iOS 11.2 Beta 3 Introduces Pop-up to Explain Control Center Wi-Fi/Bluetooth Functionality

[Vanilla35]

Which has been proved to not save battery...

My battery drains at least 6-10% more with the WiFi toggle on throughout my workday, then if I turn it off when I leave my home in the morning. This is because I don't use any WiFi while at work, but it's still searching constantly for a WiFi network to use.

I'd rather manually manage my stuff. I don't mind their approach at all, however we definitely should have a long press option to turn completely off, or something else to go on.

 

[strategicthinke]

If not searching or responding to offers to pair, then what's the difference between disconnected and off? And why TF does it have such an impact on my battery?

Because you use Bluetooth passively to be connected to the always-increasing, always more ubiquitous Apple ecosystem. Have you been prompted to input text from your phone while using Apple TV? Bluetooth. Have you used Continuity and Handoff and continued reading a webpage you started on your phone on the iPad or Mac? Bluetooth. Have you received and answered a call from your iPhone on the iPad or Mac or Apple Watch? Bluetooth (and WiFi at the same protocol). Have you used the Apple Pencil? Bluetooth. Have you used the Apple Watch? Bluetooth. When the HomePod is released guess how will you send music to it? Bluetooth (and WiFi, a combination of both). Have you had any friend sending you a bunch of photos saving your cellular data by using AirDrop only to be informed that “you don’t appear” when they try to AirDrop pictures to you? That’s an inconvenience of not having Bluetooth on. You lose a LOT by disconnecting Bluetooth. Now explain to me why, why anyone would want to give up on all that if all they wanted to do by clicking on the Bluetooth connector was just to disconnect a single specific device (like a headphone)? Why the frustrating experience of receiving a call on the phone and then complaining that you didn’t hear the call while using your Mac (and it was supposed to be interconnected)? People are just stupid and stubbornly clinging to ancient ways by keeping their Bluetooth off. Apple should and DOES de-incentivise what is a harmful practice of less-aware customers with the new Control Center toggles. There are many and increasingly uses of passive Bluetooth and that’s why you should never turn it off. Unless you’re a hermit that only uses an iPhone and, apart from that, is completely oblivious to the Apple ecosystem, you should never turn it off. And if you say that you don’t care for any of these things I’ve mentioned, then why are you using Apple products? If anything, the interconnectedness of their products / ecosystem is precisely what they do best. And Apple should NOT accept the lowest common denominator by allowing people to easily turn Bluetooth off. They should help you to use your product correctly. And with the internet of things (want it or not, that’s the future), you should help people to keep their ecosystem working flawlessly. I’m glad changed Bluetooth with iOS 11 so that I don’t lose my Apple Watch all the time I only disconnected a single Bluetooth device. Get along with the times, folks.

 

[fairuz]

I don't think it's much of an issue that it toggles back automatically several hours later. More a problem that the toggle doesn't actually disable the wifi or BT! They're more like "disable auto-joining" features, which could be useful as separate options but surely can't replace the antenna toggles.
[doublepost=1510687372][/doublepost]

Which has been proved to not save battery...

Source? Apple used to say the complete opposite: https://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/41383/does-turning-on-wifi-on-iphone-use-battery

 

[strategicthinke]

I don't think it's much of an issue that it toggles back automatically several hours later. More a problem that the toggle doesn't actually disable the wifi or BT! They're more like "disable auto-joining" features, which could be useful as separate options but surely can't replace the antenna toggles.
[doublepost=1510687372][/doublepost]
Source? Apple used to say the complete opposite: https://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/41383/does-turning-on-wifi-on-iphone-use-battery

Look how old that article is. 2012. Bluetooth and WiFi have come a long way... It’s like comparing today’s cars emissions with cars in the 80s. Remember when you had to change batteries overnight to use a CD Player for a few hours the next day?

