Apple
Apple’s latest iOS update shares your photo data without asking
Apple’s latest iOS 18 update automatically shares photo data with their servers for enhanced visual search, prompting security concerns and a need to turn off the feature in settings.
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Apple’s latest iOS 18 update automatically shares photo data with its servers
Apple’s gotten a bit handsy with your photos again. The Cupertino company’s latest iOS 18 update comes with a little surprise that nobody asked for: it automatically shares your photo data with Apple’s servers.
The feature, dubbed “Enhanced Visual Search,” sounds innocent enough. It’s supposed to help you find landmarks and cool stuff in your photos more easily.
But here’s the kicker: Apple turned it on by default without so much as a “hey, is this cool with you?”
Developer Jeff Johnson first raised the alarm, pointing out what should be blindingly obvious: if your data stays on your device, it’s private. The moment it starts playing ping-pong with Apple’s servers? Not so much.
Sure, Apple swears up and down that everything’s encrypted and your IP address is totally safe.
According to their “Photos & Privacy” page, they can’t even peek at what’s in your photos. But let’s be real – we’ve all seen how well “unhackable” systems work out in the long run.
Why This Matters
Remember all those urgent security updates Apple’s been pushing lately. Each one patching some horrific vulnerability that could’ve let bad actors throw a party in your private data?
Yeah, that’s why people are nervous about this auto-opt-in nonsense.
Security experts are particularly concerned because even a single software bug could turn this helpful feature into a privacy nightmare. And let’s face it – bugs in software are about as rare as cat videos on the internet.
How to Tell Apple to Back Off
If you’ve had enough of Apple’s presumptuous data-sharing, regardless if it’s them or not, Here’s how to shut this thing down:
On iPhone:
- Open Settings
- Scroll to “Apps” and tap it
- Find “Photos” and tap that too
- Scroll all the way down (yes, keep going)
- Look for “Enhanced Visual Search” and flip that switch
Follow along with the interactive how-to below, or click here if you get stuck on a step.
On Mac:
- Open the Photos app
- Click Settings
- Hit General
- Find that same sneaky toggle and shut it down
The Bottom Line
Look, we get it. Apple wants to make our photos more searchable, more organized, more everything. But maybe – just maybe – they could’ve asked first. Like a normal, polite tech company that respects its users’ choices, you know?
For now, at least you know how to take back control. And hey, if you’re one of those people who actually want this feature, more power to you. Just make sure it’s your choice, not Apple’s.
While you’re at it, you might want to update to the latest version of iOS 18 anyway, despite this sneakiness.
There’s apparently a nasty bug in older versions that could let hackers access your data without leaving a trace. Because, of course, there is.
What’s your take on Apple’s sneaky photo-sharing update? Have you already turned off Enhanced Visual Search, or are you keeping it on for convenience? Drop a comment below.
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