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Should I keep iphone Bluetooth On or Off? BT

Please help me decide whether to keep it switched on or off? I rarely use BT for tethering and I've heard BT can be a battery drain so turn it off right? BUT, how about for FindMy (find my iphone)? I've read about the "new" method Apple can use BT to help find a lost iphone (and Mac?). And there may be other functions where having BT toggled on permanently increases performance?

So what is your recommendation? Thx in advance!

iPhone 8, iOS 13

Posted on Jan 21, 2020 9:56 AM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Jan 21, 2020 10:58 AM

There is no added security risk, as iOS lies about your phone’s ID when Wi-Fi or Bluetooth networks query it. It only sends its real ID when you connect to a device or to a Wi-Fi network. Which is a good reason to not use public Wi-Fi, especially in malls and shops as it makes you easily trackable. For an eye-opening view of how pervasive location tracking is see this NY Times exposé:

NY Times tracking article

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Jan 21, 2020 10:58 AM in response to scmesser1

There is no added security risk, as iOS lies about your phone’s ID when Wi-Fi or Bluetooth networks query it. It only sends its real ID when you connect to a device or to a Wi-Fi network. Which is a good reason to not use public Wi-Fi, especially in malls and shops as it makes you easily trackable. For an eye-opening view of how pervasive location tracking is see this NY Times exposé:

NY Times tracking article

Should I keep iphone Bluetooth On or Off? BT

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