste" option in the menu that pops up after highlighting text or interacts with apps that have paste buttons based on the UIPasteControl framework.
iOS 16.1 remains in beta testing and is expected to be released later this month.
(Thanks, Youssef Salem!)
Popular Stories
Apple is looking for a "breakthrough" with its push into wearable AI devices, including an "AirTag-sized pendant," according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
In a report this week, he said the pendant is reminiscent of the failed Humane AI Pin, but it would be an iPhone accessory rather than a standalone product.
The pendant would feature an "always-on" camera and a microphone for Siri voice...
Apple will announce its rumored low-cost MacBook at its event on March 4, with the device coming in a selection of bold color options, according to a known leaker.
Earlier this week, Apple announced a "special Apple Experience" for the media in New York, London, and Shanghai, taking place on March 4, 2026 at 9:00am ET.
Posting on Weibo, the leaker known as "Instant Digital" said that the...
New trade-in data indicates that Apple's iPhone 17 Pro Max has rapidly become the single most traded-in smartphone.
According to a new report from SellCell, Apple's latest flagship iPhone has quickly risen to the top of the independent trade-in market, accounting for 11.5% of all devices appearing in the top-20 trade-in rankings just months after release. The analysis is based on SellCell...
Back at WWDC 2025, Apple revealed that it was planning to allow CarPlay users to watch video via AirPlay in their vehicles while they are not driving, and the first beta of iOS 26.4 suggests the feature may be nearing availability.
There are several new references to CarPlay video streaming functionality within the iOS 26.4 beta's source code. The feature is not yet visible to users, but...
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max.
One thing worth...
