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iOS 14 Photos and Camera: QuickTake Shortcut, Photo Captions, Mirrored Selfies, and More – Mac Rumors

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iOS 14‘s biggest changes focus on the Home Screen, the App Library, redesigned compact interface for phone calls and Siri, Picture in Picture, the Translate app, and updated privacy protections, but Apple also improved many of its existing apps to add new features and functionality.


The Photos and Camera apps didn’t get new designs, but received some notable changes like captions, navigation improvements, new shortcuts for capturing images, and more, with all of the new additions to the two apps outlined in the guide below.

Camera Performance and Shooting Speed

Apple in ‌iOS 14‌ added speed and efficiency improvements to the Camera app. You can capture photos up to 90 percent faster, at up to four frames per second. The time it takes to get your first shot after opening the app is now 25 percent faster, and capturing portraits is 15 percent faster shot to shot.


There’s also a new “Prioritize Faster Shooting” toggle in the Camera section of the Settings app that adapts image quality when rapidly pressing the shutter so you can make sure you’re not missing a shot due to processing times.

Expanded QuickTake Video Support

QuickTake in ‌iOS 14‌ is now available on the iPhone XR, XS, and XS Max. Previously, it was limited to the iPhone 11, 11 Pro, 11 Pro Max, and SE (2020). QuickTake lets you hold down on the shutter button when in photo mode to capture a video without having to swipe over to video mode.

Volume Up/Down Burst Mode and QuickTake

It’s long been possible to press the volume buttons to snap a photo when the Camera app is open, but this shortcut functionality is expanded in ‌iOS 14‌. If you long press on the Volume Up button you can take a series of photos in quick succession, which is known as Burst Mode.

If you press and hold the Volume Down button you can activate QuickTake to capture video without having to take the time to go into video mode.

Video Mode Toggles

In the upper right corner of the Camera app, there are details on video quality and frames per second when in video mode. In ‌iOS 14‌, you can tap in that corner to change the video mode rather than having to open up the Settings app to do so. This works in video mode and Slo-Mo mode.

Exposure Adjustment and Night Mode Improvements

In the Camera section of the Settings app, if you tap on “Preserve Settings,” you’ll find a new toggle for “Exposure Adjustment.” Exposure Adjustment preserves any tweaks you’ve made to exposure rather than resetting it from shot to shot so you can continue to take photos with your preferred exposure settings.


Toggling on Exposure Adjustment also ensures that the exposure adjustment indicator remains visible.

Selfie Mirroring

When taking a selfie with an iPhone using the Camera app, it flips the image so that it’s the opposite of the mirror image that’s shown in the preview, which can be confusing. Because most social networking apps use mirrored selfies, many people are more accustomed to mirroring functionality than the flipped selfies that the ‌‌iPhone‌‌ uses.


In ‌iOS 14‌, you can use the new “Mirror Front Camera” toggle to cause the Camera app to take mirror image selfies where the finished product looks like the image preview. To enable the feature, open up the Settings app, select Camera, and toggle on “Mirror Front Camera.”

Photo Captions and Filtering

The ‌Photos‌ app in ‌iOS 14‌ supports captions so you can add additional context to your photos with the information you add synced across iOS and Mac.


To add a caption to an image in the ‌Photos‌ app, just swipe up on any single photo you’re looking at to see additional details and then tap on “Add a Caption” and type in whatever you want.


In the “All ‌Photos‌” view, there’s a “Filter” option where you can choose to display favorite photos, edited photos, all photos, or all videos. To get to the Filter options, tap the three dots in the upper right corner and select “Filter.” You can also choose to change the Aspect Ratio Grid to show the photo sizes or stick with the square version.

Album Sorting and Hidden Album

In any album in the ‌Photos‌ app, you can tap the three dots in the right hand corner of the display to get to sorting and filtering options. Filter options work like above, but the sort option lets you sort by oldest photos or newest photos to make it easier to find what you’re looking for.


As for the Hidden album, there’s a new option to hide it from the Albums list. In the ‌Photos‌ section of the Settings app, toggle on “Hidden Album.” The album won’t be available in the ‌Photos‌ app, but you’ll still see it when you use the image picker in other apps.

Pinch gestures to zoom in and out now work in the Albums, Favorites, Media Types, and Shared Albums sections of the ‌Photos‌ app, so you can easily zoom in and out to see everything in a given location. In iOS 13, the pinch zoom gesture to see more photos or photos that are larger was limited to the main ‌Photos‌ section.

