You think you have control, but trying to completely disappear from the internet is a battle most people lose before they even start. You navigate to the settings, click “deactivate account”, maybe even submit a formal request to wipe your data. You feel a sense of relief wash over you. A digital cleanse. You are closing the door on your old life. You are clean.
You are wrong. You are incredibly naive.
What you just did is the digital equivalent of sweeping dust under a rug. The room looks tidy, but the dirt is still there, waiting. The internet was not built to forget. It was engineered as a gigantic, insomniac copy machine. Your attempt to disappear from the internet is a battle against a hydra. Cut off one head delete Facebook and three more grow in its place: in data broker databases, on Wayback Machine servers, and in the cloud backups of your high school friends.
The Grand Illusion of Anonymity
Most people treat the internet like a blackboard. Write something stupid? Wipe it off with a sponge. But the web is not chalk. It is wet concrete. Once the mix sets, your handprint is part of the foundation.
Those who have tried to vanish from the web hit a wall very quickly. You delete your profiles, sure. But what about the profiles you never created? There is an entire shadow ecosystem of companies you have never heard of data aggregators, people-search sites, and public record scrapers like Acxiom, Whitepages, or Spokeo. They do not ask for permission. They suck up information like an industrial vacuum.
Your phone number, your old email address, that photo from a field trip in 2008, it is all there. Even if you scrub your social media, these brokers scrape voting records, property deeds, and marriage licenses. Try searching for your name. What you see on page one of Google is just the tip of the iceberg. The real problem lies deeper. Data that has been sold, repackaged, and archived on servers in jurisdictions where your privacy rights are nothing more than a punchline. This makes the goal to fully disappear from the internet technically impossible for the average citizen.
Your Friends Are Your Enemies (Unintentionally)
Let’s play out a hypothetical scenario. You are a digital ninja. No social media. You use a VPN. You pay in cash. You are invisible, right?
Wrong. Because you have friends.
This is the weak link nobody talks about. You can be obsessively private, but it only takes one friend syncing their contact list with a trendy new app like TikTok or Clubhouse. In that split second, your phone number, email, and connection graph are uploaded to a developer’s server. Algorithms create a “shadow profile.” The system knows who you are, who you meet, and where you hang out, even if you never signed up. You are defined by the empty space in your friends’ networks.
Imagine trying to escape a stalker or a toxic past. You scrub everything. Yet, your face is still in the background of a coworker’s profile picture. Your name is on a PDF list of charity run participants from five years ago, hosted on a municipal website. You have zero control over this.
The Economy of Immortal Data
Why is it so hard to disappear from the internet? Because your data is a commodity. If information were easy to delete, a multi-billion dollar market would collapse overnight. Data brokers have no incentive to make your life easy. Quite the opposite.
Opt-out procedures are deliberately labyrinthine. They create friction. To remove your data from a people search site, they often require you to mail in copies of your ID. It is ironic: you must hand over more sensitive data to request the deletion of old data. Then you wait 45 days. You navigate confusing forms that look like they were designed in 1999.
It is a war of attrition. They are betting you will give up. Usually, they win.
Look at the bigger picture. We live in an era where AI is fed everything it finds online. Your old forum posts about video games from 2010? They are currently training a language model on how teenagers speak. Your “deleted” history does not vanish. It becomes part of the collective intelligence, digested and spat out in a new form. You no longer own your history. The model does.
What Can You Actually Do? (The Brutal Truth)
Does this mean you should do nothing? No. But you must shift your strategy. Instead of dreaming of total deletion, which is impossible unless you live in a cave without electricity, aim to be a “hard target”.
1. The Strategy of Minimization
You cannot stop every leak, but you can plug the biggest holes. If you want to disappear from the internet as much as practically possible, use services like DeleteMe or Kanary. These are automated tools that constantly nag data brokers to remove your profiles. Doing this manually is a full-time job; automating it cuts the supply line of your data to the public web.
2. Drowning the Signal
Instead of trying to erase the past, drown it out. Reputation management professionals often use a “flooding” technique. If you have a negative search result or an old photo you can’t delete, you bury it.
Create three or four new, boring, neutral profiles. Build a bland LinkedIn page. Start a generic WordPress blog about gardening or architecture. Post once a month. Google prefers fresh content. Eventually, these new, harmless pages will climb to page one, pushing the old, unwanted data to page five. Nobody looks at page five. That is where you hide the bodies.
3. Acceptance
You have to accept that fragments of you will always float around the web. An old yearbook photo, a mention in a local gazette, a cached version of a webpage on the Wayback Machine. These are digital scars. They stay.
Stop believing in the magic “Delete” button. Start managing the chaos. Limit what leaks out now. Educate your friends (good luck with that). And remember strictly speaking, you cannot disappear from the internet forever. There is only noise, and your best bet is to hide inside it.
