Apple is known for its dedication to user privacy and security. But even the company behind the iPhone can’t prevent every vulnerability. Usually, we need to wait for a security update to patch issues when they come up, but we know of a quick fix for the latest security flaw.
AirDrop is Apple’s proprietary information sharing feature. It works seamlessly between Apple products to quickly and easily share pictures, videos, files, contact information, all with just a tap or two. Unfortunately, we recently learned Apple’s prize feature comes with an unchecked security vulnerability, with no patch in sight.
AirDrop looks for other iPhones and Apple devices that are connected to Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and, if found, will give you the option to share files to those devices. During this discovery process, AirDrop checks your phone numbers and email addresses against the other user’s phone. It’s in this moment that hackers could potentially steal your email address and phone number, just by being within Bluetooth range (around 30 feet) of your device.
The fix? Researchers say to simply disable AirDrop when you’re not using it. That way, your risk of random attacks from hackers goes way down, and you’ll only turn it on when you actually want to share data.
To quickly disable AirDrop, open Control Center on your iPhone (if it has a Home Button, swipe up from the bottom of the display; if it has Face ID, swipe down from the top-right corner of the display). Now, long-press the box in the top-left corner, then tap “AirDrop.” Finally, just tap “Receiving Off” to disable AirDrop. Repeat this step and choose “Contacts Only” or “Everyone” the next time you want to use it.
