Latest news with #TLife
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.
Phone Arena
26-05-2025
- Phone Arena
T-Mobile customers are only now finding that T-Life records their screen
Many T-Mobile customers weren't particularly happy about being forced into using T-Life, which is the go-to app for almost everything. And now, customers may have discovered another reason to not like the app. If you are a T-Mobile user, it's pretty much mandatory to use T-Life. The app is required even for in-store transactions and you might be turned away from stores if you don't have the app on your phone. Some users also complain that the app is buggy and not easy to use. Another thing that annoys many customers is that the app displays ads. And now, customers have come across another red flag. The T-Life app features a screen recording tool that's toggled on by default. As the name implies, the tool records your screen while you are using the app. T-Mobile says it uses the recordings to analyze your information and improve how you use the app. T-Life's screen recording tool records your screen. | Image Credit - Reddit user Remarkable-Cancel862 It's not clear whether the toggle has always existed, but, in any case, it's only now that most people have become aware of it and as expected, there's a bit of a blowback. —Ok_Theory5606, Reddit user, May 2025 While T-Mobile does let you opt out of the setting, perhaps it might have been a better idea if it was the other way around. Since the feature doesn't record your activity outside of the app, some people may not mind it. Also, considering T-Mobile now wants customers to do everything on their own using the app, the tool makes sense, considering it will allow customer service representatives to help those who are struggling. The feature will let them see how you are using the app and assist you if you get stuck. Apparently, the feature will mostly only be used by store representatives to help you with the upgrade process. Some users also claim that the feature kicks in when you shake your phone while using the app when you encounter an error. Doing this sends a screenshot to T-Mobile so that it can fix the issue. —Comprehensive_Bat973, Reddit user, May 2025 The bottom line is that there isn't necessarily anything inherently wrong about the feature. T-Mobile seems to have deployed it to improve the app. However, it might have been a better idea to notify customers about the feature first and make it opt-in. We have contacted T-Mobile for clarification and will update the story when we have a response.