Memories and Live Photos Improvements

Apple in ‌iOS 14‌ improved the Memories feature to show more relevant photos and videos, and there are a greater number of music tracks available to watch with photo slideshows. Apple says that the framing has also been improved when switching between horizontal and portrait orientations for better transitions.

Redesigned Image Picker

Throughout ‌iOS 14‌, there’s a new image picker wherever you use iOS to insert a photo into another app. The new version lets you select from albums or search for people, places, or photo contents, which makes it easier to find the exact photo you want to use.

Better Zoom

In ‌iOS 14‌ you can use the pinch to zoom feature to zoom much further into photos than was possible in ‌iOS 13‌, so you can see more of the detail in a photo.

Limited Photos Permissions

Apps that ask permission to access photos can now be provided with access to a limited number of images if you don’t want to give blanket permission for an app to access your entire camera roll.


With the limited photos option, you can continually update the photos that are shared with the app, selecting just a couple at a time that you want to upload or edit.


You will be asked about limited photos access whenever an app wants permission to use photos, and you can control which apps have access to all of your photos, limited photos, or no photos in the Privacy section of the Settings app under “‌Photos‌.”

Guide Feedback

Have questions about the Camera and ‌Photos‌ features in ‌iOS 14‌, know of something we left out, or or want to offer feedback on this guide? Send us an email here. If you want to know more about what’s coming in ‌iOS 14‌, make sure to check out our iOS 14 roundup.

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Ottawa orders TikTok’s Canadian arm to be dissolved

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The federal government is ordering the dissolution of TikTok’s Canadian business after a national security review of the Chinese company behind the social media platform, but stopped short of ordering people to stay off the app.

Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne announced the government’s “wind up” demand Wednesday, saying it is meant to address “risks” related to ByteDance Ltd.’s establishment of TikTok Technology Canada Inc.

“The decision was based on the information and evidence collected over the course of the review and on the advice of Canada’s security and intelligence community and other government partners,” he said in a statement.

The announcement added that the government is not blocking Canadians’ access to the TikTok application or their ability to create content.

However, it urged people to “adopt good cybersecurity practices and assess the possible risks of using social media platforms and applications, including how their information is likely to be protected, managed, used and shared by foreign actors, as well as to be aware of which country’s laws apply.”

Champagne’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment seeking details about what evidence led to the government’s dissolution demand, how long ByteDance has to comply and why the app is not being banned.

A TikTok spokesperson said in a statement that the shutdown of its Canadian offices will mean the loss of hundreds of well-paying local jobs.

“We will challenge this order in court,” the spokesperson said.

“The TikTok platform will remain available for creators to find an audience, explore new interests and for businesses to thrive.”

The federal Liberals ordered a national security review of TikTok in September 2023, but it was not public knowledge until The Canadian Press reported in March that it was investigating the company.

At the time, it said the review was based on the expansion of a business, which it said constituted the establishment of a new Canadian entity. It declined to provide any further details about what expansion it was reviewing.

A government database showed a notification of new business from TikTok in June 2023. It said Network Sense Ventures Ltd. in Toronto and Vancouver would engage in “marketing, advertising, and content/creator development activities in relation to the use of the TikTok app in Canada.”

Even before the review, ByteDance and TikTok were lightning rod for privacy and safety concerns because Chinese national security laws compel organizations in the country to assist with intelligence gathering.

Such concerns led the U.S. House of Representatives to pass a bill in March designed to ban TikTok unless its China-based owner sells its stake in the business.

Champagne’s office has maintained Canada’s review was not related to the U.S. bill, which has yet to pass.

Canada’s review was carried out through the Investment Canada Act, which allows the government to investigate any foreign investment with potential to might harm national security.

While cabinet can make investors sell parts of the business or shares, Champagne has said the act doesn’t allow him to disclose details of the review.

Wednesday’s dissolution order was made in accordance with the act.

The federal government banned TikTok from its mobile devices in February 2023 following the launch of an investigation into the company by federal and provincial privacy commissioners.

— With files from Anja Karadeglija in Ottawa

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 6, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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Here is how to prepare your online accounts for when you die

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LONDON (AP) — Most people have accumulated a pile of data — selfies, emails, videos and more — on their social media and digital accounts over their lifetimes. What happens to it when we die?

It’s wise to draft a will spelling out who inherits your physical assets after you’re gone, but don’t forget to take care of your digital estate too. Friends and family might treasure files and posts you’ve left behind, but they could get lost in digital purgatory after you pass away unless you take some simple steps.

