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Comment by DavideNL | Hacker News Reader

Perhaps because bars can also store the devices MAC address which helps identify it...

(recent iOS devices use random MAC addresses by the way for improved privacy in which case i think this wouldn't help/identify a device anymore.)

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Randomized MAC addresses is a neat idea, it also helps bust through the time limits of free WiFi that only give you something like 30 minutes per day (because they use the MAC to identify if you've used up your 30 minutes).

Android version 10 or over uses randomized MAC adresses by default, as well.

No they don't.

Just like iOS they use these randoms when scanning, NOT when connected (static IP's would otherwise not work anymore).

iOS 14 adds actually random MAC addresses: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT211227

Thank you (and the other responder for the Android information too).

I stand corrected.

The observed behavior on my Pixel is that it generates a new, random MAC whenever you connect to a new network. It reuses that MAC for that network going forward. It does not ever use the "real" MAC unless you specifically select that in the settings.

https://source.android.com/devices/tech/connect/wifi-mac-ran...

> In Android 10, MAC randomization is enabled by default for client mode, SoftAp, and Wi-Fi Direct.

It randomizes per-SSID, so you get a random MAC per SSID you remember on your phone, this ensures privacy while not breaking DHCP / static IP etc.

What happens if you hit forget network? Does it also forget the MAC address for that network so you use a new MAC if you join the network again?

Just tested on my home network and it picked a new random MAC.

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