Instagram went down and suspended many accounts – here’s what we found

On October 31, Instagram went down. Millions of users had been trying to scroll through their feed on the app, but rather than being brought with photos or reels, people discovered that their accounts had been suspended or locked out.

As of the afternoon of Tuesday, November 1, Instagram seems to have resolved the issue, though the exact number of users affected is unclear. Parent company Meta had issued the following statement: 

“We are aware that some Instagram users in different parts of the world are having issues accessing their Instagram accounts. We’re working to resolve the issue as quickly as possible and apologize for the inconvenience.”

While we fired up this live blog to bring you all the latest developments at the time, you can catch up with us following the downtime and when Meta resolved it.

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If you've been getting this message, you're not alone, but Instagram looks to be aware of the issue.

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Rejoice - looks like Instagram is looking into the issue now. Best thing is to grab a drink, and hopefully once you're back, all of this will have blown over.

An illustration of Elon Musk drawn by thongyhod looking perplexed at falling Twitter logos

(Image credit: Shutterstock / thongyhod / Twitter)

After the news earlier today that Twitter CEO Elon Musk is wanting to charge for the blue tick, and now Instagram is down, could we see a hat trick soon of another social platform having issues?

Snapchat ceases to snap?

Facebook ceases to face?

MySpace ceases to space? Again?

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This is an example from @QueenVIP8 of how her Instagram account was suddenly locked out for no reason.

Again, if you only open up Instagram to look at dog pictures once a day and you're wondering why you've been locked out, don't panic - it's a bug, and Instagram is aware.

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This was how the issue was discovered - countless users were realizing that their follower count was shrinking very quickly, and eventually others would share on Twitter how their account would be suspended for no reason.

While there's no word from the Head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri yet, we're waiting to hear back from the company as to when the issue will be resolved.

LinkedIn post from Instagram comms team

(Image credit: Cameron V - LinkedIn)

This was posted from the Communications team at Instagram in the UK, where he states that it is 'related to a tech issue happening' within the app, and it's being looked into.

We're still waiting for an update, but you get the feeling that it's battlestations at Meta currently, trying to find a fix for this.

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An interesting catch from Matt Navarra on Twitter - Instagram pushed out an update earlier today for 'bug fixes'. Could this be related to what some users are currently experiencing?

Instagram Reel and post

(Image credit: TechRadar)

Our Managing Editor for Lifestyle, Josie Watson mentioned an interesting point of this limbo where no one knows what's going on and if the issue is currently being fixed.

Mainly due to the fact that customer service from Meta, Twitter and others in social media is almost non-existent, so where do influencers and businesses go to try and find a fix for this compared to the casual user?

Currently, there isn't one, it's a wait and see approach, and that could be anxiety-inducing to many who want to communicate with their fans, but are locked out of their accounts.

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I did think that this was a good analogy - if it rains, you find shelter, and it's the same with social media platforms.

If one goes down, you go to another to see if anyone else got caught in the storm.

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We heard back from Meta if there was an update to the issue, and we were directed to the above tweet from earlier today.

So, no update to the update as yet, but we'll let you know if we hear anything else.

As we're waiting to hear about a fix for the issue, we were reminded of how dark mode arrived for Instagram and other apps from 2018 onwards, and how it helped our eyes as we would scroll through our feed in bed.

To help explain this, here's a video from back in 2019, where we went into the benefits of dark mode.

To note, our own profile on Instagram isn't locked down or suspended due to today's issues, so it does look as though this bug is randomly choosing accounts to do this.

Lucy Bronze Tweet about Instagram being down

Lucy Bronze tweets about #instagramdown (Image credit: Twitter / Lucy Bronze (@lucybronze))

The unusually long Instagram issue continues to play out on Twitter in the strangest ways. First, the Instagram PR team has directed folks to check its @instagramcomms Twitter handle, but the account has not updated at all since its initial cryptic "We're aware ... We're looking into it..." post four hours ago. Since then there has been no news, and while our TechRadar account and many of our individual editors have not reported any issues, clearly the problem persists. 

This is apparent just by following the #instagramdown hashtag on Twitter, which has become a sort of staging ground for Instagram posts that could not be posted on Insta. Many Instagram users have moved on from reporting the outage or complaining about the problem and are now posting photos or groups of photos they say were meant for Instagram. 

Rather than grabbing content from an unverified user, you can check out a post from pro footballer Lucy Bronze making fun of the Instagram run on Twitter today. It's interesting and unfortunate that as Instagram directs users to Twitter for news, Twitter's new CEO is threatening the aspect of the service that makes it a verifiable source. 

Meta Logo

(Image credit: Meta)

Meta has responded to our inquiries about Instagram, though the company has not given us anything new. A Meta spokesperson says: 

“We are aware that some Instagram users in different parts of the world are having issues accessing their Instagram accounts. We’re working to resolve the issue as quickly as possible and apologize for the inconvenience.”

