Update from May 27, 2025:
T-Mobile tells us that the tool, which is now rolling out, is intended to help it with any issues that may crop up. The company has assured that the tool cannot view or access any personal information and can be disabled.
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. This tool records activities within the app only and does not see or access any personal information. If a customer’s T-Life app currently supports the new functionality, it can be turned off in the settings under preferences.
—T-Mobile spokesperson, May 2025
The original story from May 26, 2025follows below:
Many T-Mobile customers weren’t particularly happy about being forced into using T-Life, which is the go-to app for almost everything. And now, customers may have discovered another reason to not like the app.
If you are a T-Mobile user, it’s pretty much mandatory to use T-Life. The app is required even for in-store transactions and you might be turned away from stores if you don’t have the app on your phone. Some users also complain that the app is buggy and not easy to use. Another thing that annoys many customers is that the app displays ads. And now, customers have come across another red flag.
The T-Life app features a screen recording tool that’s toggled on by default. As the name implies, the tool records your screen while you are using the app. T-Mobile says it uses the recordings to analyze how you use the app and improve your experience.
T-Life’s screen recording tool records your screen. | Image Credit – Reddit user Remarkable-Cancel862
It’s not clear whether the toggle has always existed, but, in any case, it’s only now that most people have become aware of it and as expected, there’s been some blowback.
As I was digging around in T-life, I found an automatically enabled option (Manage -> Settings Gear -> Screen Recording Tool) that allows the app to screen record the entire time you’re in the app, under the guise of learning how you use the app better.While this may be true, I personally don’t want all my personal data being screen recorded without asking me permission first, and I’m rather worried they did it in the first place. As a previous employee, I don’t trust that this data won’t also be hacked, NOR how they did not ask us if we wanted to allow it.
—Ok_Theory5606, Reddit user, May 2025
While T-Mobile does let you opt out of the setting, perhaps it might have been a better idea if it worked the other way around.
Since the feature doesn’t record your activity outside of the app, some people may not mind it. Also, considering T-Mobile now wants customers to do everything on their own using the app, the tool makes sense, considering it will allow customer service representatives to help those who are struggling. The feature will let them see how you are using the app and assist you if you get stuck.
Apparently, the feature will mostly only be used by store representatives to help you with the upgrade process.
Some users also claim that the feature kicks in when you shake your phone while using the app when you encounter an error. Doing this sends a screenshot to T-Mobile so that it can fix the issue.
There are two reasons that I know of. It is for customer service to be able to share your screen and help you with upgrades or other things in the app so they can see what you’re seeing. It is also for the feedback tool. If you encounter an error in the app if you shake your phone it takes a screenshot and sends it when you report an error. I have actually used that and seen immediate fixes when encountering a this page will not load or another error.
—Comprehensive_Bat973, Reddit user, May 2025
The bottom line is that there isn’t necessarily anything inherently wrong about the feature. T-Mobile seems to have deployed it to improve the app. However, it might have been a better idea to notify customers about the feature first and make it opt-in.
We have contacted T-Mobile for clarification and will update the story when we have a response.
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