Keep your kids safe from creeps by turning off Airdrop

What is Airdrop?

Airdrop allows iphone users to share files such as documents, music or images between devices even if you don’t have the other person’s phone number. Items can be shared between iPhones, iPads and Macs. Airdrop is particularly useful for sharing files that are too big to email or text.

Airdrop works by having the devices physically close to one another – up to around 10 metres. It uses Bluetooth to find other devices that are available to send files to. Your device then creates a peer-to-peer WiFi network connection. You don’t need to be connected to a WiFi network for Airdrop to work.

To use Airdrop, both devices need to have Bluetooth and WiFi turned on.

Why would kids use Airdrop?

There are all sorts of reasons that kids might use Airdrop with their friends! They may share school work, their favourite music, photos and videos, web pages and they can even share things like Tweets from people they follow on Twitter!

Basically, wherever they see the Airdrop share button, they can share that media item with Airdrop.

Here is why teens like Airdrop so much……

Airdop bypasses some of the limits that social media puts on content. With Airdrop, you can share innapropriate content without the risk of getting banned, blocked or reported like you would on a social media platform that have rules and systems in place for innapropriate content.

What are the dangers of Airdrop?

The biggest danger to children is strangers using Airdrop to send innopropriate material to their phones.

If Airdrop is turned on, then others close by can go into Airdrop on their iPhone and see your name (this is your phone name) and pic. If a stranger is in the crowd, then they could potentially identity you. Imagine that a person on the train could identify your child and Airdrop a pornographic video to them..

Recipients can refuse to receive an Airdrop, however, they will have still seen a preview of the shot on their screen.

Airdrop can and has been used to cyberbully and harrass others. To share embarassing photos, innapropriate content and explicit images.

How do you turn off Airdrop on an iPhone or iPad

To manage Airdrop settings, go to:

Settings > General > Airdrop

There are three settings here:

Receving Off means the phone will not receive any AirDrops
Contacts Only means that if someone is not in your contacts list then they cannot send you anything
Everyone allows you to receive Airdrops from anyone close by who also has Airdrop and Bluetooth enabled.

You can stop your child from turning Airdrop back on by using Screen Time settings. Go To:

Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions

Tap Allows Apps. On the Allowed Apps page, toggle off AirDrop.

Make sure that your kids don’t know the Screen Time passcode and while you are in Content & Privacy Restrictions, scroll down to

Allow Changes > Passcode Changes then toggle Don’t Allow.