Judging from what we've seen in the multi-lingual response to #instagramdown on Twitter, it seemed apparent that this was a global issue, and not just affecting one region. 

There are still many questions unanswered by Meta. We asked if the specific issue has been identified, but Meta did not give us an answer. We also wondered if Meta will guarantee that accounts will be fully restored, but we got no response to that query either. 

It seems that the news of Instagram down will remain anecdotal, so we will follow the users for more information. 

cheap halloween costume and decorations sales

(Image credit: Pexels)

If you need a last minute Halloween costume idea (VERY last minute indeed), Twitter user and artist Rebecca Zammit has you covered with inspiration taken directly from today's Instagram outage. 

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We still have no new information from Meta about the Instagram ... whatever this is. It's not exactly an outage, as our accounts are still active, and it would seem a majority of users are unaffected. Still, it is clear that a vocal number of accounts have been suspended for no apparent reason, and whether this is a mechanical glitch or a result of human involvement is unknown. 

For now let's label this the Instagram Mass Suspension Event. We will keep following Instagram users as well as the Meta and Instagram Public Relations teams to see if there is any fix on the way, and if suspended accounts can expect to see reactivation on Instagram any time soon. 

Instagram app logo on iOS

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Instagram is back! At least, that's according to Instagram Comms, the hottest new Twitter account, thanks the Instagram Mass Suspension Event. The account first notified the world that Instagram was aware of the issue. Now it has just as unceremoniously told us that it is over. 

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In case the tweet gets edited or removed, Meta's Instagram Comms team has said "We’ve resolved this bug now – it was causing people in different parts of the world to have issues accessing their accounts and caused a temporary change for some in number of followers. Sorry!" 

A quick survey of the hashtag #instagramdown still shows users who seem to have just stumbled upon the error, even after Meta has said it was resolved. Whether that means the bug has truly been fixed is unclear. We will keep following the users to determine whether the situation has truly improved. 

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Late last night, Instagram sent the above tweet, confirming that it was a bug which was suspending random accounts and changing the amount of followers for others.

While it's back to normal, do let us know if you're coming across some issues from this still.

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Elon Musk’s latest stupid Twitter idea could kill off the platform for good

We're not even a week in from Elon Musk becoming the owner (or 'Chief Twit' as he calls the position) of Twitter, and already his plans for overhauling the verification process sounds like a terrible idea.

According to The Verge, Musk is planning to raise the monthly price of Twitter Blue, which gives you the ability to edit tweets, as well as get custom icons and exclusive features, from $4.99 / £4.99 / AU$5.99 to $19.99 / £19.99 / AU$20.99. By subscribing, Twitter Blue users will also now be verified, which gives them a blue tick next to their username - something that was once limited to verified users, such as notable public figures, politicians and members of the media.

Users who are already verified will have a 90-day window to sign up for this new plan, or they will lose their blue tick.

This could already be a fatal decision for the platform, especially when this could allow trolls with few followers to pay to get verified, making the blue tick system irrelevant.


Paying for the blue tick is just wrong

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Getting verified on Twitter can be a slow, frustrating affair, in which you have to send the company multiple web links as proof that you're a real person and deserving of the blue tick.

Some people have been denied multiple times, and it took two tries for me to get the blue tick. I still don't know why I was denied the first time, but it's fair to say that the process should be looked at.

However, charging $20 a month for this is not the way to go. It's the equivalent of opening the floodgates and diminishes the point of verification - which was to help users know if an account is authentic, or of public interest. At four times the price of what a Twitter Blue subscription currently is, it's going to be a hard sell.

Combined with the fact that Musk has allegedly told Blue's developers that they will be fired if this feature isn't live by November 7, we could be about to see Twitter's dark days begin, and possibly the end of how you can freely use your account on the platform.

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The first photo taken by the Samsung Galaxy S23 may have leaked

We're expecting to see the Samsung Galaxy S23 make an appearance around February time, bringing with it a slew of camera upgrades – upgrades that are shown off in what could be the first image captured by the phone that we've seen.

This photo comes from well-known tipster Ice Universe on Chinese social media site Weibo (via Galaxy Club and GSMArena). It's difficult to tell what it's depicting, but what we do know is that it's been taken with 16x magnification and then cropped.

The picture taken with a 200MP camera sensor (tipped to appear in the Galaxy S23 Ultra) is compared to a picture taken with a 108MP camera sensor (which we know is fitted to the Galaxy S22 Ultra) – and you can clearly see how much sharper the 200MP version is.

Snap happy

This needs to be taken in the context of some tweets we saw from Ice Universe yesterday, which detailed improvements to low light shots and increased telephoto capabilities supposedly coming with the Galaxy S23 Ultra phone next year.

