If i have my phone visibility on

[Android Central Question]

Can other devices transfer anything from my device without me knowing

 

[VidJunky]

Most transfers require verification and/or acceptance. Say you wanted to send a friend a picture via Bluetooth, they have to agree to accept the transfer. If you and a friend link over Bluetooth, say it is someone you share with regularly and the two of you have each others devices set-up to recognize when they are within range and connect, transfers still have to be accepted by the receiver.

Meanwhile more to the point of your question, Bluetooth is not like being networked together. They cannot simply open a file manager and browse your files. File shares have to be initiated by the sender and accepted by the receiver. Links have to be accepted by both parties, so even if someone wanted to connect with you, you would have to accept the link.

It's simple security protocol. Can you imagine if people could simply take what they wanted from anyone with a visible device? That's not to say that staying visible is the most secure thing. About 5 years ago there were big stories about a similar vulnerability with Bluetooth. Users were cautioned against leaving their Bluetooth on because people could hack, for lack of a better term, in and see through the other persons camera and listen in through the mic. I think they might have also been able to view their screen but I'm not sure about that anymore. Meanwhile they've patched that exploit, and you should also remember two things about Bluetooth, file transfers are anything but instant, so even if they knew what it was you were trying to keep private they would have to know where to look. Second Bluetooth isn't a long distance transmitter. Even some of the best headphones are typically only good for 15 to 20 feet, line of sight, so they would have to be pretty close to you.

If you have any other questions or would like to reply to this thread please register an account. This link will help with that... https://forums.androidcentral.com/ask-question/409154-join-android-central-community-new-post.html