Here’s how you can prepare your digital life for your survivors:

Apple

The iPhone maker lets you nominate a “ legacy contact ” who can access your Apple account’s data after you die. The company says it’s a secure way to give trusted people access to photos, files and messages. To set it up you’ll need an Apple device with a fairly recent operating system — iPhones and iPads need iOS or iPadOS 15.2 and MacBooks needs macOS Monterey 12.1.

For iPhones, go to settings, tap Sign-in & Security and then Legacy Contact. You can name one or more people, and they don’t need an Apple ID or device.

You’ll have to share an access key with your contact. It can be a digital version sent electronically, or you can print a copy or save it as a screenshot or PDF.

Take note that there are some types of files you won’t be able to pass on — including digital rights-protected music, movies and passwords stored in Apple’s password manager. Legacy contacts can only access a deceased user’s account for three years before Apple deletes the account.

Google

Google takes a different approach with its Inactive Account Manager, which allows you to share your data with someone if it notices that you’ve stopped using your account.

When setting it up, you need to decide how long Google should wait — from three to 18 months — before considering your account inactive. Once that time is up, Google can notify up to 10 people.

You can write a message informing them you’ve stopped using the account, and, optionally, include a link to download your data. You can choose what types of data they can access — including emails, photos, calendar entries and YouTube videos.

There’s also an option to automatically delete your account after three months of inactivity, so your contacts will have to download any data before that deadline.

Facebook and Instagram

Some social media platforms can preserve accounts for people who have died so that friends and family can honor their memories.

When users of Facebook or Instagram die, parent company Meta says it can memorialize the account if it gets a “valid request” from a friend or family member. Requests can be submitted through an online form.

The social media company strongly recommends Facebook users add a legacy contact to look after their memorial accounts. Legacy contacts can do things like respond to new friend requests and update pinned posts, but they can’t read private messages or remove or alter previous posts. You can only choose one person, who also has to have a Facebook account.

You can also ask Facebook or Instagram to delete a deceased user’s account if you’re a close family member or an executor. You’ll need to send in documents like a death certificate.

TikTok

The video-sharing platform says that if a user has died, people can submit a request to memorialize the account through the settings menu. Go to the Report a Problem section, then Account and profile, then Manage account, where you can report a deceased user.

Once an account has been memorialized, it will be labeled “Remembering.” No one will be able to log into the account, which prevents anyone from editing the profile or using the account to post new content or send messages.

X

It’s not possible to nominate a legacy contact on Elon Musk’s social media site. But family members or an authorized person can submit a request to deactivate a deceased user’s account.

Passwords

Besides the major online services, you’ll probably have dozens if not hundreds of other digital accounts that your survivors might need to access. You could just write all your login credentials down in a notebook and put it somewhere safe. But making a physical copy presents its own vulnerabilities. What if you lose track of it? What if someone finds it?

Instead, consider a password manager that has an emergency access feature. Password managers are digital vaults that you can use to store all your credentials. Some, like Keeper,Bitwarden and NordPass, allow users to nominate one or more trusted contacts who can access their keys in case of an emergency such as a death.

But there are a few catches: Those contacts also need to use the same password manager and you might have to pay for the service.

___

Is there a tech challenge you need help figuring out? Write to us at onetechtip@ap.org with your questions.

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Google’s partnership with AI startup Anthropic faces a UK competition investigation

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LONDON (AP) — Britain’s competition watchdog said Thursday it’s opening a formal investigation into Google’s partnership with artificial intelligence startup Anthropic.

The Competition and Markets Authority said it has “sufficient information” to launch an initial probe after it sought input earlier this year on whether the deal would stifle competition.

The CMA has until Dec. 19 to decide whether to approve the deal or escalate its investigation.

“Google is committed to building the most open and innovative AI ecosystem in the world,” the company said. “Anthropic is free to use multiple cloud providers and does, and we don’t demand exclusive tech rights.”

San Francisco-based Anthropic was founded in 2021 by siblings Dario and Daniela Amodei, who previously worked at ChatGPT maker OpenAI. The company has focused on increasing the safety and reliability of AI models. Google reportedly agreed last year to make a multibillion-dollar investment in Anthropic, which has a popular chatbot named Claude.

Anthropic said it’s cooperating with the regulator and will provide “the complete picture about Google’s investment and our commercial collaboration.”

“We are an independent company and none of our strategic partnerships or investor relationships diminish the independence of our corporate governance or our freedom to partner with others,” it said in a statement.

The U.K. regulator has been scrutinizing a raft of AI deals as investment money floods into the industry to capitalize on the artificial intelligence boom. Last month it cleared Anthropic’s $4 billion deal with Amazon and it has also signed off on Microsoft’s deals with two other AI startups, Inflection and Mistral.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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