News
- Windows Hello facial recognition no longer works in poorly-lit rooms
- This is due to a move Microsoft made to shore up security with the feature
- The change to require a ‘color camera to see a visible face’ means logins now fail in dark rooms, where previously infrared allowed them to work
Windows Hello, the system that allows for secure login to your Windows 11 (or 10) PC, no longer works when using facial recognition in a dark environment.
Indeed, this has been the case for a couple of months, because as Windows Central reports, Microsoft made this change in the April update for Windows 11, but it flew under the radar.
When some Windows Hello users noticed that they couldn’t successfully log in because their face wasn’t recognized sometimes, they may have just assumed it was a bug (or the feature being flaky, which it is occasionally). However, this is an intentional change by Microsoft as the company made clear in the April patch release notes.
Microsoft said, “For enhanced security, Windows Hello facial recognition requires color cameras to see a visible face when signing in.”
This security improvement was necessary due to a vulnerability being discovered that could potentially allow an attacker with access to the Windows PC to spoof their way past Windows Hello protection.
That trick evidently involved messing with the infrared camera – leveraging “adversarial input perturbations,” as Microsoft puts it in fancy security-speak – so to avoid this exploit, the company added the requirement for a color camera.
Why has this scuppered logins in darkened environments? Before the April update, Windows Hello could go purely off the infrared sensor to achieve a login in low-light (infrared scanning works fine without light, of course). However, now the feature needs your face to be visible to the camera, logins in those conditions just won’t work anymore.
Analysis: There’s a workaround, but it isn’t helpful(Image credit: Shutterstock)There’s no way of getting around this as such, and if you’re in a poorly lit room, Windows Hello facial login may well fail (when before it wouldn’t).
Okay, so Windows Central does point out there is a workaround here, namely that you can disable your webcam in Windows 11 (the actual camera can be turned off in Device Manager). With that done, Windows Hello will authenticate with the infrared sensor – because it’s the only option – and so it’ll work in the semi-dark again.
Presumably, if you go this route, though, you may be vulnerable to the mentioned exploit (unless that requires the camera to be active, a point that Microsoft doesn’t go into). At any rate, disabling the webcam is hardly a good solution, as it means you won’t be able to use it for video chatting (obviously, or anything else).
It’s a shame Microsoft had to tighten security in this way, but the software giant can’t risk leaving the door open to an exploit that someone who has stolen a Windows 11 laptop might be able to leverage in order to gain access to the device.
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iPadOS 26 is on the way – Apple revealed its next iPad software update at WWDC 2025, and since then the internet has been ablaze with reactions and speculation.
The big ticket items for this year’s iPadOS update pertain to multitasking – all currently-sold iPads (and likely several older models) are due to get support for up to six desktop-style windows at once, as well as a menu bar, and updates to the dock and background processing.
We already recommend the base model iPad and iPad Pro as some of the best tablets you can buy, but this upcoming update has got me thinking about where Apple now sits in the wider tablet market.
It’s no secret that Apple’s tablet hardware is the best on the market – there are simply no other tablets with the raw processing power the iPad Pro and iPad Air's M-series chipsets can offer.
Speaking frankly, the only thing giving other tablet makers a chance has been software – iPadOS has long been held back by a lack of flexibility and unintuitive design, while rivals like Samsung have pushed ahead with innovative features like DeX, which offers a desktop-style experience that works especially well with a keyboard and mouse.
But with iPadOS 26 bringing huge updates, that could all change.
Samsung's optionsUniquely huge screen aside, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra can't match the iPad Pro on performance (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)I recently spent some time testing the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE Plus for an upcoming review, and found it to be a big, premium-feeling tablet that offers a lot of software flexibility at the cost of performance.
In fact, having used the Galaxy Tab S10 FE Plus in a variety of situations, I think the only reason someone should buy one is if they absolutely need its combination of a large 13-inch screen, flexible multitasking, and intermediate price (starting at $649 / £649 / AU$1,099).
iPadOS 26’s windowed multitasking, from what we’ve seen so far, is not as developed or as open-ended as Samsung DeX, but in true Apple style it’ll probably be just useful enough to overshadow Samsung’s offering when combined with the iPad’s hardware power.
