Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Mobile
  3. News

Apple just banned apps from cryptocurrency mining on iOS devices

By

Apple is taking a stance against cryptocurrency mining. The company has updated its developer guidelines to explicitly ban cryptocurrency mining apps on iOS devices. Why? It’s part of wider restrictions against apps that drain battery, generate excessive heat, or strain a device’s resources — all of which take place during cryptocurrency mining.

“Apps, including any third-party advertisements displayed within them, may not run unrelated background processes, such as cryptocurrency mining,” states the new policy.

Here’s a full list of the new guidelines.

  1. Apple will allow virtual currency wallet apps, as long as they’re offered by developers who are enrolled as organizations.
  2. The only cryptocurrency mining apps allowed are those that mine outside of the device, like cloud-based mining.
  3. Apps can help users make pay, trade, or receive cryptocurrency on an approved exchange, but the apps must be from the exchanges themselves.
  4. Similarly, apps involved in initial coin offerings, bitcoin futures trading, or other cryptocurrency securities trading need to be from the banks, firms, or other approved financial institutions. And they must be lawful.
  5. Cryptocurrency apps can’t offer users virtual coin for tasks like downloading other apps, getting other users to download the app, or boosting social media activity.
Recommended Videos

Of course, developers running ads that exploit device resources to mine cryptocurrencies has been an issue for a while now, and not just on mobile devices. Even YouTube was briefly serving up ads like this for a while, until Google noticed what was happening and banned the ads. Apple’s policy goes a step further, however — it bans mining of any kind, even if the user explicitly wants to use their device for mining.

Related

It’s unlikely that the new policy will frustrate miners. iPhones and iPads don’t really possess the processing power to make them good mining devices. That said, it’s possible future devices could possess such power.

Thankfully Apple isn’t banning any app related to cryptocurrency mining. As long as the mini process happens off the devices, apps related to the process will still be allowed. On top of that, crypto wallets can still be used on iOS devices.

Cryptocurrency mining itself basically involves setting a computer the task of solving equations. To trade bitcoin, transactions are verified through these complex equations, then added to a distributed ledger. In return for solving the equations, miners get bitcoin. Of course, there is a cost associated with mining — electricity costs money, so mining isn’t worth it on many lower-powered computers and devices.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Christian de Looper
Christian de Looper
Contributor
Christian’s interest in technology began as a child in Australia, when he stumbled upon a computer at a garage sale that he…
Here’s how Apple could change your iPhone forever
An iPhone 15 Pro Max laying on its back, showing its home screen.

Over the past few months, Apple has released a steady stream of research papers detailing its work with generative AI. So far, Apple has been tight-lipped about what exactly is cooking in its research labs, while rumors circulate that Apple is in talks with Google to license its Gemini AI for iPhones.

But there have been a couple of teasers of what we can expect. In February, an Apple research paper detailed an open-source model called MLLM-Guided Image Editing (MGIE) that is capable of media editing using natural language instructions from users. Now, another research paper on Ferret UI has sent the AI community into a frenzy.

Read more
There’s a big problem with the iPhone’s Photos app
The Apple iPhone 15 Plus's gallery app.

While my primary device these days continues to be my iPhone 15 Pro, I’ve dabbled with plenty of Android phones since I’ve been here at Digital Trends. One of my favorite brands of phone has been the Google Pixel because of its strong suite of photo-editing tools and good camera hardware.

Google first added the Magic Eraser capability with the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro, which is a tool I love using. Then, with the Pixel 8 series, Google added the Magic Editor, which uses generative AI to make edits that wouldn’t be possible otherwise. There are also tools like Photo Unblur, which is great for old photographs and enhancing images that were captured with low-quality sensors.

Read more
This one thing could make iOS 18 the best iPhone update in years
The Home Screen on the iPhone 15 Pro Max.

Apple’s WWDC 2024 is just a couple of months away. As with every WWDC, we’ll see what Apple has in store for the next generation of software across its hardware portfolio, including the iPhone with iOS 18.

Rumors have been swirling about iOS 18 and how it will be “one of the biggest updates yet.” We know some features like RCS support in Messages are definitely coming, with other whispers of big home screen customization changes and more.

Read more