 

[splitpea]

Because you use Bluetooth passively to be connected to the always-increasing, always more ubiquitous Apple ecosystem. Have you been prompted to input text from your phone while using Apple TV? Bluetooth. Have you used Continuity and Handoff and continued reading a webpage you started on your phone on the iPad or Mac? Bluetooth. Have you received and answered a call from your iPhone on the iPad or Mac or Apple Watch? Bluetooth (and WiFi at the same protocol). Have you used the Apple Pencil? Bluetooth. Have you used the Apple Watch? Bluetooth. When the HomePod is released guess how will you send music to it? Bluetooth (and WiFi, a combination of both). Have you had any friend sending you a bunch of photos saving your cellular data by using AirDrop only to be informed that “you don’t appear” when they try to AirDrop pictures to you? That’s an inconvenience of not having Bluetooth on. You lose a LOT by disconnecting Bluetooth. Now explain to me why, why anyone would want to give up on all that if all they wanted to do by clicking on the Bluetooth connector was just to disconnect a single specific device (like a headphone)? Why the frustrating experience of receiving a call on the phone and then complaining that you didn’t hear the call while using your Mac (and it was supposed to be interconnected)? People are just stupid and stubbornly clinging to ancient ways by keeping their Bluetooth off. Apple should and DOES de-incentivise what is a harmful practice of less-aware customers with the new Control Center toggles. There are many and increasingly uses of passive Bluetooth and that’s why you should never turn it off. Unless you’re a hermit that only uses an iPhone and, apart from that, is completely oblivious to the Apple ecosystem, you should never turn it off. And if you say that you don’t care for any of these things I’ve mentioned, then why are you using Apple products? If anything, the interconnectedness of their products / ecosystem is precisely what they do best. And Apple should NOT accept the lowest common denominator by allowing people to easily turn Bluetooth off. They should help you to use your product correctly. And with the internet of things (want it or not, that’s the future), you should help people to keep their ecosystem working flawlessly. I’m glad changed Bluetooth with iOS 11 so that I don’t lose my Apple Watch all the time I only disconnected a single Bluetooth device. Get along with the times, folks.

OMG, wall of text. Also, wall of judgement.

I don't use all those other Apple products. I don't want them. I don't have any use for a smart watch or for any television, and don't want to spend money on them. Even if I did, I would connect to them via wifi, not Bluetooth, like I do from phone to laptop. And I would want to decide when my phone does or doesn't waste energy connecting to my TV, for instance.

Why do I use an iPhone? Because I like the form factor and it works well with my Mac laptop. Because I've already invested in developing a workflow around it and don't want to have to start fresh. Because I've already invested in apps for it. Because I don't want to deal with Android malware and having to carefully vet every single app I install. There are plenty of reasons to use Apple without wanting the whole friggin ecosystem.

You respond as if you think that my choice not to use the rest of the ecosystem makes me a "bad" user or incompetent. Wrong. You respond as if wanting to control when and how my devices do and don't connect to one another makes me clueless. Wrong.

Don't assume what I want. Don't assume I don't know how to use the products I've bought and have been using for decades. Don't assume I don't know how I want them to work.

And FFS, don't judge me for picking and choosing Apple products.

 

[millerlite]

I can guarantee that Apple did this so that more people have bluetooth on. When they do, stores can track people and shoot them pop ups or whatever, using that technology that they introduced a few years ago but never seems to have gotten off the ground. I turn off wi-fi and bluetooth to save on battery life. So the fact that I can't easily turn these things completely off means I won't use that function in control center anymore, which is a shame.

 

[fairuz]

Look how old that article is. 2012. Bluetooth and WiFi have come a long way... It’s like comparing today’s cars emissions with cars in the 80s. Remember when you had to change batteries overnight to use a CD Player for a few hours the next day?

Then I want a source saying that wifi no longer uses electricity. Apple's current tips say that "wifi uses less power than a cellular network." So it uses power. Only reason I can see it not mattering is if it uses that even when it's off.

And no, I don't think they've come a long way. They're both still unreliable, BT pairing is still a nightmare, and I still use ethernet.

 

[ddkkpp]

I thought the wifi thing was kind of dumb when it first launched - it didn't actually turn off wifi anymore. HOWEVER, after living with it for the past month, it has solved one of my biggest annoyances with iPhone - network switching.

