How to Prevent Unauthorized Access to Bluetooth Speakers
Don’t you hate it when you want to jam to your favorite song, but someone else’s music starts to blast on your Bluetooth speaker? Or your neighbors keep using your speakers for their entertainment, preventing you from using your device? This isn’t just annoying and frustrating but also a serious security concern.
The internet is all fun and games until you get your private and essential data leaked. You might think that connectivity with your Bluetooth speaker can’t possibly cause much security damage, but hackers can use this connection to steal important information further. That is why you should be extremely cautious with your Bluetooth connectivity, even the one with your Bluetooth speakers.
How to Prevent Unauthorized Access to Bluetooth Speakers
When it comes to connecting devices with your Bluetooth speakers, there are two steps. To pair devices you need to press a series of keys or hold a button for an extended period. This is not permanent and is short-lived. Once a device pairs with your Bluetooth speaker, it can be easily connected, disconnected, or reconnected at will. This is called connecting.
Thus, it becomes incredibly annoying when a device keeps connecting and reconnecting to your speakers. There are several ways in which you can keep your Bluetooth speakers safe and secure from unauthorized and unwanted devices. These are simple and easy to follow and will also help enhance your overall Bluetooth speaker experience.
1. Use a Security Code
Due to advancements in technology, many new gadgets are manufactured with advanced security features. Similarly, more recent models of Bluetooth speakers come with the option of a security code. This is done, so your private information is kept safe from hackers.
This is an effortless way of keeping your speakers secure and safe from unwanted users. Devices will require code to access, and those devices that do not have the necessary security code to connect with your speakers will not be able to connect.
Most speakers have a default code of either 0000 or 1234 and cannot be changed, but some Bluetooth speakers allow changes. But if your speakers don’t, no worries, as you can use other prevention methods to keep your speakers from being used by just anyone.
2. Turn Off When Not in Use
Your speakers not only remain safe by turning them OFF when not in use, but it also increases the battery life of your device. Furthermore, as soon as you turn your speakers on, you should connect your device with them instantly so no other device can connect.
As most Bluetooth speakers can only connect with one device at a time, this will keep other devices from connecting with your speakers. Mostly, Bluetooth speakers require a button to be pressed for initial pairing, so not anyone can connect with your device.
Some hackers can even hijack your speakers when it is turned OFF. That is why after turning your speakers off, you should set them to undiscovered or invisible for extra precautionary measures to ensure that you remain safe from hackers as well as people who might want to use your device for fun.
3. Turn Visibility Off
After turning OFF your speakers, you should also keep the visibility of your device to undiscovered. By doing so, you stop other devices from viewing your Bluetooth speaker’s name in their “available devices” list, and they won’t connect to your device even when it is turned ON.
Most devices automatically connect when their Bluetooth is turned ON. But when you set your speakers on the undiscovered setting, it’s like your speakers wear an invisibility cloak. This way, you can use your speakers with any security breaches or connectivity issues.
Additionally, always make sure to configure your device so not anyone can connect with your spears and use them without your knowledge. Most devices connect automatically without your knowledge, so if your speakers are configured, other devices will require you to accept their request for connecting to your speakers. You can easily accept those requests you want to while declining the unnecessary ones.
4. Unpair Unnecessary Devices
When it comes to Bluetooth connectivity, the first thing that devices need to do is pair with your speakers. You need to press certain buttons for this process and this process is rather temporary. But once paired, these devices can connect, disconnect, and reconnect according to will.
You can get rid of paired devices by simply unpairing those devices from your setting. You can do this by accessing your device’s setting, turning ON the Bluetooth, then checking the “connected device” list, and clicking unpair or forget on the devices you want to stop from using your speakers.
If there is no option to unpair or clear your speakers, then you go ahead and reset your speakers to factory settings. After doing so, you can reconnect your device to the speakers only, and only you will be able to use your speakers or those who you allow.
5. Install Software Updates
As technology is advancing, so are the risks of security breaches and privacy invasion via the internet. Due to the rise of privacy invasion, software companies are also strengthening their security to fight against such attacks so they can protect your data from breaches of privacy.
That is why you should install a Bluetooth App you don’t have and stay up-to-date with the security updates. As soon as advanced security features are updated, it would help if you considered installing them so your Bluetooth speakers remain safe from unauthorized access.
This is a straightforward and simple way of staying secure from unnecessary devices connecting to your Bluetooth speakers. With up-to-date security installments, your heart will also be at ease as you will know that you are well protected.
6. Use an Audio Jack
The fascinating thing about Bluetooth speakers is that no wires need to be connected and then the hassle of untangling them. When the plug is pulled it causes a disturbance. Also, it completely ruins the mood because the music comes to a halt.
Most Bluetooth speakers still have an audio jack for a wired connection. This feature can be convenient from keeping unauthorized devices to access your speakers. Take an old headphone set, cut off the jack, and plug it into your speaker’s audio jack.
Or you can also insert an AUX cable. No other device can access your Bluetooth speakers, once you plug in a cable or audio jack. You should try this with a trusted person to see if this works for you before you experiment with this method in public.
In Conclusion
Bluetooth speakers have become an essential part of our lives. They give us the ease of providing good quality sound in multiple events we partake in like weddings, baby showers, parties, or even simply listening to music and all without the hassle of dealing with wires or cords tangled or too short, etc.
Although they are very convenient for us, they’re also very suitable for others to hijack or hack for their benefits. People can embarrass or annoy you by playing the wrong music and stealing and leaking personal data. Moreover, hackers can use your Bluetooth speaker’s connection to spread malware which can corrupt your devices.
That is the reason why you need to be exceptionally careful when it comes to the accessibility of your Bluetooth devices and even your speakers. You should configure your speakers. So whenever a device wants to connect with them, it needs your permission to access your speakers.
Having a security code is also very helpful. You should always set the device’s visibility to undiscovered, and you should turn OFF your speakers when not in use. All these steps ensure that your privacy remains secure while using your Bluetooth speakers.
