5 ms·

That's the really disturbing part of all this. As a user you can take reasonable steps to ensure that you're not vulnerable - switch your bluetooth off but your

by zik 3y ago

That's the really disturbing part of all this. As a user you can take reasonable steps to ensure that you're not vulnerable - switch your bluetooth off but your device straight up lies to you saying it's off while it's leaking data and making you vulnerable.

fbdab103 3y ago
Apple also makes it deliberately annoying to pseudo-disable Bluetooth.
gumby 3y ago
The problem with the bluetooth switch (or "bluetooth headphone switch" in most peoples' mind) is that if it switched off BT completely people would be surprised when their watch stopped talking to their phone, or they couldn't airdrop to their neighbor etc. Perhaps I should have written "problem" with quotes. The control center does what most people think they want. It used to be that when you enabled airplane mode on your watch it set it for your phone too, but you had to get out out of airplane mode on each device. Makes sense to me, but apparently not to everyone, so I was amazed when disabling airplane mode on your watch did the same on the phone. At least it highlights the absurdity of airplane mode. Apart from my own belief that "no means no" when it refers to radios in my devices, I'm also disappointed in the other data that are shared. The phone number, for example, AFAICT is used for joining secured wifi: if you join a network, everybody around you who's connected to that network is asked if they would like to share the password with you (you don't even see it). A handy feature, but not one implemented in a privacy-protecting way (shame on you, Apple!)
- extraduder_ire 3y ago
  > It used to be that when you enabled airplane mode on your watch it set it for your phone too, but you had to get out out of airplane mode on each device. Makes sense to me, but apparently not to everyone, so I was amazed when disabling airplane mode on your watch did the same on the phone. This might be surprising, but it makes sense to me. If your device is in "airplane mode" it should not transmit, but can still receive. So, a BLE message from your watch telling your phone to exit airplane mode can be received and acted on. Same with disabling enabling it on your watch until it knows it has set it for your phone/other devices. I would expect disabling bluetooth (ignoring cc toggle lies) to work the way you describe though.
- transpute 3y ago
  > I was amazed when disabling airplane mode on your watch did the same on the phone. Until the EU mandates a "Radio Kill Snitch" in computing devices, the faraday bag industry rejoices. UK: https://faradaybag.com https://faradaybag.com US: https://refugeprivacy.com https://refugeprivacy.com
- dwaite 3y ago
  > I was amazed when disabling airplane mode on your watch did the same on the phone. At least it highlights the absurdity of airplane mode. Yeah, Apple perhaps more than anyone else will look at "Airplane mode" not as "turn off all radios" but rather "put device into a state compliant with various aviation regulations".

by zik 3y ago

fbdab103 3y ago

Apple also makes it deliberately annoying to pseudo-disable Bluetooth.

gumby 3y ago

The problem with the bluetooth switch (or "bluetooth headphone switch" in most peoples' mind) is that if it switched off BT completely people would be surprised when their watch stopped talking to their phone, or they couldn't airdrop to their neighbor etc. Perhaps I should have written "problem" with quotes. The control center does what most people think they want. It used to be that when you enabled airplane mode on your watch it set it for your phone too, but you had to get out out of airplane mode on each device. Makes sense to me, but apparently not to everyone, so I was amazed when disabling airplane mode on your watch did the same on the phone. At least it highlights the absurdity of airplane mode. Apart from my own belief that "no means no" when it refers to radios in my devices, I'm also disappointed in the other data that are shared. The phone number, for example, AFAICT is used for joining secured wifi: if you join a network, everybody around you who's connected to that network is asked if they would like to share the password with you (you don't even see it). A handy feature, but not one implemented in a privacy-protecting way (shame on you, Apple!)

extraduder_ire 3y ago
> It used to be that when you enabled airplane mode on your watch it set it for your phone too, but you had to get out out of airplane mode on each device. Makes sense to me, but apparently not to everyone, so I was amazed when disabling airplane mode on your watch did the same on the phone. This might be surprising, but it makes sense to me. If your device is in "airplane mode" it should not transmit, but can still receive. So, a BLE message from your watch telling your phone to exit airplane mode can be received and acted on. Same with disabling enabling it on your watch until it knows it has set it for your phone/other devices. I would expect disabling bluetooth (ignoring cc toggle lies) to work the way you describe though.
transpute 3y ago
> I was amazed when disabling airplane mode on your watch did the same on the phone. Until the EU mandates a "Radio Kill Snitch" in computing devices, the faraday bag industry rejoices. UK: https://faradaybag.com https://faradaybag.com US: https://refugeprivacy.com https://refugeprivacy.com
dwaite 3y ago
> I was amazed when disabling airplane mode on your watch did the same on the phone. At least it highlights the absurdity of airplane mode. Yeah, Apple perhaps more than anyone else will look at "Airplane mode" not as "turn off all radios" but rather "put device into a state compliant with various aviation regulations".