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Meta AI edits your camera roll for better Facebook posts

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Meta AI edits your camera roll for better Facebook posts

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Your phone is full of photos you’ve never posted, moments you meant to share but never got around to. That’s exactly what Facebook wants to change. It now uses Meta AI to spot hidden gems in your camera roll, polish them, and create simple collages you can share. You take the pictures, and Facebook helps turn them into easy, ready-to-share memories. No design skills required.

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Why Meta created this AI photo feature

Many people take photos but then don’t share them because they feel the image isn’t “post-worthy,” or they simply don’t have time to make it look good.  Meta’s logic: if those moments are sitting unseen in your phone, screenshots, receipts, random snaps, they might still matter to you. So the tool helps you rediscover and share them. From Meta’s perspective, this also fits its bigger push into artificial intelligence-driven features across its apps.

LEAKED META DOCUMENTS SHOW HOW AI CHATBOTS HANDLE CHILD EXPLOITATION

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New AI tool scans your camera roll to find and polish images for quick sharing. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

Behind the scenes, Meta AI analyzes photo details, like lighting, people and events, to group similar moments and create polished collage layouts automatically. It can suggest captions or filters, but users can edit or reject any suggestion before posting.

How to enable the Facebook AI feature

Here’s how to turn this feature on in Facebook (and how to disable it if you prefer).

  • Open the Facebook app on your phone (iOS or Android).
  • Tap your profile picture or the menu icon.
  • Go to Settings & Privacy.
  • Click Settings.

META STRENGTHENS TEEN SAFETY WITH EXPANDED ACCOUNTS

Meta aims to revive old memories with Facebook’s AI-powered collage creator. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

  • Scroll to Preferences (or something similar) and find Camera Roll Sharing Suggestions and tap on it.
  • Toggle on ‘Get creative ideas made for you by allowing camera roll cloud processing’ (or similar wording). You may be prompted to allow “cloud processing,” whereby Facebook uploads photos from your device to its servers so Meta AI can analyze them.

INSTAGRAM FRIEND MAP FEATURE SPARKS PRIVACY QUESTIONS

Users can now let Facebook’s AI curate camera roll highlights automatically. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

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  • Confirm the opt-in and accept any permission prompts. Once enabled, Meta claims that only you see suggestions, and you decide if you save or share them.

META DELETES 10 MILLION FACEBOOK ACCOUNTS THIS YEAR, BUT WHY?

Facebook rolls out AI photo suggestions to make sharing easier than ever. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

You’ll also receive optional notifications when new collage suggestions are ready, giving you the chance to preview and edit them before sharing.

Steps to disable or opt out

  • Follow the same path: Facebook app → Settings & Privacy → Settings → Preferences → Camera Roll Sharing Suggestions.
  • Toggle the feature off or disable “cloud processing.”
  • For extra privacy, you can also revoke Facebook’s access to your camera roll in your phone’s OS settings.

If you’ve already uploaded photos for analysis, Meta says you can delete that data by turning off the feature and clearing saved files under “Your Facebook Information” in Settings.

What this means for you

Here’s how Facebook’s new AI photo feature could change the way you share, save and see your favorite moments online.

  • More sharing without the effort. You capture the moment, Facebook helps polish it. The barrier of “this photo isn’t good enough” gets lowered.
  • Greater visibility for memories. That vacation scrapbook photo or family snap buried in your camera roll might now get a second life.
  • Full control remains. You decide whether to share the suggested edit or keep it private. Meta emphasizes that the suggestions are shown only to you unless you choose to share.
  • Privacy considerations. Even though Meta says your photos won’t be used to train AI unless you edit or share them, they do get uploaded to Meta’s cloud when you opt in and may be stored for some time. Meta confirms that the uploaded photos aren’t used for ad targeting or facial recognition, but they may be stored temporarily for processing before being deleted.
  • Limited rollout. At present, U.S. and Canada only; international users may need to wait.

