How to troll strangers over AirDrop with pictures of sloths

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Photo: Ken Mayer / Flickr (CC)
Trolling with sloths. Photo: Ken Mayer / Flickr (CC)

AirDrop on iOS makes it easier to share images and other files with the people around you than ever before, but it’s also a great way to troll innocent bystanders with space sloths. But there’s a way to protect yourself.

Josh Lowensohn of The Verge uses the train to get to work in San Francisco every morning. He noticed on his daily commute that all of the people around him tended to be using iPhones or iPads, and most of these people had their devices configured to accept AirDrop requests.

So he did what any mischievous imp would start doing. He started sending out images of space sloths to the people around him.

I use it to send photos of sloths to strangers. And not just any sloths, but sloths wearing spacesuits.

I’ve done it perhaps a hundred times, and the thrill has not waned one little bit. I’ve seen reactions that range from amused to confused, but never has anyone been visibly angered. Part of the act involves a poker face and pretending to be doing something more important so as not to be caught.

Funny, but of course, this same technique could be used by people around you to drop a Lemon Party or a Goatse.cx on your screen when you least expect it. Luckily, configuring AirDrop to be more secure is pretty easy: just open Control Center by swiping up on the bottom of your screen, tap AirDrop, then select “Contacts Only” instead of the default “Anyone.”

Voila! Now you’re safe from space sloths!

Source: The Verge

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