Add in this image and it seems likely that the tipster has managed to get hold of a prototype unit, or at least is speaking with someone who has. The verdict is that this is "the biggest improvement of Samsung's flagship mobile phone in five years" – in terms of the camera capabilities, anyway.

We might not get such a promising upgrade on the standard Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23 Plus handsets, however. From what we've heard so far, the rear cameras on those phones are likely to closely match those on the current models.


Analysis: the numbers game

Based on this admittedly very limited look at the camera capabilities of the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, it would seem that it's going to go above and beyond what the Galaxy S22 Ultra can do – and the current phone is already very impressive when it comes to the images and videos that it can capture.

If indeed the Galaxy S23 Ultra makes the jump to a 200MP main camera sensor, as rumored, then that's to be welcomed. As we've written about before though, the number of megapixels is far from the only factor to consider when weighing up how good a smartphone camera actually is.

The size of those pixels – how much light they can let in – is crucial too, as is the AI processing applied to the captured images and clips (Ice Universe says AI processing was switched off for the image posted on Weibo).

The Google Pixel phones are well-known for excelling at image processing – remember that the Google Pixel 7 'only' has a 50MP main camera sensor, but can still take excellent snaps. In other words, wait until you see real world image and video samples before assessing a particular phone's camera performance.

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iPhone 15 Pro could jump to 8GB RAM, include a periscope camera

We're only just getting used to the iPhone 14 being out in the wild, but the rumors are already flying about what Apple might do with its successor – and a new iPhone 15 report suggests that the Pro models are set to get 8GB of RAM and a periscope camera.

This comes from the industry analysts at Trendforce (via SamMobile), who have a reasonable record when it comes to predicting what Apple's hardware department is going to produce. Apparently, "chances are high" for an 8GB RAM boost in the Pro and Pro Max and improvements to the camera technology, specifically for the Pro Max.

The current iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max models have 6GB of RAM installed, though this isn't traditionally something Apple talks much about (RAM isn't listed in the iPhone tech specs page on the Apple website, for example).

Up periscope

The periscope camera rumor is interesting: it's a camera design we've seen on Android phones (including the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra), where thanks to some mirror trickery the camera extends down the length of a phone, allowing more room for zoom lenses.

It's something that we've been hearing might come to the iPhone for several years now, and if it does indeed arrive with the iPhone 15 Pro Max, then expect the 3x optical zoom on the current model to get a significant boost – assuming Apple can find enough room in the device to fit in the camera mechanisms.

The same research note also mentions the Pro and Pro Max models having a faster processor than the standard iPhone 15 handsets: that's something Apple has done this year and that it's expected to do next year too.


Analysis: what does RAM do anyway?

iPhones have tended to lag behind their Android competitors when it comes to the amount of RAM they pack in – the Samsung Galaxy S22 has already hit 8GB, for instance – and this may be one of the reasons that Apple doesn't refer to the spec when launching new handsets or indeed advertising them on its own website.

So is this RAM (Random Access Memory) important, or isn't it? As on a computer, RAM can be thought of as a phone's 'thinking space' – it's where it keeps data about the photo you're editing, or the webpage you're looking at, or the game you're playing. When your phone restarts, everything gets cleared out of the RAM and you start again.

More RAM therefore means more room for your phone to think. Switching quickly between multiple apps, or working on bigger images, or playing games with more detailed graphics should be faster. However, phone speed also depends on how well the RAM is optimized (as well as other factors, not least the chipset speed).

This is where Apple excels: with full control over the hardware and software on the iPhone, it can typically optimize RAM very well, quickly removing old information that's no longer needed to make room for new information. That ensures top-tier performance even with lower amounts of RAM, although an 8GB upgrade will still be very welcome.

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iOS 16.1 bug that randomly drops Wi-Fi has iPhone owners tearing hair out

It appears that iOS 16.1 has a bug which is causing Wi-Fi connections to become very flaky for iPhone and iPad users, at least going by numerous reports online.

As MacRumors flags up, the problem consists of random disconnects of the wireless connection after updating to iOS 16.1, an issue that users across Twitter and Reddit are complaining about, and folks on Apple’s support forum too.

Some affected people say the problem can crop up regularly, such as disconnecting (then reconnecting) every 10 seconds or so (which would, of course, be hugely frustrating).

Typical complaints run something like this: “I’ve upgraded to iOS 16.1, I have trouble with Wi-Fi, my Wi-Fi sign keep[s] disappearing and appears by itself.”

Or this: “Was watching NBA and the stream was fine as it’s hardwired on ATV4K. But my iPad and iPhone lost Wi-Fi access. And I was a few feet from the router. It was weird because ISP had no issues. Rebooted router and all was good.”

And indeed this: “I have this issue and it is super inconsistent. Things like my browser will still work but Zoom/Google Meet/etc. stop working unless I disconnect from Wi-Fi and just do the call on 5G.”


