Official Apple warning for all users as iOS 16 bug asks to 'allow paste' of private photos onto iMessage
Samuel Coleman
Published Sep 22, 2026
A STRANGE bug in iOS 16 has stuck users with an annoying pop-up whenever they attempt to paste something into an app.
The programming was meant to prevent apps from accessing the clipboard without the user knowing.
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The quirk is a bit of a backfire.
Apple introduced more layers of security for accessing the clipboard in iOS 16.
Users already have to give expressed consent to third party apps for access to the microphone, camera, and location.
The clipboard was meant to be the next logical addition to that list but the result is an incessant pop-up.
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A frustrated customer wrote an email to Apple CEO Tim Cook about the pop up.
"This is absolutely not expected behavior, and we will get to the bottom of it,” Apple senior engineer Ron Huang wrote back in a response email seen by MacRumors.
iOS 16 has been live for just over a week.
The new features like a background remover tool for photos have been mostly well received but this pop-up issue and a drain on the battery have put black marks on an otherwise stellar review.
