Playground AI App Autoinstalled, Ignored Setting and Also Added to Home Screen

I don’t think you are overreacting. If I want an app, I’ll download it. I don’t like the idea of them adding apps or enabling features without my permission.

I’m so mad about this. It appeared on my daughter’s iPad. We are very careful what they have access to, and the reason I found out about it was that she sent me an ai generated photo of herself.

[Edited by Moderator]

It still doesn’t sit right with me and many others! My app had a photo of a kitty on it and they called it “Playground” for crying out loud! What was I supposed to think this was?? I immediately deleted it before my wife could see it as I thought it was some weird adult website trying to trick me into something. It could have started a huge argument. Not cool Apple!

Ssnellenberger88 wrote:

I don’t think you are overreacting. If I want an app, I’ll download it. I don’t like the idea of them adding apps or enabling features without my permission.

Feel free to share your thoughts with Apple here --> Product Feedback - Apple

There are a lot of apps, and features built into MacOS you cannot remove. And honestly, not being rude here, but Apple doesn't need your permission to add things to MacOS. You as the user can simply choose to not use them. That's how software works and has always worked, regardless if it comes from Apple, Microsoft, Google or anyone else.

A final note. Image Playground CAN be deleted from iPhone/iPad. It cannot be deleted from Mac/Macbook.

Are you overreacting? Yes. Absolutely. You are overreacting.

Remove it form the Home Screen if you don't want it there.

SoMDRedinPA wrote:

Ok not what rock you have been living under the past 20 years or so… but having a photo of a bunny (as in Playboy bunny) and calling it playground is about as suggestive of an adult website as you can get.

Not in my world.... Yes, definitely funny. But I don't spend a lot of time being concerned about adult websites. I've never landed on one by accident but if I did, I'd just leave and not hyperventilate.

PrettygirlEmmy wrote:

Please bring Ai playground on 10 gen ipad

No one here on this user to user ONLY forum can do that. And Apple isn't going to do that, because Playground is bundled in Apple Intelligence and a 10th Generation iPad is not capable of running Apple Intelligence.

YNWATIA wrote:

My issue is this - at least give forewarning & make a separate point that apps are being installed with update. That way users will not be blindsided & react like many already have been doing. I never saw anything about this before update. Not even the hype before release.

But you were given forewarning. With EVERY iOS update on the update page, just below the update now button is a list of what the update contains, called Release Notes. Most people don't read them, so you clearly didn't either. But had you read them, you would have known what was in the update.

Overreacting? Yes. Did iOS 18.3 install Apple Intelligence on your iPhone? Yes. Do you have to keep it? No. If you don't want Apple Intelligence on your iPhone, turn it of in Settings > Apple Intelligence & Siri. Going forward, Apple Intelligence is part of iOS for eligible devices. It's Apple's software, not ours. We only have a license to use the software on our phones.

Jaimeleem wrote:

Yes it was a cartoon image, generated FROM a photo of her.

Image Playground is about as harmless as it could be. It has so many guardrails. And Apple is not collecting the image. The image is stored on her phone which Apple doesn't have access to. It may be stored in her encrypted iCloud account (if she uses that) which Apple also doesn't have access to. The same is true of any photo she has on her phone (as , presumably, the photo she used to generate the picture is). It's now also on your phone.

There are other options out there, many web-based, that have fewer protection. That's why I asked. If it were me, that's what I'd be concerned about.

Ok not what rock you have been living under the past 20 years or so… but having a photo of a bunny (as in Playboy bunny) and calling it playground is about as suggestive of an adult website as you can get.

SoMDRedinPA wrote:

Ok not what rock you have been living under the past 20 years or so… but having a photo of a bunny (as in Playboy bunny) and calling it playground is about as suggestive of an adult website as you can get.

Let's be realistic shall we? If you opened image playground and asked it to create an image of a Playboy Bunny, it would tell you it can't do so. So you're accusing a simple application, which is beyond harmless of something it wouldn't do in the first place. Would it make a cartoon image of a bunny? Sure. Bunny's are cute animals. But it would NOT be adult in nature, so your assertion this feature is suggestive of adult websites is about as far from reality as you could possibly get.

Again, you don't need to use Image Playground. On iPhone you can actually delete it. But please don't make it something it most definitely isn't. And by all means, share your thoughts with Apple using the link I provided if you want Apple to know what you think.

My issue is this - at least give forewarning & make a separate point that apps are being installed with update. That way users will not be blindsided & react like many already have been doing. I never saw anything about this before update. Not even the hype before release.

The Settings > Home Screen & App Library that directs new apps to the App Library only applies to apps you download from the App Store, not necessarily to system apps or features introduced by an iOS update.

RUdeliberatelyconfusingme wrote:

Yes, we can read what's coming with a new update. But most of it is couched in "isn't-this-great" language so you really have to pay attention.

We have to pay attention?!? How terrible of Apple to inflict that on us. I

And, still, you do NOT GET A CHOICE. I guess this is the age of autocracy, so anything goes.

Yes, you have a choice: don't upgrade. You can take the product Apple offers or not. It's entirely up to you. If I buy a car from Honda, I can't get one without cupholders in the back seat because I'll never use them. I have to take the car with the cupholders in the back or take no car at all.