Analysis: A frustrating bug, but there are potential workarounds

Between the randomness of the disconnects and the way problems are playing out in slightly different manners, this is a weird one.

Also note that some users observe that this flaw was popping up in the iOS 16.1 beta – which wouldn’t be overly surprising, though you’d hope this would flag it to be fixed – or even before with iOS 16.0 in what appear to be rare cases. So, if the gremlin has cropped up before, iOS 16.1 seems to have made things somehow worse.

With any luck this is something Apple is looking into as a priority, but in the meantime, there are some suggested workarounds.

The most commonly theorized cure is to forget the Wi-Fi network, then add it back – some say this works to resolve the problem, but others indicate it didn’t make any difference for them. It’s worth a whirl, though, if you are facing this particular Wi-Fi conundrum.

Another theory we’ve seen is to head to Settings / Privacy & Security / Location Services / System Services, and then switch off the Networking & Wireless toggle.

It’s not clear exactly how big an issue this is, but there seem to be a worrying amount of complaints around this, so hopefully, an Apple investigation into these Wi-Fi woes will proceed swiftly.

Meantime, fingers crossed that one of the mentioned workarounds will hold you over, though much like the disconnections themselves, whether or not they work seems to be rather random.

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The iPhone 15 Pro might be the first iPhone with no physical buttons

Apple could be removing the iPhone’s last remaining buttons if analyst Ming-Chi Kuo is to be believed.

While the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro are barely a month old, predictions for the next-generation devices (the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro) are already starting to emerge. The latest rumor comes from Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo who said in a tweet that the “two high-end iPhone 15” models (most likely the iPhone 15 Pro and larger iPhone 15 Pro Max based on Apple’s current naming conventions) may use a solid-state button design based on information from Apple’s suppliers.

Rather than pushing in like mechanical buttons, solid-state inputs don’t move at all, meaning they’re essentially just touch-sensitive surfaces. This wouldn’t be the first time Apple has used a solid-state design for its buttons. Before ousting it almost completely, the home button on the iPhone 7 and iPhone 8 was a nonmechanical input – and the same design is still used by Apple in the iPhone SE (2022).

To help these new buttons feel like the mechanical ones, Kuo has said that Apple will, as it's done for years with the Touch ID button, use taptic engines to mimic the sensation of pushing a real button.

As with all rumors, this one should be taken with a pinch of salt. Until Tim Cook steps onto Apple’s stage in Cupertino, there’s no guarantee what the next iPhone will look like – or even if it’ll be the iPhone 15, Apple has skipped numbers before such as the nonexistent iPhone 9. But Kuo has a strong track record for predicting Apple’s next tech, so it’s worth paying attention to what the analyst has to say.

Why change the iPhone 15 Pro’s buttons? 

The main advantage of switching over to non-mechanical inputs is that the parts are way less likely to wear out from use compared to their mechanical counterparts. Beyond helping your iPhone 15 last longer, the taptic engines will also give Apple the opportunity to introduce new gesture controls. 

You’d likely still be able to press the buttons to control your iPhone's volume and power, but Apple could also implement swiping gesture controls or inputs that vary based on how hard the button is pressed – i.e. a light tap could increase the volume by one step, while a hard press instantly maxes out or mutes your device.

We’ll have to see how Apple chooses to implement these new sold-state buttons, assuming it even introduces them at all, but Kuo adds in a follow-up to his original tweet that if Apple does bring these changes it likely won’t be the last smartphone manufacturer to do so. Kuo believes that we’ll likely see many of the future best Android smartphones follow suit with solid-state buttons of their own.

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Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra to offer huge night photography improvements

The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra currently tops our list of the best camera phones, and yet the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra could be significantly better for photography; with improvements to the main camera, telephoto performance, and low light shots.

That’s according to leaker @UniverseIce, who has a reasonable track record and sent out a flurry of tweets, hyping this upcoming phone.

They claim that its night photography and night video skills have both been “greatly improved,” with low light photos being much better than those on the Galaxy S22 Ultra. In fact, they go so far as to say that this is “the biggest improvement of Samsung’s flagship mobile phone in five years.”

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Presumably they just mean the biggest improvement to night photography, but either way that’s a big claim.

It’s not just night photos that are apparently getting better though, with the same source also saying – not for the first time – that the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra will have a 200MP main sensor, up from 108MP on the Galaxy S22 Ultra.

That’s not a new claim, but they add here that it’s the strongest 200MP camera they’ve so far seen on a phone, and that it has “unparalleled analytical power.”

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Slightly less promisingly though, they say that this 200MP camera isn’t currently capable of taking 50MP photos through pixel binning. Though this is apparently a software, rather than hardware, issue and is being worked on; so by the time the phone launches, 50MP shots might be possible.