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Kurt’s key takeaways

This move by Facebook addresses a common pain point (photos that don’t get shared) and leverages AI to make sharing more effortless. If you’re an active Facebook user who takes many photos and wants to share more of them, this feature could be a welcome boost. But if you’re cautious about how your private media may be handled, the opt-out path is important and worth using. Either way, it reflects how AI is quietly reshaping everyday apps.

Will you turn on Facebook’s AI-powered photo suggestion feature or keep your camera roll private just the way it is?  Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.

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Allow me to explain why I love this camera that can’t shoot color

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Allow me to explain why I love this camera that can’t shoot color

I love black-and-white photography. I also adore compact cameras you can always have by your side. So I’m a total mark for the Ricoh GR IV Monochrome, a fixed-lens camera that can’t zoom and can’t record color — at all. It’s a formula that makes the average person ask, “Why?”

I’ve tested the GR IV Monochrome for over a month, taking it with me everywhere and photographing everything. Let me explain how this pricey little point-and-shoot is likely to go down as one of my all-time-favorite cameras.

$2197

The Good

  • Excellent black-and-white image quality
  • Everything great about the standard GR IV: sharp lens, small size, solid focusing
  • Fantastic high-ISO noise performance
  • Limiting yourself to black and white has creative benefits

The Bad

  • Expensive for a Ricoh GR
  • Face / eye tracking autofocus pales in comparison to the bigger camera brands
  • Short battery life (about 200-ish shots)

Ricoh GRs are some of the most unassuming, no-frills cameras around, and they have been since their conception in the film days. In the digital era, they’re pocket-size point-and-shoots with a large APS-C sensor permanently attached to a fixed focal length lens. If you’re familiar with Fujifilm’s popular X100 line, it’s like trimming one of those down to the bare minimum — that means no viewfinder and no fancy aperture ring. The X100 and other coveted street cameras like Leicas offer vintage-style shooting and double as lifestyle accessories or shoulder-carried jewelry (with prices to match). But a Ricoh GR is purely a shooter’s camera, with unabashedly modern methods of being used. Atop the camera is a typical mode dial, with customizable user presets, not an old-timey shutter speed dial.

The GR IV Monochrome takes last year’s Ricoh GR IV, strips out the color filter from the sensor, and replaces its built-in ND filter with a red filter (for one-click contrast adjustment purely using optics). Functionally, the alteration to the sensor gives the GR Monochrome an elevated ISO range of 160 to 409,600 and makes it better in low-light shooting (because color noise looks worse at high ISO than pure luminance grain). It maintains the upgrades established with the GR IV: improved autofocusing for its 28mm-equivalent f/2.8 lens, a 26-megapixel APS-C sensor, and 53GB of internal storage (supported by a microSD card slot).

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The $120 Ricoh GF-2 add-on flash is a great addition for the camera. It’s best for close-up subjects, but it creates a nice high-key look in black and white.

Using the GR IV Monochrome feels just like the standard GR IV, with key functions that help it thrive in impromptu street-style shooting. It powers on and is ready to shoot in less than one second, and at any moment you can quickly full-press the shutter to forgo autofocusing and take a shot at a preset focus distance. Ricoh calls this Snap Focus, and it allows you to easily shoot from the hip with zone focusing — a staple of street photographers. The GR is all about spontaneity. Its autofocus system has face and eye detection, but it’s just a serviceable helper. The main way to use the GR is with single-point focusing and quickly moving it around the touchscreen. Many hardcore photographers will loathe its lack of an electronic viewfinder, but I’ve come to terms with its forgoing one for the sake of size.

But being forced into a black-and-white view of the world through this camera’s LCD is where the real magic happens. Any digital camera can be set to black-and-white mode, but not having the choice pushes you to look more intently at light and tonality. I pay extra attention to my compositions and seek out textures and tones I might ignore when shooting color. I know the camera can’t see color, so I mentally adjust my eye and my creativity to match — knowing there’s no bailout or reverting back to color in post. A more disciplined shooter may not feel they need all that, but I’ve shot enough on the GR IV Monochrome, other black-and-white-only cameras, and film cameras to know that I’m feasting when working with some limitations.

