Apple's about to make it that much more convenient for users to download apps onto their iPhones - free apps, that is - and heaven help those who accidentally lend their devices to annoying friends or small children.
Reddit user "varmanj" recently discovered within Apple's latest beta for iOS 6 (beta three) that users are no longer being asked to provide their passwords in order to download free apps from the App Store.
That's great news for convenience's sake, but worse news for those who get nervous about lending friends their phones (only to watch them load them up with junky free apps; ad-filled or spammy apps or, worst of all, those stupid "hot girls" apps).
Free the Apps
According to a published report, the "unlocked downloading" feature will work on apps users have previously snagged from the App Store as well as any new free apps that a user hasn't previously acquired.
The update is Apple's second major tweak to App Store security settings that's designed to loosen users' need to self-verify when they're looking to grab familiar apps.
As revealed in the first beta version of iOS 6, Apple will no longer require users to type in a password to update apps or re-download apps that they've previously paid for.
Additionally, users will now be able to stay within the App Store when they elect to download an app – Android-style – instead of just being dumped back to their devices' home screens to watch the app transfer over.
Going forward, it seems as if users will only have to type in their App Store passwords if they elect to purchase a paid-for app, and the prompt will only pop up the first time they go to buy and download the app.
Those looking to lock down their devices to prevent unauthorized app downloads by people who aren't them can use the iPhone's built-in restrictions to prevent app installation or deletion (within Settings > General > Restrictions).
Via Cult of Mac