A new function in the Facebook app analyses photos and videos in the background. Where and when was a photo taken, is it a favourite? The Facebook app on smartphones examines all of this. If you don’t want this, you have to take action and turn it off yourself.
A look at the metadata of smartphone photos can reveal a lot about a picture: Where was it taken and when? Has it been saved in your favorites? This is important information for the Facebook app when it wants to suggest suitable photos to share at the right moment. You can like that, but you don’t have to.
In any case, the Facebook app automatically searches for this and other information in the smartphone’s photo library in the standard settings, reports Stiftung Warentest. If you don’t want this, you have to go to the settings and prohibit photo analysis.
How to turn off the function
And this is how it works: Tap the menu symbol at the bottom right (iOS). Android users tap the symbol with the three lines or the gear symbol at the top right in the Facebook app. Depending on the app version and the manufacturer of the smartphone, the function may also be accessed in a different way.
Under “Settings and privacy,” tap “Settings.” Then select “Share suggestions from your camera roll.” * Now turn off the options “Personalized share suggestions from your camera roll” and “Suggestions from your camera roll as you move around Facebook.”
Would you rather have no access at all?
If you would rather not grant any more access to your photos, you can simply withdraw this permission from the Facebook app on iOS. You can do this in the settings under “Privacy & Security” and by turning off “Photos”. On Android, the function can be found under app permissions. Depending on the manufacturer and version, you can access these either via the menu or by long-pressing the app symbol and then the “i” symbol.
However, turning it off is not without consequences. You will no longer be able to share or download photos when using the Facebook app.