That takes away a major advantage to buying a Samsung tablet pretty much instantly.
@techradar ♬ Coleen - The HeavyIf you ask me, Samsung should be really quite worried about this, and has one of two options to survive an upcoming iPad renaissance.
The first is simply cutting prices as much as costs allow. Samsung tablets are definitively premium devices, with great build quality and sometimes bigger screens than comparably priced iPads – but they’re still very expensive, and don't perform as well as Apple's tablets.
Like it or not, iPadOS is the standard for how a tablet works, so asking users to shell out almost as much as an iPad costs for a device that isn’t as powerful, runs potentially unfamiliar software, and offers just slightly more utility looks like a pretty mediocre deal.
The second option is stepping up performance without an increase in price – our Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus review and Samsung Galaxy S10 Ultra review found the tablets to be solid performers, but not to Apple’s standards. That’s backed up by our own Future Labs testing data: neither Samsung tablet catches up to the latest iPad Air in single or multicore benchmarks.
A renewed rivalryiPadOS 26 being introduced at WWDC 2025 (Image credit: Apple)Both of these options ask a lot of Samsung, perhaps more than can be delivered in a few release cycles.
But with Apple’s smooth user experience, wider selection of professional apps, more powerful hardware, and upcoming multitasking improvements, I seriously can’t see the point in buying a Samsung tablet right now.
That's not me giving Apple an easy ride either, let me be clear that as someone who personally bought an iPad Pro in 2020, the long wait for proper multitasking on iPad has been very, very frustrating. But having used both iPads and Samsung tablets, I'd still pick the iPad any day thanks to its better app availability and smoother user experience.
And my own experiences aside, there's no denying that iPads are vastly more popular than Samsung tablets. A Forbes report from September 2024 estimates that Apple holds 35.8% of the tablet market worldwide, compared to Samsung's 20.1%. That's going to make the impact of iPadOS 26 feel even more significant, even if the features added are ones Samsung users have enjoyed for years.
That’s not to say there are no benefits to buying a Samsung tablet: One UI 7 is rich with customizable settings, and the aforementioned Dex mode really is fantastic. It’s just that iPadOS 26 is poised to take Apple’s tablet platform to a new level of competition.
I'd like to see a future in which the best iPads and the best Samsung tablets keep clashing head-to-head; here’s hoping Samsung can make the right moves to keep up. Look out for my full Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE Plus review soon.
As ever, the comments section is open for discussion – is Apple destined to take over? Or does Samsung have more of a chance than I think? Let us know below.
You might also like- Oracle Defense Ecosystem gives SMBs access to potential DoD contracts
- The program includes access to office spaces, software and support
- Its scope could extend beyond US DoD contracts
Oracle has launched a new program aimed at helping tech vendors, especially smaller firms, sell to the US Department of Defense (DoD).
The launch of the Oracle Defense Ecosystem program comes amid a major restructuring of US government tech procurement, with many hyperscalers losing contracts as the Trump administration seeks to centralize purchasing and reduce expenditure.
Although the companies that have traditionally sold to the government have been seen to be offering huge discounts to keep their government contracts, the time has also come for smaller companies to be in with a chance of winning bids.
Oracle and US DoDAs part of the program, smaller vendors will get access to Oracle office spaces, discounts on Palantir's cloud/AI tools and Oracle's NetSuite software, and guidance on navigating the Pentagon's procurement processes.
The company says the program has been designed to overcome the structural challenges small vendors often face compared to large defense contractors, effectively levelling the playing field.
Initially, 10 companies, including Blackshar.ai, SensusQ, Metron and Arqit are participating, but signing up is free (backed by Oracle funding).
The benefits extend far beyond boosting smaller tech firms, though, with the DoD also getting access to more advanced tech and a broader spectrum of offerings, and Oracle Cloud weaving its way deeper into defense operations – a win all-round, then.
DOGE's focus on efficiency could further benefit Oracle by terminating legacy contracts – although the company trails far behind the likes of AWS and Azure in terms of market share, it sees opportunities in the AI and defense spaces.
Speaking about the new program, Oracle VP Rand Waldron said: "Nothing is more important than the national security of the U.S. and its allies, and Oracle has been a cornerstone of this mission for nearly 50 years."
