News

Spotify Desktop Gets A New Look And Upgraded Features

The update includes a “now playing” view plus access to tour dates and artist merchandise.

Published

3 years ago

June 21, 2023

Nour Nasir

Spotify

In recent years, the Spotify desktop app has fallen by the wayside as the music streaming giant focused its attention on mobile devices and podcast content. Now, however, the original desktop version of the service has received a welcome overhaul, which the company claims is “one of the biggest revamps yet”.

The main content and music-playback panels remain unchanged, with the same browsing functionality and recommended songs. However, the app window now features a “Your Library” panel on the left side, which Spotify began testing a few months ago. The library gives immediate access to saved music and podcast collections and helps to save time when changing between playlists. If you’re not using the panel, it can also be collapsed by clicking on the Library icon.

On the right side of the screen, a new “Now Playing” view displays the current track you are listening to, complete with artist information and access to merchandise, plus a look at upcoming tour dates. When listening to podcasts, a transcript will also be automatically generated and populated — though this feature won’t yet work with all content.

Also Read: Best Music Streaming Services In The Middle East

The “Friend Activity” feed has been moved to make room for the new features but can be moved back easily by dragging and dropping the “friends” icon next to your profile picture in the top-right corner of the main window. On the other hand, users preferring a more minimalist look can remove both the “Friends Activity” and “Now Playing” panels entirely.

The latest changes to the Spotify desktop app come with an eye-catching color upgrade to make everything feel more cohesive and polished.

News

Meta’s New AI Tool Builds Images From Public Instagram Photos

Muse Image lets anyone generate AI visuals from your public posts, unless you find the opt-out that’s buried in your account settings.

Published

12 hours ago

July 9, 2026

Nour Nasir

Meta

Meta has a new AI image generator, and it comes with a feature that has privacy advocates alarmed. Muse Image, launched Tuesday by the company’s Superintelligence Labs division, lets users generate AI images by @ mentioning any public Instagram account — pulling that person’s photos into the creation without their knowledge.

The tool is available through the Meta AI app, WhatsApp, and Instagram Stories. Meta says it “uses advanced reasoning to understand complex prompts, seamlessly blending multiple photos into high-quality creations you can download and share anywhere”. The tagging is the flashpoint: “Tagging a username lets Meta AI use public photos to build a visual that’s ready to post,” the company says. Every public Instagram profile can be used unless its owner has explicitly opted out.

That default has drawn sharp criticism. Public Citizen, the consumer advocacy nonprofit, called the feature “an egregious invasion of user privacy”. “Meta has once again chosen the creepiest possible path,” said J.B. Branch, the group’s director of federal AI governance and technology policy. “People should not wake up to discover their face has become raw material for someone else’s AI experiment”. “Instead of asking for meaningful consent, Meta quietly defaults users into the system and buries the opt-out in account settings,” Branch added. “It’s a playbook we’ve come to expect from a company with a long history of putting its business interests ahead of the public”.

Also Read: WhatsApp Usernames Are Coming: Here’s How To Claim Yours

Despite the concerns, it’s worth noting that private accounts are already protected. Muse Image requires access to public photos, and anyone trying to tag a private profile will be told the account can’t be used. Public accounts, on the other hand, must opt out manually. To do that, users will need to go to their profile, tap the menu in the top-right corner, then Sharing and Reuse. Under “Allow people to reuse your content on Instagram and with AI features at Meta,” you’ll find separate toggles for Posts and Reels — switch both off to keep your images and videos out of other people’s AI creations.