Finally, the say that while the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra will apparently have the same 3x and 10x optical zoom cameras as the S22 Ultra, the resulting photo quality will be improved; thanks to better colors and AI algorithms.

So, the only expected rear camera not mentioned here is the ultra-wide, which might mean that’s not being improved, but only time will tell. Either way, if @UniverseIce’s claims pan out, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra could be the top camera phone in 2023, just like the S22 Ultra is this year.

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Analysis: the cameras could be the main upgrade

All of this sounds extremely promising, even if we would have liked to see hardware upgrades for the telephoto cameras, but it’s sounding like for the Galaxy S23 Ultra, Samsung is putting almost all of its attention on the cameras.

That’s because other leaks suggest very little else is changing. The overall design is reportedly near identical, and while the screen might offer improved HDR and a higher peak brightness, it will supposedly be 6.8 inches, again – and likely the same resolution as the S22 Ultra’s display. We’ve also heard reports that the battery will once again be 5,000mAh.

Beyond the cameras, one thing that will, of course, be changing is the chipset, but that’s not overly exciting, since that gets upgraded every year. Though at least this time Samsung might offer the same chipset globally.

So while the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra’s design overhaul made it feel like a major improvement, the S23 Ultra might be a more modest upgrade overall. Still, it’s building on an already excellent handset, so it will probably rank among the best phones, regardless.

Posted in Uncategorised

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra to offer huge night photography improvements

The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra currently tops our list of the best camera phones, and yet the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra could be significantly better for photography; with improvements to the main camera, telephoto performance, and low light shots.

That’s according to leaker @UniverseIce, who has a reasonable track record and sent out a flurry of tweets, hyping this upcoming phone.

They claim that its night photography and night video skills have both been “greatly improved,” with low light photos being much better than those on the Galaxy S22 Ultra. In fact, they go so far as to say that this is “the biggest improvement of Samsung’s flagship mobile phone in five years.”

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Presumably they just mean the biggest improvement to night photography, but either way that’s a big claim.

It’s not just night photos that are apparently getting better though, with the same source also saying – not for the first time – that the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra will have a 200MP main sensor, up from 108MP on the Galaxy S22 Ultra.

That’s not a new claim, but they add here that it’s the strongest 200MP camera they’ve so far seen on a phone, and that it has “unparalleled analytical power.”

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Slightly less promisingly though, they say that this 200MP camera isn’t currently capable of taking 50MP photos through pixel binning. Though this is apparently a software, rather than hardware, issue and is being worked on; so by the time the phone launches, 50MP shots might be possible.

Finally, the say that while the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra will apparently have the same 3x and 10x optical zoom cameras as the S22 Ultra, the resulting photo quality will be improved; thanks to better colors and AI algorithms.

So, the only expected rear camera not mentioned here is the ultra-wide, which might mean that’s not being improved, but only time will tell. Either way, if @UniverseIce’s claims pan out, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra could be the top camera phone in 2023, just like the S22 Ultra is this year.

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Analysis: the cameras could be the main upgrade

All of this sounds extremely promising, even if we would have liked to see hardware upgrades for the telephoto cameras, but it’s sounding like for the Galaxy S23 Ultra, Samsung is putting almost all of its attention on the cameras.

That’s because other leaks suggest very little else is changing. The overall design is reportedly near identical, and while the screen might offer improved HDR and a higher peak brightness, it will supposedly be 6.8 inches, again – and likely the same resolution as the S22 Ultra’s display. We’ve also heard reports that the battery will once again be 5,000mAh.

Beyond the cameras, one thing that will, of course, be changing is the chipset, but that’s not overly exciting, since that gets upgraded every year. Though at least this time Samsung might offer the same chipset globally.

So while the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra’s design overhaul made it feel like a major improvement, the S23 Ultra might be a more modest upgrade overall. Still, it’s building on an already excellent handset, so it will probably rank among the best phones, regardless.

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Windows 11’s best new feature will only be for Samsung phone owners

Windows 11 has got a nifty new feature that allows for much more conveniently hooking up your PC to a mobile phone with the latter acting as a Wi-Fi hotspot, although the functionality is just in testing for now, and only works with Samsung smartphones.

The ability to instantly access your phone’s hotspot is facilitated by the Phone Link app (formerly Your Phone), and it’s introduced in preview build 25231 in the Dev Channel (early testing channel for Windows Insiders).

Instant hotspot means you can very swiftly connect to your handset’s hotspot just by clicking a button – assuming the device is in range – without having to touch your phone or mess around with any hotspot settings, typing in passwords and so forth.

Windows 11 Instant Hotspot

(Image credit: Microsoft)

As mentioned, you need a Samsung device – running One UI 4.1.1+ to be precise – and your PC must support Bluetooth. You also need to be running the new preview build 25231 of Windows 11, of course, and have the Phone Link desktop app version v1.22082.111.0 (or better).