The company's announcement also shows a clear intent to redefine national security innovation, supporting not just the US but also its allied nations, in digital and physical defense.
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- WhatsApp is finally getting ads
- They'll appear in the Updates tab, integrated with Statuses and Channels
- Regular chats won't be affected by the chnages, and are still private
It’s official, WhatsApp’s latest update is bringing ads to the platform.
My initial reaction to this news was dread that the conversations with my friends might be diluted by pop-ups like you see on Messenger (another Meta-owned messaging service). Thankfully, however, it looks like WhatsApp is keeping its adverts locked within its Updates tab. At least for now.
In the Updates tab, you’ll find that both Channels and Statuses are getting the ad treatment. Channels are dedicated groups you can join, with hosts who send you messages and update. They’re popular among football teams, influencers and news outlets (in fact, we here at TechRadar have one you can join).
The ads come in the form of new Promoted Channels, which will soon start to appear when you look through the directory. They'll be recommended to you based on what WhatsApp thinks you’ll find interesting, assuming the channel is paying to be promoted.
Channels give you direct access to content, and fun extras like polls (Image credit: Future / Apple / WhatsApp)Statuses (basically WhatsApp Stories) are ways to share quick updates and highlights with friends and family. Now ads will appear as Stauses too – again being promoted to you based on your interests.
On top of these changes, WhatsApp is adding Channel subscriptions. These aren’t ads, but are another (and in my opinion better) way to monetize WhatsApp.
By paying a monthly fee you can support your favorite channel and get exclusive updates in exchange – a bit like you do through third-party services like Patreon or premium newsletters.
WhatsApp has me hookedI'm not ditching WhatsApp, and I know it (Image credit: Shutterstock)After digging through the changes I’m generally less concerned than I was when i heard of the announcement.
I rarely use the Updates tab, and as WhatsApp’s blog post explains “if you only use WhatsApp to chat with friends and loved ones there is no change to your experience at all.”
Further down, it adds that these ads won’t affect your privacy either. “Your personal messages, calls, and statuses remain end-to-end encrypted, meaning no one (not even us) can see or hear them.”
Meta explains that Status and Channel ads will be based on the limited information it does collect like where you’re from, the language your app is set to, which Channels you already follow, and how you engage with ads you are shown.
If your WhatsApp is part of your Meta Accounts Center, it’ll also base its data on info from your other accounts.
It’s really trying to hammer home that our chat data is just as secure as ever, and that non-Updates chats won’t be changed.
Should I switch to Google Messages? (Image credit: Google)It feels like the start of a slippery slope to me, but like the rest of WhatsApp’s 3 billion monthly active users – a figure that makes it the world's biggest messaging platform – I know I can’t leave.
That's not only because I don’t want to lose the chats and contacts I already have through the app (migrating everyone to a different service would be a Sisyphean task), but also because as someone who travels a lot it’s an excellent country-agnostic platform that has allowed me to make restaurant reservations, book taxis, and call a car repair company when I wouldn’t have been able to otherwise.
So for now I’m sticking with WhatsApp, but I’m also starting my hunt for a new service – even considering jumping back to classic text messages or Android’s Google Messages, which has received a fair few upgrades in the past few years.
Even if things do get worse, I’m not sure I’ll be able to leave then either, but the best I can do is try.
You might also like- To celebrate Amazon Prime Day, Prime Gaming members can now claim six free games
- Those games include the likes of Tomb Raider 1-3 Remastered Starring Lara Croft, Saints Row 2, Saints Row 4: Re-Elected, and more
- Amazon Prime Day begins on July 8, but members can claim these titles now ahead of the event
Amazon Prime Day is just around the corner, and to celebrate, Prime Gaming members can claim an assortment of free games leading up to the event.
The annual sale officially begins on July 8, but starting today through July 7, subscribers can claim six PC games, including Tomb Raider 1-3 Remastered Starring Lara Croft, Saints Row 2, Saints Row 4: Re-Elected, Star Wars: Rebellion, TOEM, and Dungeon of the Endless Definitive Edition.
These games are now available for platforms like the Amazon Games App and GOG, and can be claimed on top of the previously announced Prime Gaming titles for the month of June.