Whenever I leave a place with wifi and walk to my car, the iPhone desperately clings to the network, rendering the phone useless to look up directions/music streaming, stuff I need when I'm walking to my car. I used to toggle the wifi, and then forget to turn it back on again, eating up huge amounts of data in a day - so I just quit using the phone when I was walking away from a hotspot.

Now though, I can just hit the wifi button and I know I'll reconnect to wifi the next time I'm in range. It's like a way to tell the phone to let go of the wifi network. I hope it doesn't actually turn off wifi for the next 24 hours though - I want it to reconnect when I'm in range of the next wifi network my phone remembers - not stay off!!

 

[spacemnspiff]

I was wrong was added in iOS8 but didn't work as expected until iOS9. https://medium.com/@FredericJacobs/apple-ios-9-security-privacy-features-8d82d9da10eb
[doublepost=1510685333][/doublepost]

Watching one video has bigger impact then leaving BT on.

Thanks, but I didn't Apple's statement, is that officially claimed by Apple?

What happens if one sets the router to MAC ID filtering? Randomized MAC address won't connect?

 

[TheNorthWaves]

Oh Apple, come on. If it needs a popup explainer you're doing it wrong.

 

[spazzcat]

Thanks, but I didn't Apple's statement, is that officially claimed by Apple?

What happens if one sets the router to MAC ID filtering? Randomized MAC address won't connect?

I believe they talked about it at one of the WWDC. Isn't MAC the only way they can track you?

 

[fairuz]

Whenever I leave a place with wifi and walk to my car, the iPhone desperately clings to the network, rendering the phone useless to look up directions/music streaming, stuff I need when I'm walking to my car. I used to toggle the wifi, and then forget to turn it back on again, eating up huge amounts of data in a day - so I just quit using the phone when I was walking away from a hotspot.

iOS 9+ is supposed to handle this automatically by dropping off bad wifi more aggressively. They call the feature "LTE assist" or something, and if you've turned it off, that might be the reason.
[doublepost=1510692545][/doublepost]

Thanks, but I didn't Apple's statement, is that officially claimed by Apple?

What happens if one sets the router to MAC ID filtering? Randomized MAC address won't connect?

I think it only randomizes while scanning, not while authenticating, so that should still work fine. Random MAC addresses during auth and session would probably also wreak havoc with the DHCP server, haha.

In iOS 9, location scans and auto-join scans (until authentication) will be done with randomized MAC addresses too.

And I'm just guessing the problem with non-random MAC addresses was more during scanning because then someone could "drive-by" track people just by setting up access points. If you're actually joining a network, you need to trust it more because there's plenty of other damage they could do (especially goshdarn NTP spoofing... man that needs to be fixed).

 

[jsnuff1]

Here is another example of Apple catering to its mass audience, but leaving its pro users behind. I understand this will make life easier for mom and pop that have no idea what bluetooth is or how it works, but at least give power users the options your taking away.

Is it so hard to have an extra toggle in the settings screens that says "Power off Bluetooth radio in control center." Seriously? Your moms and pops will never see that option or go that deep into settings, at least give your users some options.

Things like this is what makes me want to switch to android aftering having an Apple Phone since Gen 1.

 

[fairuz]

Watching one video has bigger impact then leaving BT on.

Probably true, but a video takes lots of energy. BT still maybe takes enough energy that people would want to disable it in certain situations. And I have it permanently disabled because I don't use it and don't want the security vulnerabilities.

 

[Count Blah]

Where on the control panel does it actually have the words "on" or "off"?

Prior art?

So now we are going to redefine what a lit and unlit symbol means, the standard for on/off for years now?

If you are excusing this behavior, it obviously makes sense to you to have different meanings for the same thing. So I'll stop now

 

[C DM]

I can guarantee that Apple did this so that more people have bluetooth on. When they do, stores can track people and shoot them pop ups or whatever, using that technology that they introduced a few years ago but never seems to have gotten off the ground. I turn off wi-fi and bluetooth to save on battery life. So the fact that I can't easily turn these things completely off means I won't use that function in control center anymore, which is a shame.

How can you guarantee that?

 

[aidler]

Because they are useful and only misleading because they changed what they used to do. In a year this will be moot point because no one will remember what they used to do...