For more details on how to set it all up, see Microsoft’s blog post on the new build which further lists the other tweaks the software giant has made here, which are mainly bug fixes (and known issues).


Analysis: Please, Microsoft, bring this to other phones besides Samsung

This is a really smart and convenient touch for Phone Link to cut down on the hassle related to using your phone as a hotspot for your Windows 11 machine.

Common scenarios for when you might avail yourself of the instant hotspot are, for example, when you’re out and about, and want to use your Windows 11 laptop with your smartphone’s cellular connection. Or, maybe you’re at home and the broadband goes down – you might then want to hop on your mobile broadband instead via your phone, and can do so instantly with no fuss using this feature (until your full-fat broadband comes back on).

The obvious annoyance here is that it’s a Samsung-only feature, but for Phone Link users, that particular stumbling block is nothing new, as functionality has been tied to Samsung devices exclusively in the past a number of times.

When will instant hotspot come to other phones? We don’t know. Indeed, this is the early testing channel as observed above, so there’s a chance the feature may be ditched before making the cut for the release version of Windows 11. In this case, that seems unlikely, but who knows.

At any rate, fingers crossed for wider support than just Samsung devices with this one. It certainly seems a bit daft that you can’t benefit from this ability on Microsoft’s own Android-powered Surface Duo 2, but hopefully that’ll change soon enough.

Via Neowin

Posted in Uncategorised

Windows 11’s best new feature will only be for Samsung phone owners

Windows 11 has got a nifty new feature that allows for much more conveniently hooking up your PC to a mobile phone with the latter acting as a Wi-Fi hotspot, although the functionality is just in testing for now, and only works with Samsung smartphones.

The ability to instantly access your phone’s hotspot is facilitated by the Phone Link app (formerly Your Phone), and it’s introduced in preview build 25231 in the Dev Channel (early testing channel for Windows Insiders).

Instant hotspot means you can very swiftly connect to your handset’s hotspot just by clicking a button – assuming the device is in range – without having to touch your phone or mess around with any hotspot settings, typing in passwords and so forth.

Windows 11 Instant Hotspot

(Image credit: Microsoft)

As mentioned, you need a Samsung device – running One UI 4.1.1+ to be precise – and your PC must support Bluetooth. You also need to be running the new preview build 25231 of Windows 11, of course, and have the Phone Link desktop app version v1.22082.111.0 (or better).

For more details on how to set it all up, see Microsoft’s blog post on the new build which further lists the other tweaks the software giant has made here, which are mainly bug fixes (and known issues).


Analysis: Please, Microsoft, bring this to other phones besides Samsung

This is a really smart and convenient touch for Phone Link to cut down on the hassle related to using your phone as a hotspot for your Windows 11 machine.

Common scenarios for when you might avail yourself of the instant hotspot are, for example, when you’re out and about, and want to use your Windows 11 laptop with your smartphone’s cellular connection. Or, maybe you’re at home and the broadband goes down – you might then want to hop on your mobile broadband instead via your phone, and can do so instantly with no fuss using this feature (until your full-fat broadband comes back on).

The obvious annoyance here is that it’s a Samsung-only feature, but for Phone Link users, that particular stumbling block is nothing new, as functionality has been tied to Samsung devices exclusively in the past a number of times.

When will instant hotspot come to other phones? We don’t know. Indeed, this is the early testing channel as observed above, so there’s a chance the feature may be ditched before making the cut for the release version of Windows 11. In this case, that seems unlikely, but who knows.

At any rate, fingers crossed for wider support than just Samsung devices with this one. It certainly seems a bit daft that you can’t benefit from this ability on Microsoft’s own Android-powered Surface Duo 2, but hopefully that’ll change soon enough.

Via Neowin

Posted in Uncategorised

Galaxy S22 update lets you take better pictures of, well, the galaxy

Samsung is taking night photography to the next level by updating the Galaxy S22’s camera with a new Astrophoto feature plus the ability to fuse shots into one.

Other smartphones have a “night mode” of sorts that allows the device to take better pictures in low-light environments. But there’s never really been a concerted push toward astrophotography.

You have to use certain tricks and equipment to take good-quality pictures of the night sky. Samsung is addressing these shortcomings with new features designed to make night photography easier to do and more fun via the aforementioned Astrophoto. The company even claims you’ll have “top-grade professional” quality images without the extra equipment.

New beta features

Astrophoto will be available through Expert RAW, an app on the Galaxy S22 line that lets people shoot photos in the high-quality RAW format plus configure the camera's Pro settings. Samsung didn’t offer many details but mentioned using the device’s “advanced AI segmentation technology and multi-frame processing” to take pictures over a period of time. By the sound of things, you have to keep the phone still for a little while as it photographs. 

There will be a Sky Guide in the app pointing out the locations of constellations, solar systems, and even nebulas in the night sky by drawing them on screen.