This collection includes Mordheim: City of the Damned, The Abandoned Planet, Station to Station and Death Squared, which can be claimed now.
Starting on June 19, Prime members can claim Dark Envoy and Fate: Undiscovered Realms, while Thief: Deadly Shadows, Jupiter Hell, and Gallery of Things: Reveries will be redeemable on June 26.
Amazon also revealed that more Prime Day offers for Prime members will be announced soon.
If you're looking to get in on the early sales, you can check out our coverage of the early Amazon Prime Day deals that are now live.
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- Iran VPN usage has been skyrocketing since Friday, reaching peaks of over 700% increase so far
- Authorities imposed new internet restrictions on Friday following Israeli airstrikes
- Online commentators have also reported some VPN throttling issues
VPN usage in Iran has been skyrocketing since Friday, June 13, 2025, as citizens are looking for ways to keep accessing the global internet.
Iranian authorities imposed new internet restrictions on Friday following the first Israeli airstrikes. These measures follow threats of legal actions coming from Iran's Prosecutor General against media and social media users for content that "disrupts society's psychological security," IranWire reported.
⚠️ Confirmed: Analysis shows a decline in international internet traffic from #Iran, corroborating user reports of poor service, with gateway and virtual server providers particularly impacted as the Ministry of Communications announces temporary internet restrictions; the… pic.twitter.com/a8iEiZqunWJune 13, 2025
According to the latest data coming from Top10VPN, the demand for the best VPN apps in Iran has seen peaks of up to 707% over the baseline level.
Specifically, VPN usage began rising on Friday by 425%, reached a 530% increase the following day, and over 700% on Sunday. While the data for Monday remains incomplete, experts recorded a rise in demand of at least 623% at the time of writing.
Commenting on the findings, the Head of Research at Top10VPN, Simon Migliano, told TechRadar: "The decision by the Iranian authorities to impose internet restrictions as its citizens suffer such incredible upheavals is simply cruel. It’s no surprise then that Iranians are turning to VPNs in such huge numbers, given the circumstances."
Despite these numbers, there have also been some reports of VPN throttling as users lamented that their VPN apps are not working at all times.
Are VPNs legal in Iran?(Image credit: Getty Images)A virtual private network (VPN) encrypts all internet connections while spoofing a user's real IP address location. This skill is exactly what's needed to bypass geo-restrictions like those in place in Iran.
Iranian authorities know this very well and have been busy preventing the use of Iran VPN over the years.
For example, in 2023, Iran was second only to China for VPN censorship. This also occurred in 2024, when Iran topped the VPN censoring list across the country's official app stores.
Not only VPN-targeted blocking, though. The regime has even challenged the legality of using a VPN in the first place. In February 2024, Iran outlawed "unauthorized" VPNs, banning their usage without a legal permit. Three months later, the government also resurrected an internet bill that could put VPN usage at risk even more.
Despite all these efforts, the usage of VPN-like tools remains high even after authorities lifted the 2-year blockage on WhatsApp and Google Play last January. Now, people have been turning to this circumventing software en masse, no matter the consequences.
"When your home is at risk and loved ones are in danger, it’s critical that you can reliably access messaging apps, social media, and international news sites. That VPNs are banned will be the last thing on anyone’s mind right now in Iran," said Migliano.
You might also like- A cyberattack has targeted food distributor UNFI
- Incident has the markings of a ransomware attack
- UNFI is making progress towards recovery, but warns delays could still continue
United Natural Foods Inc (UNFI) says it is making ‘significant progress’ towards safely restoring electronic ordering systems, and is increasing operational capacity, following a recent major cyberattack which caused widespread delays and system shutdowns.
In a statement, UNFI, one of the largest food distributors in North America, reassured customers it is working towards increasing its operational capacity and order fulfilment.
“We are also using alternative processes to ensure our customers receive the products they need while we continue making progress to restore our technology capabilities,” the statement said. “Our customers, suppliers, and associates remain our highest priority, and we are working closely with them every step of the way.”
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Unknown AttackersThe extent of the attack is not yet known, and no criminal group has claimed responsibility, although investors were told that UNFI’s entire network was shut down - a move that meant customer orders could not be fulfilled.
