Google Photos is making it easier to follow activity in your shared albums with a new “Updates” section. In the new section, you’ll be able to see notifications like updates to a shared album and updates to a conversation within Google Photos, according to a support post from Google.

The Updates section can be found by tapping a bell icon that replaces the Sharing button (the one that looks like two people). Updates are shown chronologically, and you’ll be able to look at activity from “today, yesterday, this week, this month, last month, and beyond,” the Google Photos team says the post. “We want to streamline how you can view recent activity with an interface that makes albums, groups, and conversations more accessible.”

Google notes that if you want to access shared albums, you can do so from the newly-launched Collections section.

The new Updates page is rolling out now on the Android and iOS Google Photos apps. I personally don’t have it, but one of my colleagues does; if it’s not available to you, the Photos team says to check back “over the coming weeks.”

Remember when recording a phone call on your iPhone felt like trying to solve a Rubik’s Cube blindfolded?

Well, those days are officially over. With the release of iOS 18.1, Apple has introduced a native call recording feature as part of Apple Intelligence.

This new functionality makes it easier than ever to document important conversations. Let’s take a closer look at how this feature is changing the game for recording calls on our iPhones.

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The legal lowdown

Before we get into the nitty-gritty of how to use this feature, let’s talk about the elephant in the room: legality. Recording phone calls can be a bit of a legal minefield, and the last thing you want is to end up on the wrong side of the law. Laws vary by state, so it’s crucial to do your homework and make sure you’re playing by the rules in your area. Remember, it’s always better to be safe than sorry.

Man recording a phone call on iPhone (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

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What you’ll need to record calls on iPhone

Now that we’ve got the legal stuff out of the way, let’s talk about what you need to get started:

• An iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, iPhone 16 or iPhone XS (or newer model)
• iOS 18.1 or later installed on your device

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How to update your iPhone to the latest software

Not sure if you’re running the latest iOS? No worries! Here are some quick steps to update your iPhone:

• Open Settings
• Tap General
• Select Software Update
• If available, tap Update Now and begin downloading and installing iOS 18.1

Steps to update your iPhone to the latest software (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

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How to record a call on your iPhone

Now, let’s get to the fun part, actually recording a call. Here’s how it works:

• Start or answer a phone call like you normally would.
• Look for the new recording icon in the upper-left corner of the call screen.
• Tap that icon to start recording.
• You’ll hear a countdown from three seconds, followed by an audio message saying, “This Call Will Be Recorded.”
• A notification will pop up to let everyone on the call know that it’s being recorded.
• After the recording begins, a Notes notification will appear at the top of the screen to alert you that a new note has been created for this transcript.
• Hit the stop button to end the call at any time, you’ll hear another message saying, “This call is no longer being recorded.”

Steps to record a call on iPhone (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

How to access your recording

After successfully recording your call, follow these steps to access and manage your recording:

• Look for a notification from the Notes app pointing you to the audio file and transcript.
• Tap the notification to open the recording directly in Notes or open the Notes app later to review.
• In the Notes app, find your recordings in a new folder called Call Recordings.
• Tap the note to review the transcript. Here you can: 1) Listen to the audio from the beginning by hitting Play; 2) Scroll down and tap within the transcript to start playback from a specific point; 3) Tap a sentence to start playback from there; 4) Pause playback at any time by tapping the play button.

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Steps to access recording (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

How to add a copy of the transcript to the note for editing

• Tap the menu button
• Select Add Transcript to Note
• Edit the transcript as needed, such as highlighting important sentences
• Share the recording by clicking the send button
• Tap Done

Steps to add a copy of the transcript to the note for editing (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

Remember, you can always return to these recordings in the Notes app to review, edit or share as needed.

Kurt’s key takeaways

Whether you’re conducting interviews, keeping records for research or just want to remember important details from a conversation, it’s never been easier to record calls on your iPhone. However, with great power comes great responsibility. Always make sure you have the consent of all parties before recording a call and use this feature ethically and legally.

So, what do you think about this new feature? Are you excited to try it out? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact.

For more of my tech tips and security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading to Cyberguy.com/Newsletter.

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A new “Share to TikTok” feature in Spotify and Apple Music is making it easier for users to share songs, playlists, audiobooks, and more directly in content on the video platform.

Using the integrations, TikTok users can create a direct link to content on the streaming platforms, similar to how they can share songs directly on Instagram Stories. When a user shares a Spotify track, for example, they can choose whether the song will appear as a video, photo, or Story post on TikTok. Viewers of the content can then click the song and navigate directly back to their preferred music app.

It creates an easy link between TikTok and content on other platforms — previously if you wanted to share a playlist you made, you’d have to send a link via messages or drop the link in comments or a caption. TikTok doesn’t make it easy to navigate outside the app: even if you copy and paste a link in comment, it’s not clickable.

TikTok has become a major way audiences discover new music, and the platform has introduced other integrations that better connect the two worlds. Last year, TikTok added the ability to save songs directly from the app without leaving and going to Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music. (Spotify today also announced this capability for Instagram.)