If you’re using Things on iOS/iPadOS 14.1 or later, or on Vision, you might see the following prompt:
“Things” would like to find and connect to devices on your local network. Things uses the local network to provide faster sync between your devices.
What happens when you tap OK?
If you tap OK, Things will be able to sync faster on the local network. That means that if you’re looking at Things on your iPhone and Mac, for example, and make a change on either device, the other one will get that change almost immediately.
In order for this to work, the following conditions must be met:
- You must have tapped OK in the prompt.
- All devices must be on the same local network.
- Things must be the app that you’re actively using.
What happens when you decline?
If you tap Don’t Allow, Things will not sync as fast with devices on the same network. That means that changes will take a bit longer to appear on other devices, and you might have to switch away from Things and back to actively trigger a sync.
If you accidentally declined and would like to take advantage of the faster local sync, here’s how to give Things permission:
- On your device, open Settings.
- Scroll down all the way and find Things.
- Find the setting Local Network and turn the switch on (so it’s green).
Does this affect the security of my data?
No. None of your data is transmitted across the local network. Things merely sends a notification to your other devices telling them that new information is available, so that they can download it from the cloud.