True disappearance is impossible because data brokers archive your history offline. Your best strategy is to delete what you can and bury the rest under boring, neutral content.
Why do people suddenly vanish?
People usually vanish to escape immediate threats like stalkers, harassment, or a toxic past. Others simply want to stop the surveillance economy from monetizing their private life.
Why delete myself from the internet?
You do it to stop corporations and AI from monetizing your personal history without your consent. It is the only way to regain control over your reputation and protect yourself from long term digital surveillance.
How do you remove yourself from the internet completely?
Start by deleting every social account you control and using automated tools to scrub your info from data brokers. Since 100% removal is impossible, you must then flood the web with generic content to bury the permanent fragments on page five of Google.
Modern password security is a challenge that requires a radical shift in habits due to rapidly escalating threats. In the cyber world, “password fatigue” is omnipresent, and users inundated with conflicting advice often fall into apathy. This article is the antidote to information noise. Instead of repeating outdated clichés, we present a list of seven counterintuitive facts from 2024 to 2026 reports. Prepare yourself, as this data will permanently alter how you think about protecting your digital identity.
1. Your Password Didn’t Leak – It’s Part of a Global Data Flood
Most users still ask, “Did my password leak?” This is the wrong question, one that trivializes the reality of password security on a global scale. Analysts now assume your credentials already exist in criminal databases. The problem has reached an industrial scale.
Unprecedented Scale: By 2022, 24 billion passwords had already been exposed. The culmination occurred in June 2025, when researchers discovered a compilation containing 16 billion unique logins and passwords. That is double the Earth’s population.
Infection Mechanism: In 2024, the number of credentials captured by info stealer malware rose by 125%. These viruses steal entire keychains saved in browsers on infected home and work computers.
Conclusion: Treat every credential as potentially public. The only defense enhancing real password security is uniqueness – one unique string of characters for one service.
2. Official NIST Guidelines: Length Beats Complexity
For decades, we were told that password security depended on inserting special characters, resulting in strings like “P@ssw0rd1!”. New guidelines from NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) updated in August 2024 turn these rules upside down. Cracking algorithms handle special characters in fractions of a second but slow down exponentially with long phrases.
The New Rule: Instead of short, complex codes, use passphrases that are at least 12–16 characters long. The sentence “Bought3GreenApplesToday” provides higher password security than the hard-to-remember “J#b3a!”.
Stop Forced Resets: NIST officially advises against forcing password changes every 90 days. Research proves that employees forced to change credentials create predictable patterns (January2025, February2025), which paradoxically weakens the organization’s entire protective policy.
“The recently published NIST update draft represents a significant step in modernizing recommendations… we encourage organizations to adopt these new guidelines.” — Darren James, Specops Software.
3. SMS Codes Are Digital Relics (And an Open Door for Hackers)
Two-factor authentication (2FA) based on SMS offers a false sense of control but does not guarantee full protection. In 2025, regulators in countries like India and the UAE are actively phasing out this method, precisely due to the low password security associated with GSM networks.
SIM Swapping Risk: Criminals can impersonate you at a mobile operator, obtain a duplicate SIM card, and intercept your bank codes directly on their phone.
A Better Alternative: Replace SMS with apps like Google Authenticator or hardware keys (e.g., YubiKey). The safest option, however, is passkeys. They are cryptographically bound to a specific domain, making them completely phishing-resistant – a hacker cannot extract a code that cannot be manually typed.
4. AI in Service of Thieves: No More Typos in Phishing
Forget the “Nigerian Prince” and broken language in fake emails. Artificial Intelligence has automated the fraught process, undermining traditional password security through social engineering attacks of unprecedented precision.
Effectiveness: Phishing emails generated by AI achieve a click-through rate (CTR) of 54%. In comparison, messages manually created by scammers have an effectiveness rate of around 12%.
Zero Errors: Language models create messages that are grammatically and stylistically perfect, tailored to the victim’s context. 65% of respondents fear AI will facilitate impersonation of loved ones or colleagues, meaning the password itself ceases to be a sufficient barrier.
5. Your Password Is a Psychological Portrait
Analysis of billions of leaked records shows our credentials mirror our interests. This phenomenon drastically lowers password security because hackers don’t have to guess randomly – they use dictionary lists tailored to pop culture trends.
The Taylor Swift Effect: Over 5 million passwords related to this artist were found in databases.
Gamers Targeted: 2 million passwords referenced “The Legend of Zelda,” and 1.5 million referenced “Super Mario.”
Recycling: According to the Verizon report, 84% of people use the same string of characters across multiple sites. If a hacker cracks your defense on a gaming forum, in 49% of cases, they will use it to open your email, completely compromising password security in online banking.
6. MFA Fatigue: Hackers Attack Your Exhaustion
Cybercriminals know the weakest link is not the server, but the tired human. The “MFA fatigue” method involves bombarding the victim with notifications, bypassing technical password security by attacking the user’s psyche.