As for the image meshing feature alluded to earlier, that will come in the form of Multiple Exposures. The tool allows the S22 to shoot multiple images and overlay them over one another like a filter to create some cool-looking abstract pictures

Besides Astrophoto, Samsung provided some preview images and videos for the upcoming Camera Assistant update an app that seeks to take the guesswork out of smartphone photography. We get to see the differences between having Auto HDR on or off plus the speed of the faster shutter tool.

Camera Assistant

Both Astrophoto and Multiple Exposures are currently in beta and only available on S22 phones running One UI 5 which currently only available through Verizon. A company representative told us they recommend updating to One UI 5 first before downloading the beta. If you’re one of the lucky few with access, you can join the beta by opening the Settings menu in Expert RAW and then selecting the Special Photo option.

For everyone else, the representative also said One UI 5 will be rolling out to more carriers over the coming days so be sure to keep an eye out for that update when it arrives. We also asked if there are plans to launch the beta onto older devices and will people see Astrophoto in the future Galaxy S23, but they couldn't comment. 

So it's entirely possible an official launch isn't the last time we see of Astrophoto. Enhancing night photography could be the future of smartphone cameras. It'll be interesting to see if that's the case.

If you’re in the market for a smartphone with a really good camera, be sure to check out TechRadar’s best camera phone list for 2022.  

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Mac and iOS security flaw could expose your Siri conversations – but there’s a fix

A worrying issue whereby those using macOS and iOS devices might have their conversations with Siri snooped on and recorded by a malicious third-party in certain circumstances has fortunately been patched out by Apple.

This was a serious flaw impacting Mac and iPhone or iPad owners, and it was discovered by app developer Guilherme Rambo, as Apple Insider reports. Rambo found that any app with Bluetooth access could exploit the security hole and eavesdrop on the user’s Siri exchanges when using AirPods or a Beats headset (with Bluetooth connections).

Rambo explains: “Finding out that I could get audio from AirPods without asking for permission to use the microphone on macOS was the first step.”

The developer than performed the same tricks on the iPhone and iPad, receiving audio of the user’s conversations (which the dev first thought might be encrypted, but turned out not to be).

Crucially, this flaw could be exploited by any piece of software with Bluetooth permission granted, and it happens with no request to access the mic, or any other clue to suggest to the user that anything untoward might be going on.

Rambo let Apple know about the issue on August 26 whereupon the company started an investigation process, subsequently implementing a fix (for vulnerability CVE-2022-32946) in the freshly arrived iOS 16.1 (and latest macOS build).


Analysis: Bug squashed and bounty received

It’s good news that this problem has been fixed before it became common knowledge, naturally, but we have no idea if the exploit might actually have been leveraged by a hacker anywhere to date. Hopefully not, and at least someone on the light side of the security fence brought it to Apple’s attention to get the fix deployed.

Obviously this is a good reason to grab the latest update for iOS and macOS, and bugs like these getting resolved are precisely why you should ensure updates are applied in a timely manner.

It doesn’t necessarily pay to jump on any given update within hours of it being released – early adopters can be testing the waters for unexpected problems which are introduced, of course – but you shouldn’t leave it too long before applying security updates in particular.

Rambo received $7,000 (US) for reporting the bug to Apple, and as seen on Twitter, there are some who think that’s a little on the stingy side – observing that this is the reason sometimes folks go elsewhere with this kind of finding, rather than directly to the affected company. A worrying thought to end on…

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This iOS 16.1 update makes the Dynamic Island even more useful

Apple's new iPhone 14 Pro Dynamic Island is now just a little more dynamic. iOS 16.1, which officially dropped on millions of iPhones this week, brought with it new gesture controls to Apple's innovative notch replacement.

Available only on the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max, the Dynamic Island not only moved the True Depth Module down from the iPhone's top edge, but it also created a fungible island of functionality. From a technical perspective, the Dynamic Island is actually two Super Retina Display XDR screen cutouts, one pill-shaped and the other wider and more cylindrical. Apple cannily uses the small bits of pixels between the two shapes to create what appears to be a lively and fully dynamic digital island.

Inside the Dynamic island are activity symbols to indicate if, for instance, your phone is locked, playing music, or delivering Map-based directions. It can appear to expand to offer more map details or conduct a Face ID scan. In other words, the Island, which also supports third-party apps, is designed to be many things to many people.

Dynamic Island swipe

(Image credit: Future)

In iOS 16.1 it gets another trick. The Dynamic Island is already capable of displaying two running apps at once, but they generally sit as two distinct islands with home screen pixels separating them. Now, with a gesture, you can easily hide one activity. Apple confirmed that this feature, which first appeared in iOS 16.1 beta is now part of the public download.

