# iCloud Public Link vs People You Choose: What Changes in iOS 27.3 Canonical: https://filevale.com/guides/icloud-public-link-vs-people-you-choose-ios-27-3/ Updated: 2026-11-13 > In iOS 27.3 Apple checks items shared with Anyone with the link for harmful content. See how that differs from People you choose and what to use instead. Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_y3B8HECZ-o In iOS 27.3, Apple will check items shared with **Anyone with the link** for harmful content, and those items stop being end-to-end encrypted. Items shared with **People you choose** are not described as checked. If you send IDs, contracts, medical or tax files, pick invited people, or lock the file itself before sharing. ## What Apple says In [its support article](https://support.apple.com/en-us/149168) (published November 3, 2026), Apple says that from iOS, iPadOS, macOS and visionOS 27.3, "items shared using Anyone with the Link will be checked by Apple for harmful content". It says such an item is accessible "to anyone who has the link, including Apple", and is no longer end-to-end encrypted, even with Advanced Data Protection turned on. Apple does not name the policy's purpose. Press coverage connects the move to efforts against child sexual abuse material (CSAM); Apple itself only says "harmful content". This is a child-safety measure, and nothing in this guide is about getting around it. The practical point is simpler: a public link is open to anyone who holds it, so it is the wrong tool for ordinary private documents. ## Anyone with the link vs People you choose - **Anyone with the link:** whoever has the URL can open the item, including people you never meant to share with if the link is forwarded. Under 27.3 it is also checked by Apple and outside end-to-end encryption. - **People you choose:** only the people you invite can open the item. Apple's article does not describe these links as checked, and press coverage says the same. - **Send a Copy:** the recipient gets their own copy of the file. Press coverage says it is not covered by the check; Apple's article does not describe it as checked either. The beta releases of 27.3 were out when the article was published. Check the Share Link options on your own device to see the exact wording. ## What Apple has not answered - How the check works, automated or with human review. - What "harmful content" covers. - Whether links created before 27.3 are checked. - Whether and how you can appeal a wrong decision. - Which countries and regions get the feature first. Apple notes that not every feature is available everywhere. Until Apple answers, assume that anything behind a public link could be looked at, and treat that as a reason to share ordinary private files differently. ## What to use for sensitive files 1. Share with **People you choose** instead of Anyone with the link, and remove people when you are done. 2. Strip hidden details first. [Remove EXIF Data](/remove-exif-data/) clears GPS, camera and date from photos, and [Remove Metadata](/remove-metadata/) does the same for PDFs, video and Office files. 3. Lock the file itself with [Password-Protect ZIP](/zip-with-password/), which packs files into an AES-256 ZIP on your device, or [Password Protect PDF](/password-protect-pdf/) for one PDF. Send the password in a different app. [Open Password-Protect ZIP](https://filevale.com/zip-with-password/) ## Keep a private copy in a vault Sharing is one problem; storing is another. The Filevale iPhone app has a Vault locked with a passcode or pattern and a 12-word recovery key, and Share privately (Pro) builds an AES-256 password ZIP. See [Filevale for iPhone](/go/ios?src=web-icloud-vs-people) and our comparison [Notes lock vs Hidden album vs a private vault app](/guides/notes-lock-vs-hidden-album-vs-private-vault-app/). More background: [Apple checks public iCloud links](/guides/apple-checks-public-icloud-links-for-harmful-content/), [Is an iCloud link private?](/guides/is-an-icloud-link-private/) and [share files privately from iPhone](/guides/share-files-privately-from-iphone-without-a-public-link/). ## Frequently asked questions ### Does iOS 27.3 check People you choose links? Apple's article describes the check for items shared with Anyone with the link. It does not describe People you choose links as checked. Apple has not published more detail on how either option is handled behind the scenes. ### Is an Anyone with the link item end-to-end encrypted? No. Apple says an item shared this way is no longer end-to-end encrypted, even if Advanced Data Protection is on. ### Should I delete my old public links? If you no longer need a link, stop sharing it. Apple has not said whether links made before 27.3 are checked, and a link you forgot is still open to anyone who has it. Our guide on [finding and stopping old iCloud links](/guides/find-and-stop-sharing-old-icloud-links/) shows how.