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I Love This Hidden Camera Trick on the Galaxy S25 Ultra

Here’s how you can create beautiful custom photo filters on almost any recent Samsung phone.

Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Ultra has impressed us time and time again with its epic photo and video skills. It shoots some of the best images you can get from a phone in almost any conditions, while its big, vibrant display males lining up your shots a breeze. But even though I’ve been capturing photos with it for months, I recently stumbled on a little hidden tool that I didn’t notice when I first started using the phone. But now that I’ve found it, I use it all the time. It’s all about creating cool, cinematic filters for your photos. 

The tool, that Samsung sometimes calls My Filters, essentially lets you steal the color tones from one image and apply it to another. Say you like the warm orangey hues on a photo from a summertime trip to Italy. Simply load that photo up and it becomes a filter you can apply to other images, either while you’re taking a photo or when you edit photos from your gallery later. It’s baked into the heart of the camera experience and it’s easy to use. Here’s how you can do it yourself. 

Read More: Best Camera Phone to Buy in 2025

First, find the reference photos you want to use to create your filters. Maybe a night-time city scene with cool blue tones, or perhaps you’re looking for more dreamy, warm colors for a summer vibe. Whatever you’re after, you need to collect some images (either of your own, or any you’ve found online) and save them to your phone’s gallery. 

Next, open the camera app. In the top left or right corner (depending on the orientation you’re holding your phone) you’ll see an icon that looks like three overlapping circles. This is the filter mode. Tap it to view the various built-in filters, and you’ll notice there’s a tile with a plus symbol just to the left of the built-in filters. Select this to bring up your gallery, and you’ll be invited to select a picture to use as a filter. 

Choose one of your reference images, tap Create and your phone will do the rest. It analyzes the colors and contrast in the image, and then applies a filter that’s based on your reference. You’ll then see a live preview of what the effect will look like. You can rename the filter if you’d like, and then tap Done to save it.

When you take an image, that preset will be applied to the new photo. The filter also saves that effect to your phone, so you can now open any image in your gallery, press the edit button, tap the Filters button and then tap your new filter to load up the effect.

When you apply it, you can also adjust the strength of the effect, along with adjustments like contrast and color temperature. I also love that there’s an option to add film grain, which can help simulate the grain you’d see in analog photography to give your images that old-school vibe Instagram seems to be into these days.

The ability to create a custom filter is a great tool to play around with, and I’ve really enjoyed saving a variety of different images to my phone in order to use as a basis for other filters. It’s not perfect though — the effects can be very subtle. It’s not really achieving an accurate match for your source image — it’s more like it’s taking inspiration from it. I’d like Samsung to amp up the effect even more in future updates, giving us the option to tone it down a bit if it’s too strong. 

I could absolutely imagine loading up example photos taken with classic film stocks like Kodak Gold, Portra 160 or Fujifilm Velvia and creating a set of filters that mimic those analogue films. One of the joys of shooting on Fujifilm’s digital cameras, like the X100VI, is the myriad of film emulation options you can achieve. This tool feels like a close approximation for Galaxy S25 owners.

I really enjoy anything like this that allows photographers like myself to play around with the look of our image while still maintaining an authentic photo, rather than altering things with generative AI. Apple’s Photographic Styles allows you to create similar color toning effects, but Samsung’s tool makes things that bit easier by letting you create looks based off reference images. 

The tool was introduced on the S25 range, including the base models and the S25 Ultra. It also features on the fancy new S25 Edge. You can also find the tool on Samsung’s much cheaper Galaxy A series, and it’s been made available as a software update on older Galaxy phones, including the Galaxy S22 range. Samsung hasn’t made it clear exactly which phones support the tool, but if you own a Galaxy phone that was released over the past few years, it’s worth seeing if it’s available.

Technologies

Disney Settles FTC Complaint With YouTube Over Children’s Data Collection

Disney and the FTC reach a $10 million settlement over the labeling of videos for kids on YouTube.

Disney will pay a $10 million penalty for mislabeling videos on YouTube and allowing personal data to be collected from children without notifying parents or getting their consent, the FTC said in an announcement.

The complaint filed in a US District Court, the FCC said, alleged that Disney uploaded videos to YouTube in channels that defaulted to «Not Made For Kids» when the videos should have been labeled «Made For Kids

Due to the mislabeling, videos intended for children collected more information than they should have and used that information to target advertising to children under 13. The error, which enabled features like autoplay on the videos, violated COPPA, the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule.

