The memory machines that Apple, Facebook, and Google have built to remind us of our favorite moments can, like any algorithmic creation, provide sub-par output. Instead of conjuring up memories of those times when we felt like we were living our best life, they can invoke the low points of our existence — a miserable job, a rotten commute, a bad breakup, or the death of someone. dear.
ContentsApple PhotosOn an iOS 14 device:On an iOS 15 deviceOn a Mac FacebookThe web appThe Google Photos mobile app
Apple Photos, Facebook, and Google Photos provide tools to manage what their "memory" features can convey to you. But these settings to control the images and posts that are algorithmically displayed on your screen are not always easy to find, even in some situations after these apps have presented an abrupt callback.
Here's how to control, at least in part, the memories you'll see in each of these apps.
Apple Photos
If you're using iOS 14, Apple's implementation of its Memory feature offers less control compared to those offered by the other two companies here. However, once you upgrade to iOS 15 later this year, that should change.
On an iOS 14 device:
- If Photos presents you with a memory you'd rather avoid, long-press the video or photo, then tap the "Suggest fewer memories like this" button below the photo...and hope so. better, because iOS 14 doesn't provide options to exclude certain people or dates from its Memories feature.
- You can also go to the "For You" section of Photos (located at the bottom of your screen), find the photo or video you want to avoid, and long press it to get the same menu.
- To prevent Photos from notifying you of new memories, open the Settings app, select "Notifications"> "Photos"> "Memories" and turn off "Allow notifications".
- If you've added the Photos widget to your iPhone's home screen, images from your featured photos collection may also appear there. To remove one from this list, hold it down until a menu appears, then scroll down and tap "Remove Featured Photos".
On an iOS 15 device
The upcoming iOS 15 operating system adds an option to feature a particular person less often in Memories, or remove that person entirely:
- In the Photos app, tap the Albums icon at the bottom of the screen, then tap People (under "People &Places"). Select the person whose memories you want to edit.
- Tap the three dots at the top right. You'll get a context menu that lets you, among other things, feature less of that person or remove them completely from the "People" list.
- If you press "Feature this person less", you will have two choices:feature this person less in Memories or never feature them at all.
- If you tap "Remove this person from People", you'll be prompted to reset the People album, which will remove it from all names and favorites on all your iCloud-connected devices.
On a Mac
- Right-click the photo and select "Suggest fewer memories like this" to get fewer reminders.
- To prevent the operating system from notifying you of new memories, go to the Photos menu in the upper left corner of the screen, select "Preferences..." and under the "General" tab , uncheck the box next to "Show memories notification." You can also uncheck "Show vacation events" if vacation photos are a particular irritation for you.
Facebook
The social network took a few months after launching its nostalgia inducer as "On This Day" in 2015 to add the ability to filter people or dates. The tool has since been developed and is now called Memories.
You can use the web app or mobile app to change your preferences.
The web application
- Select "Memories" in the left column (you may need to click "See more" to find it).
- Click "Hide People" or "Hide Dates" on the left.
The mobile application
- Tap the menu icon in the top right (Android) or bottom right (iOS).
- Tap "Memories" and then the gear icon.
- Look under "Hide Memories" and select "People" or "Dates".
Whether you're on a mobile device or a desktop computer, you can now enter the names of all the people you don't want in your memories, or all the dates you want to exclude. Note that when typing in a name, you can sometimes get public pages or random stranger profiles before you get friends' names – at least that was my experience.
One item you can't exclude from Memories:posts from other people who have tagged you there. (Consider this paragraph a feature request, Facebook.)
The Memories settings screens also allow you to adjust how often Facebook notifies you of new Memories:once a day at most, algorithmically chosen highlights, or never.
Google Photos
The Memories feature that Google added to Google Photos in 2019 also offers options to hide people (and pets) or dates from your past event notifications that appear in its mobile apps . The Photos web app doesn't offer these settings because it doesn't send notifications to your screen.
- On the Google Photos mobile app, tap the account profile picture in the top right.
- Tap "Photos Settings" (on Android) or "Google Photos Settings" (on Apple devices).
- Press "Memories".
- Tap "Hide people and pets" to remove one of these flashbacks. It will be easier if you have already added names to faces that Google Photos automatically recognizes and classifies. And if Google Photos misses a photo of someone — say, if it was taken at an odd angle or in low light — it can always resurface in Memories.
- The "Hide dates" tool (also on the "Memories" page) is much simpler. Tap "Hide Dates" and select the day(s) you want to skip.
To stop Google Photos notifying you of some or all memories:
- Tap the "Notifications" link on the Memories page.
- On the next page, find the "Memories" section. Here you can choose not to ask Google Photos to nudge you about today's memories from previous years or "themed memories" (like "They're growing so fast" compilations of photos from my daughter that he kind of knows how to push when a work trip takes me away from my family).
Updated August 20, 2021, 1:00 PM ET: Two screenshots have been added to illustrate the steps required on an iOS 14 device.
