Apple is usually all about privacy, but sometimes it makes choices that aren’t super clear. One example is a feature in the Photos app called “Enhanced Visual Search” ๐ง. This tool is on by default and shares some of your photo data with Apple.
When I checked my iPhone 15 Pro this morning, I saw that the setting was already turned on. You can check yours by going to Settings > Photos (or System Settings > Photos on a Mac). So, what does it do?
This feature helps you identify places or landmarks in your photos ๐ฐ๐. For example, if you take a picture of a cool building and swipe up, there’s an option called “Look Up Landmark.” Tap it, and your phone will try to figure out what the building is. Pretty handy, right?
Here’s the catch: to make this work, Apple takes a super-secure version of your photo data and compares it with its database ๐๐ธ. Apple says the data is private and encrypted, but the real issue is that they didn’t ask for your permission first. Instead, they just turned it on for everyone.
This feels a bit off because Apple usually lets you opt into things like sharing Siri recordings or analytics. Wouldn’t it make more sense if they did the same here? ๐คท♂️
If you’re not cool with this, you can turn it off:
1️⃣ Go to Settings > Photos.
2️⃣ Look for “Enhanced Visual Search” and switch it off.
Now you’re in control! ๐ Remember, it’s okay to enjoy cool features, but it’s also okay to protect your privacy when something feels a little weird. What do you think—helpful feature or privacy problem? ๐ค