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ISO 8000, 1/200s, f/2.8.

That’s the same ethos that drives people to go back to analog photography and digicams, or use toy-like cameras, but the GR IV Monochrome also unlocks the ability to shoot at extravagantly high ISOs in just about any light. The f/2.8 maximum aperture of the GR’s lens isn’t as fast as the f/1.7 and f/2 lenses of the Leica Q and Fujifilm X100 cameras of the world, but it’s fast enough when you barely notice much noise until ISO 25,600 and even a six-digit ISO is perfectly usable (even before denoising in post-processing software).

The other big way the GR IV sets itself apart from its Leica and Fujifilm competitors is that this camera is actually pocketable. I have ventured out of the house many times with my personal Leica Q2 slung over my shoulder, sans camera bag, ready to go on a little photo adventure or capture memories with family or friends. But it’s even easier to drop a Ricoh GR into a purse, diaper bag, or even a jacket / rear pants pocket. It turns any outing or errand into an opportunity to dabble in your creativity. These are snapshot-y moments that would usually be reserved for the camera you always have with you: your phone. But with the GR IV Monochrome, I feel more empowered and motivated to create something special and purposeful.

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Here are some comparison photos between the GR IV Monochrome and the standard GR IV, including a full-range ISO test. ISO 200, 1/4s, f/5.6.

Am I creating art at the grocery store that’s worthy of the white walls of a Chelsea gallery? No. But seeing my own personal world through a black-and-white lens of such quality is enchanting. And there’s nothing wrong with feeling a little “artsy” sometimes, even if you’re just auditioning for the art critic in your own head.

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The mundanity of our humdrum lives feels elevated when given the timeless quality of black and white. Lately, it’s felt even more authentic to me and worthy of appreciation, since generative AI is making so much of our world feel fake. It’s now commonplace to doubt everything we see as a possible deepfake or a dubious con — even from our own government. Black-and-white imagery still feels precious and real, at least as long as the AI-obsessed tech platforms don’t focus their Eye of Sauron of Enshittification on this niche of the medium.

A direct comparison of two images taken from our ISO test gallery. Both are taken at ISO 204800, one with the GR IV Monochrome and one with the GR IV. The Monochrome version is grainy, but it’s a usable image. The color version is a mess, and won’t look as good when converted to black and white.

To be fair, cameras that can’t shoot color aren’t new. Leica has been making its Monochrom variants of Q and M cameras for nearly 14 years. But priced at nearly $8,000 to $11,000 and up, they’re mostly unattainable to an average enthusiast. At $2,199.95, the GR IV Monochrome isn’t cheap but it’s much more grounded and feasible to own one without it being your only possession. And frankly, it’s less hoity-toity and snobbish when your second, third, or fourth camera — the “artsy” one — doesn’t cost more than a used car.

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ISO 320, 1/800, f/3.2.

I’d be lying if I said that’s not part of why I dig the GR IV Monochrome so much. I’d love to one day personally own a Leica Monochrom of some sort, but it’s hard not to opt for the catch-all color camera when you’re spending that kind of money (hence why I own a Leica Q2 and not a Q2 Monochrom). But since my brain was broken by Leica and pro-level mirrorless system prices years ago, I can simultaneously look at the GR IV Monochrome and think, “$2,200? That’s not bad,” and also “GR cameras used to be like 900 bucks — what gives?”

It’s the everyday companion status of the GR IV Monochrome that makes it extra-extra special. With this little guy in your pocket, with that kind of image quality and light gathering potential, it feels like a permission slip to capture a sense of authentic wonder wherever you go. The standard GR IV is the logical version to get, allowing you to capture the vibrancy of your world. But the more hardcore GR IV Monochrome brings the romance, gritty realism, and magic.

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Photography by Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The Verge

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Samsung Messages ending? What Android owners must know

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Samsung Messages ending? What Android owners must know

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You may be hearing that Samsung Messages is going away, and for many Android users, that’s true. Samsung is quietly phasing out its Samsung Messages app and moving people to Google Messages as the default texting platform with a planned cutoff around July 2026 in the U.S. 

