Latest news with #ScreenRecording
CNET
28-05-2025
- Business
- CNET
T-Mobile Says It's Not Spying on You. What the New Screen Recording Tool Actually Does
Some T-Mobile customers during the past week have been surprised to discover a new -- and enabled by default -- feature in the T-Life app called "Screen recording tool." In light of recent iffy recording tools such as Microsoft's Recall AI feature in Windows, seeing a feature that records the contents of your screen is bound to raise privacy concerns. How to disable Screen recording tool if you see it If you're a T-Mobile subscriber, you can check if this new option has been turned on by opening the T-Life app, tapping Manage and then tapping Settings (the gear icon). The Screen recording tool option shows up under the Preferences heading. If the option is there, tap it to reveal a description and a toggle switch. The description reads: "We use a tool to record how customers use the app to analyze and improve your experience. Only T-Mobile will review and analyze your info. If you turn this toggle on or magenta, we will record your screen while you use the app. If you turn this toggle off or gray, we will not record your screen." To disable the feature, tap the switch so it becomes gray. (The "magenta" and "gray" in the text refer to the color of the toggle switch to indicate whether it's active or not, respectively.) Why T-Mobile stands behind the new feature When I reached out to the company for more information, a T-Mobile spokesperson defended the feature as designed to improve the user experience. "To help us give customers who use T-Life a smoother experience, we are rolling out a new tool in the app that will help us quickly troubleshoot reported or detected issues," the spokesperson said. "This tool records activities within the app only and does not see or access any personal information. If a customer's T-Life app currently supports the new functionality, it can be turned off in the settings under preferences." According to a post on droidlife, which earlier referenced the issue, the new option shows up on both iPhone and Android phones. Why opt-in is so important On the face of it, the Screen recording tool appears to do what it says, and the fact that it's limited to just the T-Life app is a reasonable, and expected, limitation. But as with all potential privacy issues, the fact that T-Mobile is enabling the feature by default has rightly made customers suspicious. It should be off initially, and if an issue arises that would require screen recording, then get permission from the phone owner to turn it on. T-Mobile in fact has a similar example within the T-Life app. There's another screen recording feature that is completely separate from this new Screen recording tool. In the app's settings, under Help & support, is Screen Share, which can be used during a support call. It allows a T-Mobile expert to view your phone's screen while troubleshooting an issue. It requires several steps and requires you to consent to having your screen recorded before allowing a support expert to connect to the app. If you've ever tried to help a friend or family member over the phone and asked them to describe what's on the screen, you'll appreciate how helpful it can be to view what they're seeing directly.
CNET
28-05-2025
- Business
- CNET
T-Mobile Responds to New App Setting That Records Your Phone's Screen
Some T-Mobile customers accessing the carrier's T-Life app on their phones are discovering a new suspicious-sounding option that's on by default: Screen Recording Tool. Understandably, a setting that records the contents of your screen raises privacy concerns. That's especially true lately as Microsoft continues to roll out its controversial Recall AI feature in Windows that stores snapshots in the background. If you're a T-Mobile subscriber, you can check if this new option has been turned on by opening the T-Life app, tapping Manage and then tapping Settings (the gear icon). The Screen recording tool option shows up under the Preferences heading. A T-Mobile spokesperson defended the feature as designed to improve the user experience. "To help us give customers who use T-Life a smoother experience, we are rolling out a new tool in the app that will help us quickly troubleshoot reported or detected issues," the spokesperson said. "This tool records activities within the app only and does not see or access any personal information. If a customer's T-Life app currently supports the new functionality, it can be turned off in the settings under preferences." The description in the app for the Screen recording tool echoes the same intent, but the fact that the option is on by default is no doubt what's making customers justifiably concerned. It reads: "We use a tool to record how customers use the app to analyze and improve your experience. Only T-Mobile will review and analyze your info. If you turn this toggle on or magenta, we will record your screen while you use the app. If you turn this toggle off or gray, we will not record your screen." (The "magenta" and "gray" refer to the color of the toggle switch to indicate whether it's active or not, respectively.) According to a post on droidlife, which earlier referenced the issue, the new option shows up on both iPhone and Android phones. However, I'll note that it hasn't yet appeared on my test devices. The T-Life app includes another screen recording feature that is completely separate from this new Screen recording tool. In the app's settings, under Help & support, is Screen Share, which can be used during a support call. It allows a T-Mobile expert to view your phone's screen while troubleshooting an issue. If you've ever tried to help a friend or family member over the phone and asked them to describe what's on the screen, you'll appreciate how helpful it can be to view what they're seeing directly.
Android Authority
27-05-2025
- Business
- Android Authority
T-Life is slowly rolling out a Screen Record feature, but what exactly is it for?
Joe Maring / Android Authority TL;DR A new 'Screen Recording' setting has appeared in the T-Mobile T-Life app, first for iPhone 16 users and now slowly rolling out to some Android devices. While the feature may be intended for app usage analysis or troubleshooting, its silent and default rollout has raised privacy concerns in the community. T-Mobile has not yet provided an official explanation, so users are advised to disable the setting until more information is available. Late last week, some iPhone 16 users began noticing a new Screen Recording setting within the T-Mobile T-Life app, as first reported by Ok_Theory5606 on Reddit. I initially missed this news over the long Memorial Day weekend, but while catching up on Reddit today, I saw that this feature has since started appearing on a handful of other devices (as noted in this thread), including several Android models like the Galaxy S25 and Galaxy S23 Ultra. So, what exactly is this Screen Recording feature? It might be easy to jump to sensational conclusions and claim that T-Mobile is outright watching you, but it's more likely that the feature is designed to track your basic movements throughout the app to better understand usage patterns. It's very unlikely that it is able to watch your whole screen, as that would require a lot more permissions than the app utilizes. Instead, this kind of data can likely be used to help troubleshoot issues, improve app layout, and refine the deals and offers shown to users. Of course, there's also the possibility it could open the door to less savory activities, such as selling user data to third parties or unintentionally making it easier for hackers to learn more about T-Mobile customers. I decided to contact T-Mobile for more details on this new change. While I haven't heard back yet, I'll update this article with any official statement if and when I receive one. Based on what we do know, some users might assume this new Screen Recording function could enable employees to access your phone during a customer service session to help troubleshoot an issue. That said, there was already a Screen Share option in the old T-Life app, and that setting remains present here as well. For now, all we can do is speculate about the feature's real purpose. Based on comments from various Redditors, here's what we know so far: iPhone 16 users were the first to see this change, and it still appears to be the most widely affected group. There have been alleged reports of the feature reaching select Android users on devices like the Galaxy S25 and Galaxy S23 series over the past 24 hours or so. The update appears to be rolling out incrementally, but it's unclear whether it will eventually be introduced to all Android and iPhone devices, or if it only affects certain models. Hopefully, T-Mobile will provide its users with more information about this change in the coming days. Regardless of how T-Mobile intends to use the collected data, my biggest concern is that this setting is being rolled out so quietly — and with it enabled by default. For iPhone users with the modified app, you'll find the setting under Manage > Settings Gear > Screen Recording Tool. For Android users, the exact location may vary slightly. If this is simply an internal function being tested, why make it enabled by default? Until we get more clarity, I'd recommend disabling this setting if you happen to have it. I will say these kinds of games are why I continue to recommend prepaid over postpaid for most users. Got a tip? Talk to us! Email our staff at Email our staff at news@ . You can stay anonymous or get credit for the info, it's your choice.
