Android 11 allows users to enable the Wi-Fi-Enhanced MAC randomization. Jack Wallen shows you how.
Image: César Salza/CNET en Español
In the name of privacy, the Google developers made it possible to use a randomized MAC address, starting with Android 8. However, it wasn’t until Android 11 that the default status of MAC randomization was such that users could enable the feature. To make it even more appealing, the randomization of MAC addresses on Android 11 is network based (per SSID).
In other words, every time your device connects to a new network, it can use a randomized MAC address.
Why is this important?
To put it simply: Privacy. If your device uses the same MAC address for everything, it makes it possible for ne’er-do-wells to create a history of your activity, which could lead to far worse things. By making use of randomized MAC addresses, it becomes harder for