UNFI has not revealed the nature of the attack, but typically an organization shutting down their network is an indication that this was a ransomware attack.
Organizations take systems offline to prevent additional devices from being encrypted by attackers, and it can mitigate the risk of data exfiltration and protect sensitive information.
UNFI is a primary distributor to retail giant Whole Foods, which has been seriously affected by the attack, which comes soon after three massive UK retailers were hit by cyberattacks that took systems offline and disrupted operations for weeks.
2025 has been a dangerous year for retailers, with these alleged ransomware attacks costing affected organisations millions in downtime, lost data, reputational loss, and potential future regulatory fines.
If you frequent these retailers or are worried that your data may be affected in these breaches, take a look at the best identity theft software around to keep your information safe.
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- Sandfall Interactive has announced a jewelry collaboration to create a digital collection inspired by Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- The collection was designed by British artist Hannah Martin and is inspired by the characters of Clair Obscur, Gustave, Lune, Sciel, Maelle, and Verso
- Sandfall took Martin's designs and modeled them in Unreal Engine 5
Kepler Interactive and Sandfall Interactive have announced a new collaboration with British jewelry designer Hannah Martin to create a collection of conceptual digital pieces inspired by Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.
Inspired by the Belle Époque beauty era of French and European history and bold brutalism, these digital designs were inspired by the main characters of Clair Obscur, Gustave, Lune, Sciel, Maelle, and Verso, and crafted with 18 carat gold and jet-black obsidian to reflect Martin’s interpretation of the aesthetic of Expedition 33.
The developers at Sandfall Interactive took Martin's designs and intricately modeled them in Unreal Engine 5 to create a series of in-engine images "that fully blend the digital and physical worlds together with stunningly bold artistry." You can check them out below.
(Image credit: Sandfall Interactive / Hannah Martin)These are only digital, conceptual designs, but I would love for the jewelry collection to become available in-game as downloadable content (DLC).
"This collaboration has been amazing," said Martin in a press release. "It is totally new territory for me, and I have loved being able to explore and push the boundaries between reality and unreality. It has been a constant dance between real world and fantasy."
In addition, Martin also went ahead and created 33 real-life sterling silver necklaces inspired by the design representing Verso. Unfortunately, these pieces are not for sale and were created as a celebration of the game in a limited quantity as a "thank you" to community members and artists who have supported the game and its creation.
In TechRadar Gaming's Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 review, Managing Editor Rob Dwiar said the game is "easily an early game of the year contender" and praised its "exquisite writing and story craft" and "wonderfully stylish and multifaceted combat".
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- Microsoft, Facebook, and Snapchat logins exposed in public database with 184 million records
- Credentials for banks, health services, and government portals found across numerous countries
- Emails, passwords, and direct login links could be accessed by anyone online
Login credentials for Microsoft, Facebook, Google, and dozens of other platforms were found in a public, unsecured database, raising concerns about targeted phishing campaigns and identity theft.
The discovery was made by Jeremiah Fowler, a security researcher known for tracking down exposed databases.
This unsecured data dump had over 184 million unique records containing emails, usernames, passwords, and direct login URLs to everything from email providers and Microsoft services to Instagram, Roblox, and more.
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Attribution troublesFowler said he also found credentials linked to banking and financial platforms, health services, and government portals spanning “numerous countries.”
To verify the data, he reached out to some of the email addresses listed, and confirmed that at least a portion of the exposed information was real.
The implications are severe: anyone with access to the database could quietly take over accounts, steal personal information, or launch highly targeted phishing attacks.
Fowler says the IP address indicated that the database was connected to two domain names - one parked and unavailable, and the other unregistered and available for purchase.
The Whois registration was set to private, making it impossible to identify the true owner of the database. Fowler managed to reach out to the hosting provider, and soon after public access was restricted.
The provider did not disclose the information about the owner.
With that in mind, Fowler says it’s difficult to determine if the database was generated by a malicious actor, or a legitimate one. Still, he leans towards the former, claiming to have seen “multiple signs” the data was harvested with infostealers.
Infostealers are usually distributed via phishing, malicious websites, or tainted updates. They can harvest sensitive information from the compromised device, including passwords stored in browsers, important PDF files, cryptocurrency wallet information, and more.
