Latest news with #Neowin
Time of India
09-07-2025
- Time of India
WhatsApp privacy alert: Gemini AI can access message previews even when turned off. What to do now?
Google has begun rolling out a new update for its Gemini AI assistant, which now allows deeper interaction with system apps including Phone, Messages, WhatsApp, and Utilities. The change, which took effect on July 7, was communicated to Android users through an email that left many confused due to its vague wording. According to the message, Gemini will assist with app usage 'even if you've turned off Gemini Apps Activity,' raising questions about how much control users actually have. On its official support page, Google explained that Gemini Apps provide 'direct access to Google AI,' and that interactions with Gemini are temporarily stored—up to 72 hours—even if the user has opted out of activity tracking. This means that even with Gemini activity turned off, data from messaging apps like WhatsApp may still be processed and stored briefly. What Does Gemini Actually Do With Your Messages? While Gemini's expanded access is intended to help users perform tasks like sending messages or setting reminders via voice commands or Assistant features, the lack of clarity around data usage is what has triggered concern. Some privacy advocates and users believe this could compromise personal information. According to Google, Gemini does not train its AI on your data, and interactions are stored only temporarily to ensure the service's functionality and safety. However, as highlighted by Neowin, even when not actively reading your chats, Gemini may still access and respond to WhatsApp messages through Android's notification system or utility functions—particularly when used in combination with Google Assistant. This level of access may include reading message previews, images, and potentially sending replies on your behalf. How to Limit or Disable Gemini Access If users are uncomfortable with this level of integration, Google does provide options—though limited—for managing Gemini's activity: Turn Off Gemini Apps Activity Open the Gemini app. Tap the profile icon on the top-right corner. Select 'Gemini Apps Activity.' Use the toggle to disable the feature. Limit App-Level Access In the Gemini app, tap your profile picture again. Select 'Apps.' Choose which apps Gemini is allowed to connect with. Fully Disable Gemini You can also disable the Gemini app altogether if you want to prevent any interaction or tracking. It's important to note that even after turning off the activity feature, Google will still retain your data for up to 72 hours for what it claims is safety and security purposes. Broader AI Integration Raises Red Flags The concerns surrounding Gemini echo similar controversies involving other tech giants. Earlier this year, Microsoft faced backlash over its Recall feature in Windows 11, which captured screenshots of user activity, including messages. Only apps like Signal were able to prevent this tracking. Meta also faced criticism when its AI tool was embedded into WhatsApp chats, although users can now block that integration. The common thread across these developments is a growing unease over AI systems having near-unrestricted access to private data without explicit or informed user consent.
Forbes
07-07-2025
- Forbes
Google Starts Checking If Your PC Can Switch To Windows 11
Windows 10 users — it's time to move. As much as Microsoft would like PC owners to use its Edge browser, that's just not the case. Chrome has five times as many Windows users as Edge, which makes Google's browser the de facto default for Windows users around the world. That makes Google's confirmation that Chrome is now checking if a PC 'is capable of being upgraded to Win11' interesting. As spotted by Windows Latest, this data will help 'influence Google's decision to support the browser in future.' Around half of all Windows users still run Windows 10, even as Windows 11 overtakes its market share for the first time. Those Windows 10 users divide into around 400 million PCs eligible to upgrade to Windows 11 and around 240 million that can't. Those numbers are critical. As I've commented before, Microsoft's recent decision to extend security support for Windows 10, even on PCs eligible to upgrade, risks slowing down the transition to the more secure Windows 11, delaying the cliff edge 12 months. It would be better to force all PCs that can upgrade to do so, and only extend support for those that can't, giving those users a year's grace to buy new hardware. Windows 11 finally overtakes Windows 10 On that note, Windows 10 holdouts will have see recent reports into Microsoft 'quietly downloading and installing' the KB5001716 update on Windows 10 PCs. As Neowin points out, 'the tech giant pushes this update out whenever it wishes to force-install a new feature update onto PCs.' Microsoft says that 'after this update is installed, Windows may periodically display a notification informing you of problems that may prevent Windows Update from keeping your device up-to-date and protected against current threats.' This includes notifying you 'that your device is currently running a version of Windows that has reached the end of its support lifecycle, [or] does not meet the minimum hardware requirements for the currently installed version of Windows.' All told, any Windows 10 users expecting a quiet ride until October 2026 after taking Microsoft's free 12-month support extension could be in a for a rude awakening. Those warnings will not stop. Put mopre simply — if you can upgrade, you should.