Newer Galaxy phones already come with Google Messages preinstalled, and Samsung Messages is no longer available to download on many newer devices.

That shift is real. But the way people are finding out about it is causing confusion. For many people, it starts with a text that doesn’t feel quite right. They’re checking their phone, and suddenly a text pops up warning that their messaging app is going away. 

That’s exactly what happened to Gilberto of Running Springs, California. He wrote to us saying, “I just received a text on my Android phone advising me that Samsung Messages was going to end on July 6th, 2026, and that I needed to change to Google Messages. Is that true or a scam? I am a fan and enjoy your newsletter.”

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Gilberto is not alone. A growing number of Android owners are seeing similar alerts, and they’re leaving people unsure what’s real and what’s a scam. Here’s what’s real, based on Samsung and Google’s latest moves.

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Scam texts like this use urgency and official-looking language to trick you into clicking dangerous links. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

What’s actually happening with Samsung Messages

Samsung says Samsung Messages will be discontinued and is pushing people to switch to Google Messages. Google Messages is already the default texting app on many Galaxy phones.

Here’s what we know right now:

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  • Newer Samsung Galaxy devices already ship with Google Messages as the default
  • Samsung Messages is still available on many older phones, but it is no longer the focus
  • Samsung says the app is expected to be discontinued in July 2026 for customers in the United States and advises checking the Samsung Messages app for the exact shutdown date
  • Some Galaxy phones may show an in-app notification guiding you to switch to Google Messages
  • Owners of newer Galaxy devices already cannot download Samsung Messages, and all devices will lose access to download it after the July 2026 cutoff

Samsung has not made a dramatic shutdown announcement inside settings or via official alerts. Instead, this is more of a phased shift tied to Google’s push for RCS messaging.

Why Samsung is moving to Google Messages

This change is not random. It’s about standardizing how texting works across Android.

Google has been pushing RCS, which stands for rich communication services. Think of it as the Android version of iMessage.

With Google Messages, you get:

  • Read receipts and typing indicators
  • High-quality photo and video sharing
  • Better group chats
  • Spam protection powered by Google
  • Access to newer Google features, including AI tools powered by Gemini, like suggested replies and experimental features such as image generation inside chats
  • Built-in security improvements, including AI-powered scam detection and stronger spam filtering to help block suspicious messages

Samsung has decided it makes more sense to partner with Google rather than maintain a separate messaging platform.

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As Samsung shifts to Google Messages, many people are receiving confusing alerts that can be easy to misinterpret. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

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So is that text message real or a scam?

Here’s where things get tricky.

  • The change itself is real
  • The text message Gilberto received may not be

Samsung does not typically send standalone text messages with links asking you to switch apps. That creates a perfect opening for scammers.

How to tell if the message is legit

Here’s what to look for:

Signs the message could be legitimate

  • You see a notification inside your phone’s system settings
  • The alert appears within your existing messaging app
  • Links go directly to official sources like Google Play

Red flags that point to a scam

  • A random text with a link
  • Messages that pressure you to act quickly
  • Requests for login details or payment
  • Strange sender numbers or email-style addresses

Scammers know people are already hearing about this change, and they’re using that confusion to make their messages look real.

Taking a moment to verify a message before tapping can protect your data, your money and your identity. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

What you should do right now

You don’t need to panic. You just need to take control of the process.

1) Ignore the link

Even if the message looks convincing, do not tap anything inside it.  It could take you to a fake site designed to steal your information. It’s also smart to have strong antivirus software on your phone, which can help block malicious links and warn you about suspicious activity before any damage is done. Get my picks for the best 2026 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices at Cyberguy.com.

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2) Check your phone manually

Open the Google Play Store and search for Google Messages. If it is already installed, you are ahead of the game. If you’re using a newer Galaxy phone, you may already have Google Messages as your default and may not see Samsung Messages at all.

3) Switch in a safe way

Open Google Messages. If it is not already installed, download it from the Google Play Store. When you open it, tap “Set default SMS app,” select Google Messages, then confirm “Set as default.”

