Google will turn selfie retouching off by default with the new Pixel phones

Google says retouched selfies can make people feel bad about how they actually look, so it’s changing how it handles these photos with its newest phones. For the Pixel 4A, 4A 5G, and the 5, it’ll turn face retouching off by default from the Camera app. It’ll soon update the phones to relabel the retouching options and avoid any sort of judging words, like using the word “beauty.” If someone wants to use face retouching effects, Google will detail how the settings are applied and how they affect the photo.

“When you’re not aware that a camera or photo app has applied a filter, the photos can negatively impact mental wellbeing,” Google says in a blog post about the changes and why it made them. It’s unclear if and when older Pixel...

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