(Credit: Cheng Xin/Getty Images)
T-Mobile customers have spotted a new change to the app you use to interact with the carrier. The T-Life app now has a screen-recording feature turned on by default for some users, and it’s rolling out across the country. You may already have it on your iPhone or Android device.
The move might raise privacy concerns, but T-Mobile says the feature is designed to improve the user experience. A spokesperson tells CNET, "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. This tool records activities within the app only and does not see or access any personal information."
It’s unclear how this will help T-Mobile troubleshoot problems, but the fact that it’s designed to only record within the app should assuage those who are worried it's recording everything you do on your phone.
In a description for the feature within the app, T-Mobile promises that only the carrier will review and analyze any information sent from the recording.
You can also toggle the feature on and off within the app itself. The description says, “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."
Tap Manage on the app’s home screen, then Settings > Preferences. Under Screen recording tool, you’ll find the option to turn off the feature.
Even if the feature isn’t turned on by default at the moment, you may want to check again in the future to see if you've been updated.
For specific problems with the carrier, the app also offers a screen-sharing tool within the Help & Support section of the T-Life app so you can share your screen with a member of T-Mobile staff.