Once crooks get access to email accounts, they can use them to launch convincing phishing attacks, or steal even more data.
In fact, Fowler argues that many people “treat their email accounts like free storage” and keep years’ worth of sensitive documents inside.
Via Website Planet
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- Asus released a patch for CVE-2025-3464, a high-severity authentication bypass flaw
- The issue affects Armoury Crate, a centralized hub for managing ASUS and ROG hardware
- The flaw could possibly lead to full device takeover
Asus says it has fixed a high-severity vulnerability that could have allowed threat actors to bypass authentication requirements and obtain SYSTEM privileges on a Windows device.
Recently, a security researcher from Cisco Talos discovered an Armoury Crate kernel-mode driver doesn’t rely on proper OS-level checks, but instead authenticates requests using a hardcoded SHA-256 hash of AsusCertServices.exe and a PID allowlist.
This means that a threat actor can create a hard link from a benign executable to a placeholder file, launch the app, and then swap the link to point to the trusted Asus binary. When the driver verifies the hash, it will recognize a trusted signature, even though the attacker’s process is now using that context.
Fixed with updatesThe end result is unauthorized driver access, which could lead to full device compromise. The good news is that in order to abuse this vulnerability, the threat actor must obtain system access beforehand (either through stolen/purchased credentials, or a backdoor).
The vulnerability was found in Armoury Crate, an Asus application commonly pre-installed on ROG and TUF laptops and desktops.
It serves as a centralized hub for managing Asus and ROG hardware, including RGB lighting, fan curves, and the performance of different peripherals - and can also be used to manage driver and firmware updates.
The issue is now tracked as CVE-2025-3464, and has a severity score of 8.4/10 (high), as per NVD.
All versions between 5.9.9.0 and 6.1.18.0 were said to be vulnerable, and to secure their devices, users should update to the newest version of Armoury Crate: That can be done by navigating to Settings > Update Center > Check for Updates > Update.
Asus said it found no evidence that the flaw is being abused in the wild, but still “strongly recommends” users update their installations as soon as possible.
Via BleepingComputer
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- You can now create ChatGPT images in WhatsApp
- Ask it to create any image you want
- Upload an image and ask it to modify it
You can now create and modify images using ChatGPT’s AI chops inside WhatsApp without having to use the ChatGPT app at all.
WhatsApp, the MetaAI-owned messaging app, caused more than a little controversy recently when it added a new Meta AI button to its interface that was impossible to remove.
The new button caused outrage from WhatsApp users, many of whom felt like they were being forced to use AI.
“Why do they have to slap that stuff on everything?” said Reddit user Special-Oil-7447. “I'm in the EU and it’s just been dumped on me. I am going to uninstall WhatsApp today after I have loaded Signal. Vote with your feet people”, said user BrainCell 7.
But Meta has not backed down, and the unpopular MetaAI button remains.
Tapping it will initiate a conversation with the MetaAI chatbot, however, it's not the only AI chatbot you can use with WhatsApp.
Accessing ChatGPTIf you’re a fan of AI, then there’s nothing stopping you from chatting using ChatGPT in WhatsApp so long as you know how, and what’s more, you can now use ChatGPT to generate AI images right inside WhatsApp. You can even upload a picture and get the AI to edit it, all from within WhatsApp.
It’s easy. All you need to do is set up ChatGPT as one of your contacts in WhatsApp - as if it’s a person.
Just add ChatGPT as a contact with the number 1-800-CHATGPT (that’s 1-800-242-8478). If you’re outside of the US, then you’ll need to add them as a US contact, which I've written about before.
Now you can chat with ChatGPT as if it were one of your friends. When you start a chat with ChatGPT, you can simply say “Create an image of...” and add some details. Sit back and let ChatGPT do its AI magic.
To upload an image that you want ChatGPT to edit, tap the + button, then Photos, and upload the image.
ChatGPT will ask you what you would like to do with the image, and you can just use natural language to describe what you want to do.
If you reach your limit for a free ChatGPT account, but you’ve got a Plus account, then WhatsApp will throw up a link so you can link to your Plus account and get more images. It couldn’t be simpler.
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