A representative for Disney did not immediately reply to an email seeking comment.

In addition to the $10 million civil penalty for allegedly violating COPPA, Disney has agreed to comply with COPPA by notifying parents and getting consent for videos that are «Not Made For Kids» and establishing a review program on how their videos should be labeled. According to the FTC, «this forward-looking provision reflects and anticipates the growing use of age assurance technologies to protect kids online.» 

Separately, the FTC also took COPPA-related action against toy maker Apitor Technology, which makes robots aimed at children ages 6 to 14. The FTC alleges the company collected geolocated information from children via a third-party app in China. The FTC is imposing a $500,000 penalty.

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Smartphone Buyers Care Even Less About AI Than They Did Last Year, CNET Survey Finds

Shoppers aren’t sold on thinner phones, even as rumors suggest Apple will soon debut the iPhone 17 Air.

AI has become a staple of just about every new phone, but that doesn’t mean it’s a centerpiece of most people’s lives. 

A CNET survey finds that just 11% of US smartphone owners choose to upgrade their devices because of AI features, a 7% drop from a similar survey last year. Further, about 3 in 10 people don’t find mobile AI helpful and don’t want to see more features added. 


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This comes as tech giants continue to roll out new AI capabilities. Google loaded its new Pixel 10 series with fresh AI features, as did Samsung when it unveiled both the Galaxy S25 lineup and the Z Fold 7 and Flip 7. Apple has also debuted a handful of Apple Intelligence updates as it works to play catch-up with AI leaders like Google’s Gemini and OpenAI’s ChatGPT. And with its next iPhone reveal slated for Sept. 9, it’s possible we could hear more about its upcoming AI efforts. 

These survey results highlight the mismatch between phone makers’ bullish approach to AI and consumers’ general apprehension toward the rapidly advancing technology. Despite pushes from companies like Apple, Samsung and Google to add a growing list of AI features into their mobile devices, most people continue to care about three core areas when shopping for a new phone: price (62%), longer battery life (54%) and more storage (39%). Another top consideration is the camera, with 30% of respondents citing that as a top priority. 

Last year’s survey echoed these same primary concerns. In 2024, the biggest motivation for US smartphone owners to upgrade their devices was longer battery life (61%), followed by more storage (46%) and better camera features (38%). Just 18% said their main motivator was AI integrations. This year, it appears that number is even lower, even as AI capabilities become more ubiquitous. 

AI isn’t the only marketing tactic consumers aren’t buying into. Despite recent slim phone releases like Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Edge and rumors about a skinny «iPhone 17 Air,» just 7% of respondents said a thinner phone would motivate them to upgrade. 

Still, companies are likely to use the fresh form factor to try to rake in more dollars. At this year’s Mobile World Congress, thin phones like the S25 Edge and Tecno’s Spark Slim phone concept stole the spotlight. Oppo’s Find N5, Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Honor’s Magic V5 flex thin, foldable designs that may appeal to someone who wants a larger device without the bulk. CNET’s survey suggests most consumers aren’t swayed by those eye-catching designs, but that could change as more people get their hands on the devices and if a skinny iPhone comes to fruition.

A(I) tough sell

AI has become the buzzword of practically every tech product launch and keynote over the last few years. AI-powered capabilities like writing tools, image editing and smarter voice assistants have leveled up mobile devices into even more powerful machines. In turn, this has ramped up the already-fierce competition among key mobile players. Google has woven Gemini into its Pixel devices, as well as other Android phones from companies like Samsung and Motorola. Apple introduced its suite of Apple Intelligence features with the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, though its larger AI ambitions have stalled and it lags behind its competitors.

It’s not just premium flagship devices that are piling on the generative AI features. Mid-tier and budget phones are hopping on the bandwagon, too. For instance, the $600 iPhone 16E, $500 Pixel 9A and $650 Galaxy S24 FE pack their fair share of AI features that echo what you’ll find on their pricier siblings. All of this proves that no matter how much you’re willing to spend, you can’t escape the AI hype. 