If you do not see that prompt, go to Settings > Apps > Choose default apps > SMS app (this may appear as “Default apps” on some devices), then select Google Messages.

4) Your existing texts should appear in Google Messages

When you switch your default messaging app, your SMS and MMS message history should automatically appear inside Google Messages. Google and Samsung both indicate that existing conversations transfer during the switch. In most cases, that means you will keep your existing text messages and won’t lose your conversation history when you switch apps. It is still a good idea to open Google Messages after switching and confirm your threads are there before removing or disabling Samsung Messages.

5) Reduce your exposure online

Scammers don’t just guess your number. They often get it from data broker sites and other places where your personal information is already floating around online. That’s why it’s smart to use a data removal service, which can help remove your phone number and personal details from these sites. The less information that’s out there, the harder it is for scammers to target you with texts like this in the first place. Check out my top picks for data removal services and get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web by visiting Cyberguy.com.

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What Samsung and Google are not telling you clearly

Here’s the part that frustrates many people. This transition is not being communicated in a consistent or highly visible way. Some Galaxy phones may show notices inside Samsung Messages or system prompts, but there is no single, universal alert reaching everyone at once. Instead, it’s a gradual shift tied to device updates, software versions and Google’s messaging strategy. That uneven rollout is exactly what creates confusion and gives scam texts an opening.

Who may not be affected?

Some older Samsung phones may continue to use Samsung Messages for now, especially if they are no longer receiving major software updates.

However, Samsung has not given a clear cutoff for the Android version, so the timeline can vary depending on your specific device, carrier and region.

You can check your Android version by going to Settings > About phone > Software information > Android version.

Why this matters for you

This is bigger than just switching apps.

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It highlights a growing pattern:

  • Real tech changes create confusion
  • Scammers jump in immediately
  • People get caught in the middle

Right now, this change applies to U.S. customers, and timing may vary elsewhere. That kind of uncertainty is exactly what scammers look for, which is why it’s critical to verify any message before you act. Don’t want to use Google Messages? Here are your options

We’re hearing from readers who don’t trust Google and aren’t sure what to do, especially if family members use iPhones.

Here’s the reality:

  • Use Google Messages (default option): Works with everyone, including iPhones. No one else has to change anything
  • Use Signal for privacy: More secure, but only works if your contacts also use it
  • Apps like WhatsApp or Telegram: Both sides need the app

Best practical setup: Use Google Messages for everyday texting and Signal for private conversations.

Take my quiz: How safe is your online security?

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Kurt’s key takeaways

Gilberto’s instinct to question that message was the right move. The switch to Google Messages is real, but the text he received might not be. When tech companies make quiet changes, scammers step in fast. The safest move is simple. Ignore unexpected links, verify everything yourself and make the switch on your terms, not theirs.

Should Big Tech companies be doing more to clearly warn you about major changes like this before scammers step in and fill the gap?  Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.

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The Netherlands is the first European country to approve Tesla’s supervised Full Self-Driving

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The Netherlands is the first European country to approve Tesla’s supervised Full Self-Driving

Dutch regulators, the RDW, announced that after over a year and a half of testing, it has officially approved Tesla’s Full-Self Driving (FSD) Supervised. This makes the Netherlands the first European country to authorize the use of FSD on its roads. This could open the door to wider adoption throughout the EU. Tesla’s European headquarters is located in Amsterdam, so it’s only fitting that the country is the first to embrace the company’s FSD.

In a statement announcing the approval, the RDW said that, “Using driver assistance systems correctly makes a positive contribution to road safety because the driver is supported in their driving tasks; it is a supplement to the driver. Through continuous strict monitoring of the driver in the vehicle, the system is safer than other driver assistance systems.”

The update implementing FSD Supervised (version 2026.3.6) has started rolling out to a limited number of users. Drivers will need to watch a tutorial and take a quiz before self-driving can be enabled, which reminds people that FSD Supervised “does not make your vehicle autonomous. Do not become complacent.”

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