Mac "handoff" feature turning itself on -- crazy security/privacy issue

[peterp1]

This is pretty crazy. Tonight I was using my main mac computer, and anything I did on the web on my Firefox browser (Firefox is default for the main computer) was showing up on Safari on my son's Mac . Go to a bank site, it shows up on the other browser of the other Mac. Great!!!!

I tried turning off "sharing" for Safari, turned off iCloud for all apps including Safari, still all web activity was being shared to other mac. After about an hour of searching the interwebs, I found that there is a setting called Handoff that is causing it. It's under System Settings - General - AirDrop & Handoff - Allow Handoff... (https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/hand-off-tasks-between-devices-mchl732d3c0a/mac).

Neither computer has been touched or had any OS/software updates. Both Macs are pretty new, but they've coexisted for months without this happening, but apparently the option turned itself on today for reasons unknown. It's pretty crazy security risk and privacy invasion.

Has anybody had this happen?

 

[init4fun]

Not to be alarmist, but if my computer suddenly started sharing it's activity with another computer, even one in my own household, without being commanded by me to do so, I'd be having a computer professional (in my case my Son) take a look at it to ensure it hasn't been hacked by an outside source to share it's info elsewhere as well.

 

[peterp1]

Not to be alarmist, but if my computer suddenly started sharing it's activity with another computer, even one in my own household, without being commanded by me to do so, I'd be having a computer professional (in my case my Son) take a look at it to ensure it hasn't been hacked by an outside source to share it's info elsewhere as well.

Trust me, I was alarmed! .

It’s an Apple “feature”. The intent of “handoff”is that if you are switching between different Macs in your house, it picks up where you left off on the other Macs. I never knew this existed, From looking omline three’s a bug where it sometimes turns itself off, and sometimes on apparently. It’s not a hack, quite certain of that, but something Mac users with more than one Mac on the same account should be aware of, especially since there appears to be a bug that causes it to turn on by itself.

 

[YY1]

That's why I don't want "an account" maintained by the manufacturer of my computer.

 

[init4fun]

Trust me, I was alarmed! .

It’s an Apple “feature”. The intent of “handoff”is that if you are switching between different Macs in your house, it picks up where you left off on the other Macs. I never knew this existed, From looking omline three’s a bug where it sometimes turns itself off, and sometimes on apparently. It’s not a hack, quite certain of that, but something Mac users with more than one Mac on the same account should be aware of, especially since there appears to be a bug that causes it to turn on by itself.

Honestly I'm VERY happy & relieved for you to hear that!

While I'm all well & good with using them, my "trust factor" with computers ain't, shall we say, on "best friends" status......

 

[peterp1]

Honestly I'm VERY happy & relieved for you to hear that!

While I'm all well & good with using them, my "trust factor" with computers ain't, shall we say, on "best friends" status......

I have very much of a love/hate relationship with Apple. Pretty strong love for many elements (the hardware is (generally) super high quality and more importantly for me the OS is solid and secure), and pretty strong hate for others (too long a list to mention).

Every upgrade of Apple phones/computers and software has been seamless, but every one also includes things they have taken away, some obvious (headphone, USB, etc) and many things that silently just don't work any more that have been very impactful for me. Great bones on the OS and basic hardware, very bad decisions by the business in many, many areas. The handoff self-enabling just makes me shake my head. I'm even less a fan of PC/Windows (though modern Windows (10+) is quite competent on security/performance, versus the early days). If I had time, I'd move to Linux for my main computer, but I'm not likely to have time for that any time soon.