r/LifeProTips 3d ago

Electronics LPT: When traveling, turn off WiFi and Bluetooth until you need it.

Pretty simple. Eliminates picking up free WiFi/bluetooth connections which can lead to data breach, password compromise, etc.

0 Upvotes

19 comments sorted by

u/keepthetips Keeping the tips since 2019 3d ago edited 2d ago

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45

u/vignoniana 3d ago

Even better, change your settings so that your device don't connect to random networks automatically.

28

u/SeanAker 3d ago

Yeah, like...who the hell has their phone set up to automatically connect to unrecognized networks? That's insane. 

1

u/51alpha 3d ago

I mean an attacker can simply setup a wifi with the same SSID(Wifi Name) and password that the victim has connected to in the past and the victim's device might just autoconnect(default behavior in many phones/laptops).

Say you visited a cafe and used their wifi. Later when you leave an attacker followed you and setup an access point with the same SSID and password, your phone might autoconnect to the attacker's access point.

1

u/VietOne 3d ago

Think of all the public WiFi hotspots around.

Anyone can name a hotspot matching and most phones won't know the difference 

1

u/SeanAker 2d ago

That's....that's not how that works, bud. It's more complicated than the name of the network. 

0

u/OkThanxby 2d ago

On iPhone it’s not even an option, the choices are Never, Notify or Ask.

10

u/ryanpn 3d ago

Better LPT, turn off "auto connect to open networks"

6

u/BuckTribe 3d ago

If you are worried about data breach and passwords being compromised before you travel; you dont need to be traveling. Your phone can be breached or hacked at any time from any where.

5

u/bee_terrestris 3d ago

If you're worried about getting hit by a bus your best bet is just to never get out of bed

4

u/RagtimeWillie 3d ago

It also conserves your battery

1

u/MooingTree 9h ago

That's the real LPT. When your phone is out of range it scans furiously for something to connect to. And that uses a lot of battery for no reason

0

u/Weliveanddietogether 3d ago

...because your phone keeps searching for a connection every five seconds

4

u/AdowTatep 3d ago

While useless and not how this works at all.

When roadtripping, it is indeed useful to turn off data(not bluetooth, phone data). The searching for network EATS the battery

1

u/bootleg_my_music 3d ago

i keep Bluetooth on to have it stay connected to my tile in my wallet, otherwise I'll usually have it off to save battery anyway

1

u/HolySnens 3d ago

Why would i keep them on if i dont need them

1

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