That's where you and Apple are unfortunately and very clearly wrong. People will always remember and expect that an on/off switch or toggle does no other thing then what his name implies.

With iOS 11 you can no long be tracked by wifi.

If Apple ever said something like that they lied. Unless they somehow changed the Wifi spec you can of course always be tracked as long as you do not turn off Wifi which is highly adviced. From a security and privacy perspective that simply the best practice.

But all I want is to temporary disconnect from wifi, the new function works perfect. And guessing Apple has figured out this what most people want, does that mean it will work for everyone, no of course not.

Obviously, they did not care what most people want. The very fact that we need to have this discussion is proof that many and most probably the majority of all customers want to completely disable Wifi and Bluetooth in the control center.
[doublepost=1510704001][/doublepost]

I believe they talked about it at one of the WWDC. Isn't MAC the only way they can track you?

As described in this article

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/MAC_Address_Anonymization

MAC address anonymization can't provide real privacy and is, therefore, no substitute for turning off Wifi.

 

[Gameboy70]

We’re toggling it wrong.

 

[Stridr69]

And still Apple hasn’t embraced the idea of allowing us to fully disable from CC using 3D Touch. They have the technology, & they spent unknown amounts of money to develop it. Sadly 3D Touch feels like a forgotten hobby collecting dust in the background.

While I am complaining, I want my 3D Touch app switcher back, way faster and easier than the slide and hold, or inverted L gesture.

It IS back using 8+ and iOS 11.1.1

 

[840quadra]

It IS back using 8+ and iOS 11.1.1

It’s back on that and my 7, not on the IPhone X

 

[Stridr69]

It’s back on that and my 7, not on the IPhone X

Well THAT sucks!

 

[MacGuy99]

Million mile flier here. I'm afraid you're wrong. In the US, on most airlines, during takeoff and landing all radios need to be disabled. In many other countries, and even on certain aircraft, they have to remain off during the entire flight (I was on one recently that required they be completely powered off and stowed). As they must be around medical equipment, in sensitive facilities, and so forth.

While individual airlines (and countries) may have stricter requirements, since 2013 the FAA only requires cellular radios to be turned off.

From https://www.faa.gov/news/press_releases/news_story.cfm?newsId=15254:

"Cell phones should be in airplane mode or with cellular service disabled – i.e., no signal bars displayed—and cannot be used for voice communications based on FCC regulations that prohibit any airborne calls using cell phones. If your air carrier provides Wi-Fi service during flight, you may use those services. You can also continue to use short-range Bluetooth accessories, like wireless keyboards." (emphasis mine)

While reasonable minds may differ, I personally think it's acceptable for Apple target the Airplane Mode button to the broadest FAA requirement.

[edit: clarity]

 

[DeepIn2U]

For cripes sake, Apple.

I really, really wish they'd finally go the Android route and give users a choice as to what the toggles do. By default, they can do the "until tomorrow" functionality, but with another option in settings of changing them to "actually OFF mode".

I think we all need to write Apple about this.

 

[orthorim]

Maddeningly annoying "feature" - off button that don't actually turn anything off, and that keep turning on again under various random conditions. WTF Apple. Steve Jobs would never have... well who knows.

This pisses me off, it's not what I want, and it's also not in Apple's design playbook - off means off.

I'll make an app to actually turn them on / off and charge 1$ for it...

 

[aidler]

Maddeningly annoying "feature" - off button that don't actually turn anything off, and that keep turning on again under various random conditions. WTF Apple. Steve Jobs would never have... well who knows.

This pisses me off, it's not what I want, and it's also not in Apple's design playbook - off means off.

I'll make an app to actually turn them on / off and charge 1$ for it...

Good idea but I doubt there is a official function in the api to do that.

 

[splitpea]

Maddeningly annoying "feature" - off button that don't actually turn anything off, and that keep turning on again under various random conditions. WTF Apple. Steve Jobs would never have... well who knows.

This pisses me off, it's not what I want, and it's also not in Apple's design playbook - off means off.

I'll make an app to actually turn them on / off and charge 1$ for it...

I would buy that.