Android P isn’t a major overhaul to Google’s mobile OS, but it has a whole lot of tweaks built in. One change that flew under the radar, though, has been the option to use WPS. Apparently, that feature may not stick around in Android.
WPS, or WiFi Protected Setup, is a handy feature which allows users to connect to an access point by clicking a button on their router, skipping the need for passwords. It comes in handy when you don’t know a password, but it’s also pretty insecure.
In Android P’s beta releases, Google has quietly removed the ability to use WPS through the network menu (via Android Police). Losing access to smaller features in beta releases of Android isn’t uncommon, but in this case, it’s not looking like Google intends to bring this feature back in the final release.
A handful of WPS-related strings within Android pointed out on Google’s issue tracker hint that Google has decided to remove this feature from Android. The strings were marked as deprecated, leading many to believe that WPS support is not coming back. Google has yet to confirm this itself, though.
9to5Google’s Take
Personally, I’ve only used WPS in Android a few times. It’s definitely come in handy when visiting family who don’t know their wireless passwords, but I can also see why Google might be removing it. The feature isn’t very secure and even some newer routers have dropped support for it. Hopefully, Google will clear up the matter soon, but it won’t really be a shame to see this go.
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