Cell phone owners around the world are being warned to check their Wi-Fi settings due to a little-known privacy issue with Android cell phones.
A viral TikTok video has revealed that simply turning off Wi-Fi on an Android device doesn’t mean it won’t work and it can still run in the background.
WATCH IN THE VIDEO ABOVE: How to Really Turn Off Wi-Fi on Android Phones.
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TikTok star @tatechtips shared the advice in a video, advising users to check their Wi-Fi scan settings.
“Turning off Wi-Fi doesn’t mean you’ve turned off Wi-Fi,” he said.
The video went on to explain that users should go to “Location Services” in the settings and then to “WiFi scanning,” which will prompt an option whether apps can “use Wi-Fi for location detection, even if Wi-Fi is turned off.”
“So that means if you have Wi-Fi turned off, but you scan on, your phone is still constantly sending requests for Wi-Fi,” he said.
“So if you want an extra level of privacy, turn off your Wi-Fi scanning as well.”
The video has garnered more than 67,000 likes, with many users commenting that they had no idea Wi-Fi could still be working in the background.
“Thanks, I’ve always wanted to disable it, but never knew how,” said one user.
“Thanks. More privacy the better. Please turn it off immediately,” added another.
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