For example, we launched Apple Music and started playing a song, then switched to Maps and set the navigation for home. On the home screen, the Dynamic Island displayed these activities in two separate, for lack of a better word, islands. If we place a finger on, for instance, the smaller music island and swipe to the left the music island is hidden, and we have just one original-sized Dynamic Island running our Map directions.

Another quick left swipe on the far left side of the Dynamic Island unhides the music app, which ends up back on its own tiny island on the right.

Granted, it's a small change, but also an indication that Apple views the Dynamic Island, which already responds to taps, as a platform on which it can build a world of interaction.

We like the control and look forward to more.

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I’m already using Live Activities as a shortcut for apps and settings in iOS 16.1

iOS 16.1 hasn't been available for long, but already developers are taking advantage of its tentpole feature, Live Activities, by creating shortcut widgets on the redesigned Lock Screen on your iPhone - and I'm sold.

For anyone unclear, Live Activities is a widget placed at the bottom of an iOS 16.1 Lock Screen on an iPhone, which can show live data, such as the status of a takeaway, or live scores for a football game. However, developers are already finding out other ways to take advantage of this.

An app called Lock Launcher, is free to download on the App Store but there's a one-off fee of $4.99 / £4.99 / AU$5.99 to unlock more features. The app previously allowed you to create widgets for the Home Screen that could let you access WiFi settings and apps from a favorite list. With the appearance of Live Activities in iOS 16.1 however, you can now do the same directly on the Lock Screen.

A launchpad of possibilities

Lock Launcher app options in iOS 16.1

(Image credit: TechRadar)

From launching WiFi and 5G settings to Photos and websites, it's already freeing up the widgets at the top of the Lock Screen for me. There have been countless times when I've had to go to WiFi settings to force-connect it to the home network, but it's always required 4 taps to get there. Now, it's just one. But Lock Launcher goes even further for this widget.

You can also change the icons for the apps and settings to help match whichever Lock Screen you've made, so if you wanted to change WhatsApp to a facemask, you can.

And there's yet another benefit if you own an iPhone 14 Pro or 14 Pro Max. You can also summon this widget within the Dynamic Island wherever you are, so you can quickly access apps, settings, and more.

I'm already finding this useful on my iPhone 13 Pro, and it's not even a week since iOS 16.1 debuted. Yet again, it's also making me think about how this can help on an iPad Pro display, and how many apps and settings I can add there, but I imagine I'll be waiting for the debut of Lock Screen widgets in iPadOS 17.

In the meantime though, Lock Launcher has been a big timesaver for me, and if you've been trying to find ways of cutting down the taps to reach your Bluetooth settings, this app will achieve that in droves.

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Apple confirms that future iPhones will have USB-C, at least in some places

It was inevitable, really, but following the EU’s legislation requiring USB-C to become the common charging standard, Apple has now confirmed that it will comply with the law, and switch from Lightning to USB-C on future iPhones.

Greg Joswiak (Apple’s senior vice president of worldwide marketing) said as much in a Wall Street Journal video interview, confirming that "obviously, we’ll have to comply."

Joswiak didn’t say exactly when that change will occur, as the law doesn’t come into play until 2024, so it’s possible that the iPhone 15 will still have Lightning, but equally Apple might not wait around to make the inevitable switch, and, indeed, it's been rumored that the iPhone 15 will use USB-C when it arrives next year.

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Joswiak also wouldn’t be drawn on whether this change will apply globally or just in Europe, so there’s still some uncertainty.

It’s clear from the interview though that this isn’t a change the company is keen to make. Despite having switched to USB-C for iPads and Macs, Joswiak noted that moving iPhones to USB-C will create a lot of e-waste, since the billions of Lightning cables around the world will no longer be useable with future products.

He believes that by making the cables removable from the power brick (so that you can connect the cable of your choice to the brick), Apple had struck a good balance that doesn’t inconvenience customers, and that this forced move to USB-C isn’t the best thing for most of its customers.

He also pointed out that governments tried to standardize micro-USB connectors in the past, and that if that had happened there would have likely been no Lightning cable or USB-C – both of which are superior to micro-USB.

All of which are reasonable points, but with Apple’s move to USB-C on other products, the growing popularity of wireless charging, and rumors of a portless iPhone, it seems like Lightning’s days were probably numbered with or without the EU’s interference.


Analysis: expect USB-C globally

While Joswiak wouldn’t say whether future iPhones will also switch to USB-C in the US and other regions outside the EU, it seems very likely that they will.

His point about e-waste might mean we still see Lightning elsewhere, in order to minimize the number of unusable Lightning cables, but developing and producing iPhones with different ports for different regions seems like it would create a level of cost and hassle that could be avoided with a global change.

Plus, as noted above, the days of Lightning ports are probably numbered anyway. E-waste aside, Joswiak’s issues seem to primarily be about the standardization of USB-C, rather than at the iPhone having a USB-C port. So before long all of the best phones will likely have the same charging port.

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