Based on CNET’s survey, «hype» may in fact be the word many people ascribe to the recent flood of generative AI features. Just 13% of people say they use AI on their phone to summarize or write text, 8% say they tap into AI image creation tools and 7% use AI on their phone for photo editing. Additionally, 20% admit to not even knowing how to use the AI features on their handset.

Mobile AI features generally come at no extra cost to users, but that could soon change. Samsung, for one, says on its website that Galaxy AI features «will be provided for free until the end of 2025 on supported Samsung Galaxy devices.» Apple is also expected to eventually start charging for some of its AI-powered iPhone features. You’ll also need to pay to unlock Gemini’s full power across Google’s apps. Amid so much subscription fatigue, that could be a tough sell. Half of people surveyed say they’re not willing to pay extra money to access AI features on their phone. That’s up 5% over last year.

Privacy is a growing concern as AI expands its reach across our devices. Just over 40% of smartphone users are worried about privacy when it comes to using AI on their smartphone, up 7% from last year. And that’s largely irrespective of age; boomers are the most concerned (45%), but concern from Gen Z (41%) and Gen X (41%) is also notably high.

That’s not to say everyone’s dismissive of AI on their handset. Fourteen percent of people say they find AI features helpful and are excited to tap into more of those capabilities on their phone. Gen Z (25%) and millennials (16%) express the most interest in using AI on their smartphone. 

Smart assistants get an AI assist, but it’s not enough

Smart assistants are one way tech companies are hoping to make AI your everyday companion. Gemini on Android phones is increasingly capable of handling more tasks, from brainstorming to carrying out functions within apps. Apple also has plans to use AI to supercharge Siri, but that rollout has been delayed indefinitely

According to CNET’s survey, 61% of iPhone owners use Siri, while 41% of Pixel owners use the Gemini assistant. Just 10% and 9% of Siri and Gemini users respectively say they call on the smart assistants every day. As AI becomes more capable and as companies further promote those abilities, it’ll be interesting to see whether those interactions increase. 

Methodology

CNET commissioned YouGov Plc. to conduct the survey. All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. The total sample size was 2,201 adults, of whom 2,129 own a smartphone. Fieldwork was undertaken May 13 to 15, 2025. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all US adults (aged 18 plus).

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This TCL Phone Outperforms Samsung’s Budget Model, and It Just Hit a New Low of $180

With this Amazon code, you can nab the new TCL NxtPaper 60 XE for less than ever before.

Phones are all a bit samey in 2025, so when something different comes out, we can’t help but pay attention. The TCL NxtPaper 60 XE is one of the most interesting phones we’ve reviewed recently, with a full-color, paperlike display. In fact, it’s a super impressive budget phone that in many ways outperforms the Samsung Galaxy A16 5G at a similar price.

So you’ll be pleased to hear that the TCL NxtPaper 60 XE is currently reduced to its lowest price ever. Right now, it’s reduced from $250 to $200 on Amazon. And if you clip the on-page coupon (or use promo code 6C97KJ5TXFHO), you can take an extra $20 off, bringing the total down to just $180. We don’t know how long this promotion will last, but this is a new record-low price for it, so you’d better act sooner rather than later.

This phone hits top marks for everyday use. Its screen is large, the 120Hz refresh rate is buttery smooth and the battery lasted CNET’s Tyler Graham throughout the entire day, even with frequent use. If you take a lot of selfies, you’ll enjoy a big 32-megapixel upgrade to the front-facing camera, though the camera system is otherwise similar to TCL’s 50 series phones.

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The shiny bonus features on the TCL NxtPaper 60 XE are the eponymous NxtPaper digital ink and e-reader modes and cloud-based TCL AI. You might not use these features regularly, but they’re solid value adds to an already budget phone. The 60 XE is working off a MediaTek Dimensity 6100 Plus processor with 8GB of memory.

«Compared to other phones in a similar price range, the TCL 60 XE NxtPaper 5G delivers where it counts for day-to-day use,» Graham wrote in his review, «and its impressive bells and whistles sweetened my experience with the phone.»

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Why this deal matters

The TCL NxtPaper 60 XE is one of the most unusual smartphones we’ve reviewed recently. It’s definitely worth being on your radar if you’re on the lookout for a new budget handset.

Already at a fairly inexpensive price, this deal makes it a no-brainer for those looking for something a little different. Just make sure you get your order in sooner rather than later, as this deal could end at any time.

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