It was a big scandal for Apple that shocked and enraged its customers: The idea that Apple used human contractors to listen in on Siri voice recordings as part of a response grading program. This was not something people expected from a company that was so ideologically committed to privacy. But, alas, it was true.
Last year, Apple had instituted a protocol designed to measure and grade the performance of its digital assistant in comprehending real-life voice questions, commands, and human interactions. Those recordings — made with neither customer knowledge nor consent — hoovered in an astounding range of interactions, including private discussions, personal and medical information, crimes, and sex acts, alongside data such as location, contact details, and app information. These anonymized recordings, which never specifically identified individuals and accounted for less than 1% of all Siri interactions, nonetheless left many feeling exposed, betrayed, frightened, and appalled.
In the face of sharp criticism, Apple halted the practice, apologized for the deception, and offered customers a way to remove any voice recordings that may have found their way to their servers. Whereas Apple still relies on human contractors listening to Siri conversations to improve the voice assistant, Apple no longer collects recordings without permission. Now, you must opt in if you’re fine with your recorded interactions being used. Starting with iOS 13.2, Apple also lets you delete recordings from Apple’s servers. We’ll show you how to remove Siri recordings from Apple’s servers in the latest versions of iOS and iPadOS, as well as your Mac.
The iPhone software lets you opt in to sharing Siri recordings with Apple, and you can also delete all your Siri recordings from Apple’s servers. This does not affect the digital assistant’s functionality. If you opt out, Apple won’t be able to use your recordings to improve the service.
Are you tired of paying for streaming services you never watch just to get a phone plan feature you actually want? T-Mobile has good news for you! The carrier is rolling out new plans, called T-Mix, in early November to replace its old Experience lineup with a build-your-own perks system called Picks.
The benefits you choose vary from streaming and gaming to food delivery, AI, satellite service, and phone discounts. But if you are satisfied with your existing plan, you can keep it.
Merely days after the iPhone Duo hit the shelves, images of broken screens on the phone started popping up across social media. Until now, it’s been unclear what’s causing the line of defective pixels that appears vertically along the crease, as well as horizontally, on the phone’s inner display.
Apple has finally acknowledged the issue, which has shown up on iPhone Duo units owned by customers as well as demo units in stores. In a statement shared with Bloomberg, Apple says that not all iPhone Duo units are affected and that those that are tend to show the display fault early on. The company added that users who experience problems with their iPhone Duo display should contact AppleCare for a replacement.
Not long ago, Apple treated independent repair like an act of outright hostility. The Cupertino giant locked down parts with serial-number pairing, while repair tools remained firmly out of reach of anyone outside its authorized repair network. More importantly, the company waged a legal and lobbying battle against right-to-repair legislation.
I've covered enough of these fights over the years to know what a shift looks like. That's why what happened in October 2026 genuinely caught me off guard. The day the iPhone Duo went on sale, what may be the most mechanically complex iPhone to date, Apple pulled off a surprising about-face. It published teardown-style repair manuals for a handful of major components.