Yahoo
27-06-2025
- Yahoo
A second Windows 11 bug takes suspicious aim at Google Chrome — and the same Microsoft app is to blame
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Last Friday, we reported on an issue in Windows 11 where Google Chrome would simply refuse to launch. Chrome's support manager, Ellen T., confirmed that the team had investigated the problem and pinned it on Microsoft's Family Safety feature, but users were provided with a quick workaround instead of an official fix. The workaround? Either disable the 'Filter inappropriate websites' option under Family Safety or, oddly enough, rename the file to Microsoft still hasn't rolled out an official fix, but it has finally acknowledged the issue while confirming another bug impacting Chrome users, too. As reported by Neowin, Microsoft confirmed one more issue affecting Google Chrome users on Windows via a new Microsoft Learn entry. The entry was opened on Tuesday, June 24, and it hasn't been updated since. The new bug Microsoft has identified also has to do with the Family Safety feature that caused the issue we reported on earlier. However, instead of the feature causing Chrome to crash entirely, the feature just… doesn't work. The Redmond-based giant explains that the Web Content Filtering system relies on a block list to prevent browsers from accessing inappropriate search results and websites. Unless a browser version is added to the block list, it won't be, well, blocked — even if content filtering is turned on for the account. Something that, in the Microsoft Learn entry, the tech giant admitted to not having done with the latest version of Chrome and several other browsers. Due to this mistake on Microsoft's end, the browsers not added to the list might temporarily appear unblocked. Thankfully, Microsoft confirmed that it's currently working on updating the block list. The Redmond-based giant also touched on the issue we've already talked about in our previous article, which is causing Google Chrome and 'some browsers' to shut down unexpectedly. PCs with Parental Controls enabled typically receive a parental approval message: 'You'll need to ask to use this app.' Once a parent approves, the child gains access to the browser. However, this bug is causing the browser to shut down immediately without the prompt even appearing. Microsoft has pinpointed that this issue is only observed when the Activity reporting feature is disabled. The suggested workaround is to enable Activity reporting under Windows settings in Family Safety. Once the feature is enabled, parents will begin to receive approval requests as usual. The issues discussed above are affecting Windows 10 version 22H2 and Windows 11 versions 22H2, 23H2, and 24H2. Microsoft's confirmed that it's actively working on resolving both the above issues, and will update the support document when it has more information. What's great is that the tech giant has finally acknowledged the issue and provided a workaround to the Google Chrome crashing problem. Considering Microsoft has had quite the rocky history with Google Chrome, it's frankly a bit odd that both issues seem to primarily be affecting Chrome. Microsoft has a history of targeting Chrome (the world's most popular web browser) directly in various ways, including publishing a guide on 'how to uninstall Google Chrome,' displaying pop-up ads promoting Edge in the Chrome app, and interrupting users who search for Google Chrome using its Edge browser, just to name a few. Are both bugs genuine, or are they simply another attempt by Microsoft to push users toward Edge instead of Chrome? In this instance, I guess we'll never know. I quit Google Chrome after 15 years: Here's where I ended up and why Why I ditched Google Chrome for Microsoft Edge (and haven't looked back Microsoft doesn't want to tell you how to uninstall Microsoft Edge
Forbes
23-05-2025
- Forbes
Microsoft's Emergency Windows Update—Stop Blue Screen Of Death
How to stop the dreaded BSOD Microsoft has issued an emergency update after users were hit by May's mandatory security update breaking Windows. 'Windows 10 might repeatedly display the BitLocker recovery screen at startup,' Microsoft confirmed, pointing any affected users the newly issued out of bounds update via its Update Catalog. Windows Latest was first to note the escalating issue, noting that 'the KB5058379 install starts, but ends up at 'Enter the recovery key to get going again (Keyboard layout: US)' screen, and there's a text field to add the recovery key.' There were some reports of the dreaded blue screen of death (BSOD) as well, albeit this was primarily a Bitlocker issue and only for Windows 10 users yet to upgrade. But those BSOD reports were timely, given Microsoft's update just a week earlier. Neowin was first to note that 'Microsoft has shared steps on how users will be able to troubleshoot and hopefully fix' BSODs when they hit. The company updated a support document, which before has simply advised users turn to 'Safe Mode troubleshooting and the Get Help app,' but which now offered much more of a guide. 'Blue Screen errors,' the company explains, '(also called bug checks, STOP code errors, kernel errors, or BSOD errors) can occur if a serious problem causes Windows to shut down or restart unexpectedly to protect itself from data loss.' What you'll see is a message warning '"Windows has been shut down to prevent damage to your computer.' It's the dreaded moment, Neowin says, 'most Windows users must have experienced once in their lives.' Microsoft breaks its guidance into two parts. First is 'basic troubleshooting' that should work for everyone, and comprises six fairly easy to follow steps: For more expert users, Microsoft also lists three 'advanced troubleshooting' tips: Meanwhile, if you've been hit with the latest issues, Windows Latest says 'once you've installed the update, you'll no longer run into BitLocker or Blue Screen of Death errors.' But for those 'stuck on the blue screen with automatic recovery failing,' the website has provided its own guidance to 'manually turn off Intel TXT from BIOS,' after which you can install Microsoft's emergency out-of-band update. 'To turn off Intel TXT and the BitLocker recovery screen loop, follow these steps:
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Yahoo
Microsoft Fixes Windows 11 Update That Broke Dual-Boot Linux Systems
A Windows security update released in August 2024, known as KB5041585, caused issues for users running dual-boot systems with Windows 11 and various Linux products like Ubuntu, Debian, and Linux Mint, as reported by Neowin. The update was meant to add new Secure Boot Advanced Targeting (SBAT) protections to block outdated and probable vulnerable bootloaders by checking the Secure Boot DBX, a database of blacklisted UEFI executables. However, Microsoft says the update did not always correctly detect customized dual-boot setups. As a result, some users saw their Linux systems fail to start, receiving a 'Verifying shim SBAT data failed: Security Policy Violation' error. Microsoft responded a few days later with a workaround that required users to change system policies and edit the Windows Registry. The company explained that the SBAT update should not have been applied to devices with dual-boot configurations, but the detection process missed some customized setups and incorrectly enforced the new security settings. Earlier this week, Microsoft released a fix as part of the May 2025 Patch Tuesday update, KB5058405. The update corrects the SBAT detection logic, restoring Linux boot functionality for affected users.
