iOS 11's Misleading "Off-Ish" Setting for Radios Is Bad for User Security

Post by nindalf » Fri, Oct 06, 2017, 6:26 AM UTC

jsjohnst wrote: post #130

MBCook wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It IS communicated. If you just pull up control center and tap the button is says “Disconnected from ‘WiFiNetwork’”. If you expand the panel with 3D Touch or a long press under the WiFi icon it either says WiFiName or Not Connected. On the other hand the cellular radio says Off if you toggle it. This isn’t completely hidden. The information is there. And I agree with the other posters that this is a far better settin…

> At this point I’m not sure there’s a need for normal users to actually turn off Wi-Fi. Or anyone who doesn’t want to be tracked by random retailers. I worked for one such company, so I know intimately how it works, including how MAC address randomization doesn’t actually work in the real world at completely obscuring your device.

Post by [deleted] » Fri, Oct 06, 2017, 6:31 AM UTC

josteink wrote: post #179

hn_throwaway_99 wrote: post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This decision seems so fundamentally "anti-Apple". What happened to "it just works"? Heck, they could have even promoted a third option as being super innovative (not like it is, but marketing "Now with 'WiFi Safe Sleep!' or something like that would have been the old Apple way).

> hn_throwaway_99 Is really HN so hostile to statements critical of anything Apple does that you actually need to create a throwaway for it? To me, that seems a bit extreme. Edit: Not so throwaway after all then. Didn't consider checking.

Post by LoSboccacc » Fri, Oct 06, 2017, 6:37 AM UTC

robotresearcher wrote: post #107

nkristoffersen wrote: post #96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You're missing out. 3D Touch is pretty powerful and provides access to more than "Useless Options" now.

It still bugs me as very undiscoverable. I don’t want to press things I don’t intend to toggle just to see whats underneath them. Maybe I’ll get used to it but right now I’m old man grumpy.

Post by mtgx » Fri, Oct 06, 2017, 6:46 AM UTC

mikeash wrote: post #56

All they had to do was implement it to cycle between three states: on, off-temporarily, and actually off. Or label the damned things. But no, they fundamentally changed how an important UI widget worked with no obvious indication that anything is different.

Post by mtgx » Fri, Oct 06, 2017, 6:55 AM UTC

beedogs wrote: post #183

jonahx wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> No. It is in an attempt to resolve the real loss of money... Naked apologism. So unthoughtful, and delivered with such a righteous tone. If this was their intention, they could have implemented the feature honestly, informing users about what was happening, and offering a clear choice, such as an immediate popup, between "turn off for this location" and "turn off completely." That would have been fine. But the exis…

> Naked apologism. So unthoughtful, and delivered with such a righteous tone. And, of course, voted up to the very top of the comments section here, as usual. The Apple apologists here are a bit of a plague.