Why iPhone owners should turn off AirDrop. Now. (2024)

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Better safe than sorry.

ByJack Morse onApril 23, 2021

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Off is nice.Credit: monica chin

Not everything Apple makes "just works" — at least not as intended, anyway.

Security researchers exploring AirDrop, the iOS and macOS feature that lets users wirelessly share files via WiFi and Bluetooth, reported Wednesday on a flaw they say exposes users' emails and phone numbers. Unless you want every creep on the street to be able to secretly grab your contact info, it's a bit of a nightmare.

The researchers, a team made up of members of the Secure Mobile Networking Lab (SEEMOO) and the Cryptography and Privacy Engineering Group (ENCRYPTO), claim they alerted Apple to the flaw in May of 2019. However, according to them, the company never responded.

"As an attacker, it is possible to learn the phone numbers and email addresses of AirDrop users – even as a complete stranger," reads Tuesday's press release. "All they require is a Wi-Fi-capable device and physical proximity to a target that initiates the discovery process by opening the sharing pane on an iOS or macOS device."

We reached out to Apple to confirm the findings and to ask if indeed it was alerted to the vulnerability in 2019. We received no immediate response.

Notably, this is not the first questionable privacy situation tied to AirDrop. In 2019, researchers discovered that they were able to determine users' phone numbers based on the partial hashes AirDrop sends out. It's not clear if that concern was ever addressed by Apple, especially as the vulnerability disclosed this week appears similar in nature.

"The discovered problems are rooted in Apple's use of hash functions for 'obfuscating' the exchanged phone numbers and email addresses during the [AirDrop] discovery process," explains Tuesday's press release. "However, researchers from TU Darmstadt already showed that hashing fails to provide privacy-preserving contact discovery as so-called hash values can be quickly reversed using simple techniques such as brute-force attacks."

AirDrop is also notorious for its association with digital harassment. Specifically, harassers used the feature for cyber-flashing — wherein a stranger bombards a victim's phone with unwanted photos of a sexual or graphic nature — and sending images associated with white supremacists to people just going about their own business in public.

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Of course, you don't have to deal with any of this.

If you'd rather avoid having your iPhone expose your contact info to creeps and protect yourself from cyber-flashers, you can turn AirDrop off (and disable Bluetooth while you're at it).

SEE ALSO: Apple knows AirTags can be abused and is trying to get ahead of it

It's not a permanent thing — you can always briefly turn AirDrop back on if you need it for some reason — but disabling the feature will provide you with some peace of mind, and hey, that "just works."

Related Video: It's surprisingly easy to be more secure online

TopicsAppleCybersecurityPrivacy

Jack Morse

Professionally paranoid. Covering privacy, security, and all things cryptocurrency and blockchain from San Francisco.

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FAQs

Why iPhone owners should turn off AirDrop. Now.? ›

If you'd rather avoid having your iPhone expose your contact info to creeps and protect yourself from cyber-flashers, you can turn AirDrop off (and disable Bluetooth while you're at it).

Read On ›

Why should you turn off AirDrop on iPhone? ›

The Risks of AirDrop. While AirDrop is a very convenient way to share files, children whose devices have it enabled are at risk of receiving inappropriate content without asking for it. This convenience also means that anyone with an Apple device can send files to your child's Apple device, even if they don't know them ...

Discover More Details ›

Why is AirDrop a security risk? ›

The primary worry stems from AirDrop's contact functionality, which may inadvertently disclose personal details to unintended recipients. Whenever you share a file via AirDrop, the recipient device utilizes an encrypted process called Apple ID hashing to identify the sender.

What are the disadvantages of AirDrop on iPhone? ›

The possible security risks of using AirDrop

The connection between AirDrop users relies on the local connection of nearby devices, which means that without the proper precautions, other devices with access to AirDrop can potentially disrupt normal AirDrop file sharing.

See Details ›

Should AirDrop be disabled? ›

While there are positives to AirDrop, there are privacy concerns that could expose personal information. For that reason, AirDrop should be disabled, and should only be enabled when needed and disabled afterwards.

Find Out More ›

What does turning off AirDrop do? ›

Receiving Off: You won't receive AirDrop requests. Contacts Only: Only your contacts can see your device.

Tell Me More ›

Does AirDrop drain iPhone battery? ›

How to turn on AirDrop. There are two ways to turn on AirDrop on an iPhone. Once it's enabled, you can leave it on full-time (it won't drain your battery).

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Can police track AirDrop? ›

As AirDrop function allows anonymous transmission without an internet connection, it is almost impossible to effectively regulate this behavior through conventional network monitoring means, which has become a challenge for public security organs to crack these cases, and some internet users have started to imitate ...

Explore More ›

Can AirDrop be traced? ›

No, Apple's AirDrop feature does not provide an option to view a history of the file transfers. Once a file is sent or received, there is no built-in functionality to track the log. You can only see the files in the destination where you saved them.

How close does someone have to be to AirDrop? ›

Range: The maximum range for AirDrop transfers is about 30 feet (10 meters). Speed: The transfer speed will vary depending on the size of the file and the capabilities of the devices involved. Apple-Exclusive: AirDrop is only available on Apple devices, such as iPhones, iPads, Macs, and iPod touches.

Show Me More ›

Is AirDrop more secure than texting? ›

AirDrop can send data faster with a direct connection to the sending and receiving device. With AirDrop, the content being shared isn't placed on Apple's (or anyone else's) servers, which means privacy is much better protected.

Read The Full Story ›

How do you tell who airdropped you? ›

Is there a way to see your AirDrop history on iPhone, iPad, or Mac? Unfortunately, no, there is not currently a feature for seeing the history of items sent and received.

See Details ›

Should I leave AirDrop on everyone? ›

It's up to you. Personally I find it to be a security issue so I restrict AirDrop to my contacts only. This way I can benefit from AirDrop when needed, but avoid showing up on unknown phones.

Get More Info Here ›

Can companies disable AirDrop? ›

Users can also choose to use AirDrop to share with everyone, or turn off the feature entirely. Organizations can restrict the use of AirDrop for devices or apps being managed by using a mobile device management (MDM) solution.

Why is AirDrop important? ›

The benefit is simple: Airdrops are opportunities to receive free crypto (or at least in exchange for a relatively small amount of work). Because cryptocurrencies can go up or down in value, airdrop recipients receive an asset that could be worth much more at some point in the future.

How do you benefit from AirDrop? ›

After you've received an airdrop, you have several options: Hold: You can hold onto the tokens and hope their value increases over time. Trade: You can trade the tokens on a cryptocurrency exchange. Research: Conduct in-depth research about the token.

View Details ›

How far can someone AirDrop you? ›

Range: The maximum range for AirDrop transfers is about 30 feet (10 meters). Speed: The transfer speed will vary depending on the size of the file and the capabilities of the devices involved.