T-Mobile T-Life app screen recording controversy
T-Mobile T-Life app screen recording controversy[edit | edit source]
Summary[edit | edit source]
T-Mobile T-Life app discovered to include a default-on, in-app only screen recording feature on some devices, raising concerns about transparency and privacy.
Background[edit | edit source]
At the start of 2024, T-Mobile rebranded its popular T-Mobile Tuesdays app, known for providing customers with discounts and giveaways every Tuesday, to T-Life.[1] This was the first step in a move to merge the many existing T-Mobile apps into a single unified experience.
With Version 10.0, the T-Life app was updated to look very similar to the existing T-Mobile app, originally used mostly for customer support and plan management. The existing T-Mobile app was also updated to version 10.0 around the same time, with both apps being functionally and visually identical.[2]
Both apps can be installed simultaneously, leading some users to describe this as redundant. The goal was to create a unified T-Mobile experience and reduce reliance on multiple separate apps.
Incident[edit | edit source]
In May 2025, some T-Mobile customers found an unannounced setting in the T-Life app called “Screen Recording Tool.”[3] The setting was not present on all devices, with reports primarily from iPhone 16 users. According to Droid-Life, the setting was also found on a Galaxy S25 Ultra but not the iPhone 15 Pro in their testing. This limited rollout indicated a staggered implementation by T-Mobile.
The feature was not announced and was enabled by default. The feature came to light only after users noticed the setting, since there is no in-app indication when recording is active. Initially, many thought this was a troubleshooting tool to allow customer service to better offer support to users. However, this capability already existed in the T-Life app’s Help & Support under “Screen Sharing” and is unrelated to the unannounced feature.[4]
This distinction is made explicit in the unannounced feature’s setting page, which states:
T-Life "Screen Recording Tool " Setting
We use a tool to record how customers use the app to analyze and improve your experience. Only T-Mobile will review and analyze your info. If you turn this toggle on or magenta, we will record your screen while you use the app. If you turn this toggle off or gray, we will not record your screen.
Although the app records only the T-Life interface and only when it is in focus, the rollout prompted criticism from users who raised concerns about transparency and privacy. Additionally, the opt-out nature means that many consumers were unaware that their screens were being recorded.
After consumer backlash and concern over data privacy and security, a T-Mobile representative later clarified to CNET that: “This tool records activities within the app only and does not see or access any personal information.”[5]
T-Mobile claimed the goal of this feature is: “To help us give customers who use T-Life a smoother experience, we are rolling out a new tool in the app that will help us quickly troubleshoot reported or detected issues.” However, any direct support continues to be handled by the opt-in “Screen Sharing” feature, not the “Screen Recording Tool.”
As of mid-2025, T-Mobile has not reversed the rollout.