Facebook has begun automatically enhancing photos that users upload from the recently updated iOS app.
What does that mean? If Facebook’s enhancement algorithm think your pictures could use improvement in brightness or contrast, it will go ahead and do it. The first time you upload an image, a pop-up message appears warning of the change, with a promise of “brighter, clearer photos.” Facebook isn’t the only service to do this—Google+ has had a similar option for a while.
While the enhancement itself isn’t a bad idea, it’s best to be aware of it. If you think your pictures are looking consistently better, do nothing. But if you like to tweak your photos manually, or just want to be in control of what you post, it’s worth knowing what it’s doing and how to stop it if needed.
In our testing, the feature works pretty well. As you upload a photo to share, a little magic wand appears in the lower left corner. If you want to turn off the automatic enhancement, or adjust the amount of enhancement being done to your pic, just tap the wand.
You can also shut down the feature altogether. Just tap the “More” button on the lower right corner, then scroll down to “Settings.” Once there, tap on “Videos and Photos” and then turn “Enhance Automatically” off with the little switch.
