Captive Assist is an iOS 26 feature that is designed to sync captive Wi-Fi network sign-in information across the iPhone, iPad, and Mac. This means that if you are asked to fill out a web form on one Apple device before connecting to a public Wi-Fi network at a hotel, airport, or coffee shop, that information would automatically be shared with your other Apple devices.
Apple has yet to enable the feature. It should be available by the time the software update is released later this year.
I usually avoid public Wi-Fi and use cellular data and VPNs for privacy and security. But sometimes public Wi-Fi is necessary.
A captive-portal Wi-Fi where you sign in is still better than an open one. But you usually have to sign in on each device. Ultimately, this Captive Assist feature will make connecting to public Wi-Fi networks more convenient across iOS 26, iPadOS 26, and macOS Tahoe.
See also: 100 new iOS 26 features for iPhone! Do you know them all?
