Re: PSA T-Mobile may be harvesting your data with the "T-Life App"

On 07/15/2025 00:13, Marion wrote:

The article is recent but it doesn't specify Android or iOS specifically.
Yet the "T-Life" app is on both Android & iOS app stores.
  Disable These Two Settings to Stop T-Mobile From Harvesting Even More of
Your Data*
  <https://lifehacker.com/tech/turn-off-these-two-t-mobile-privacy-features>
  "Don't give away anything you don't have to."
 Apparently T-Mobile recently added two new privacy settings that are turned
on by default in the "T-Life App" if you let T-Mobile install it for you.
a. Fraud and Identity Theft Protection
b. Sharing Certain Financial Information
 Fraud and Identity Theft Protection
a. Uses your data (like account activity, device info, texting/calling
    patterns, and interactions with suspicious URLs) to detect fraud.
b. T-Mobile may share this data with third parties
c. Sounds helpful, but the lack of transparency about who gets
    your data is a potential red flag
 Sharing Certain Financial Information
a. Allows T-Mobile to share your financial data (e.g. payment history,
    creditworthiness) with affiliates and non-affiliates for marketing.
b. This one's especially invasive, IMHO.
 You can disable both settings via the T-Mobile Privacy Center:
Option A: Using the T-Life App
a. Open the app and go to the Manage tab.
b. Tap the gear icon in the top-right corner.
c. Scroll to Privacy & Policies > tap Get Started.
d. Find the toggles and switch them off.
 Option B: On the Web
a. Visit the T-Mobile Privacy Center and log in.
b. Locate the toggles for:
c. Share your data to help protect you against fraud and identity theft
d. Share certain information used to manage financial offerings
e. Turn them off for each line on your account
    (settings aren't account-wide
 Apparently the "T-Life App" replaced T-Mobile App", based on this...
  <https://www.androidcentral.com/apps-software/the-old-t-mobile-app-is-officially-gone-for-good-time-to-download-t-life>
 Here are the App Store links, but I don't suggest you install it.
  <https://apps.apple.com/us/app/t-life/id1111876388>
  <https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tmobile.tuesdays>
 Unlike system apps, T-Life is considered optional. T-Mobile lets users
decide whether to uninstall it, especially since it involves account access
and privacy settings. Removing (or not installing) T-Life means T-Mobile
has fewer direct channels to collect behavioral or account-level data from
your device.
 Note: Muntashirakon shows I have uninstalled or disabled all the T-Mobile
apps that came with my system (or that came with any subsequent updates).

Thank you.  While I was in there I updated all the marketing preferences.  You have to change all these settings for each line on that account.
The settings are all buried quite deep.  I can see people never knowing or noticing them.