Attack Scenario: The hacker has your login. They send dozens of notifications to your phone at 3:00 AM. An annoyed or sleepy user clicks “Approve” just to silence the phone, unknowingly letting the intruder into the corporate network.
Defense: Microsoft estimates that effective MFA reduces risk by 99%, but it must be phishing-resistant MFA (e.g., requiring the input of a number displayed on the computer screen). Just having a strong password does not protect against this attack.
7. Giants Fail: The “LOUVRE” Password at the Louvre
Errors in digital hygiene are not limited to the average user. Even institutions with million-dollar IT budgets stumble over basics, ignoring elementary password security in their critical systems.
A security audit revealed that the surveillance system at the Louvre Museum in Paris was secured with the password… “LOUVRE”.
In the corporate sector, 81% of breaches result from weak or stolen credentials. This proves that security policies often remain dead letters on paper, and actual password security in companies is illusory.
Conclusion: Time for a New Strategy
Knowledge is the only shield that works. Since AI can write perfect phishing emails and your password is likely already in a hacker database, you must change tactics. Install a password manager, enable passkeys where possible, and never trust SMS messages as the sole verification method. Your digital password security depends on how quickly you adapt to these facts and implement modern identity protection tools.
FAQ
What is meant by password security?
Password security refers to the practices used to protect your digital identity, shifting focus from complex characters to the uniqueness of credentials and the use of multi-factor authentication. In 2025, it means treating every password as potentially compromised and fortifying access with tools like password managers and passkeys.
What is the best security for passwords?
The best protection combines a password manager to generate unique, long passphrases (12-16+ characters) for every site with phishing-resistant multi-factor authentication (MFA). Ideally, replacing traditional passwords with cryptographic passkeys offers the highest level of security available today.
How do I secure my password?
Never reuse the same password across different sites; instead, use a trusted password manager to create and store a unique login for every account. Additionally, enable 2FA (Two-Factor Authentication) everywhere, prioritizing authenticator apps or hardware keys over insecure SMS codes.
What is the password?
A password is a secret string of characters used to verify your identity, though modern experts view it as a “shared secret” that is inherently vulnerable to theft. The concept is currently evolving into “passkeys” cryptographic tokens that replace typed codes to completely eliminate the risk of phishing.
Which password is most secure?
The most secure password is a long passphrase (minimum 12-16 characters) that is unique to a single account and impossible to guess (e.g., “Correct-Horse-Battery-Staple”). However, a passkey is superior to any text-based password because it is cryptographically bound to the specific website, making it mathematically impossible to phish.
Artificial Intelligence is moving faster than our ability to manage it. What began as an experimental field is now woven into economies, governments, and daily life. The pace of AI’s growth is creating new kinds of AI risk: economic, political, and even existential.
The problem isn’t that AI exists. It’s that our systems of control, regulation, and understanding can’t keep up. The gap between what AI can do and how prepared society is to handle it keeps getting wider.
We’re now facing a spectrum of AI risks:
Immediate AI risks that threaten social trust, fairness, and jobs
Systemic risks that expose cracks in governance and global cooperation
Long-term risks that question whether we’ll stay in control of the technology we create
This article maps that spectrum. It draws on research from the UNDP, Stanford, and the World Economic Forum to show where we are and where the real dangers lie.
The Acceleration Problem
AI’s progress isn’t just fast. It’s accelerating. Each year, models become larger, cheaper, and more capable. That speed creates both opportunity and instability.
Shrinking timelines
Predictions for when we might see advanced, human-level AI keep moving closer. In 2024, a survey of nearly 2,800 AI researchers found the median forecast for “High-Level Machine Intelligence” to be 2047, thirteen years earlier than the same group predicted in 2022. Some experts, like Ray Kurzweil, expect Artificial General Intelligence by 2029.
Exploding resource use
The computing power behind frontier AI systems doubles roughly every five months, according to Stanford’s 2025 AI Index. Training a top-tier model now costs tens of millions of dollars, up from just hundreds in 2017. GPT-4 alone is estimated to have cost $79 million to train.
Cheaper, faster adoption
As training costs rise, usage costs fall. In 2024, 78% of businesses reported using AI, up sharply from 55% the year before. Meanwhile, the cost to run AI models like GPT-3.5 dropped over 280 in 18 months.
This mix of shorter expert timelines, huge compute growth, and cheaper access creates a perfect storm. AI risks that once took years to appear can now spread globally in weeks. Institutions move slowly. AI doesn’t.
What Counts as an AI System
Before we can talk about AI risks, we need to be clear about what AI actually is. Following the OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) definition, an AI system is any machine-based system that takes human-set goals, interprets data, and produces outputs, predictions, content, or decisions that affect the real or digital world.
That covers everything from basic algorithms used in public services to complex generative models capable of writing, drawing, and reasoning. Because this definition is so broad, the AI risks are too. They range from small scale bias in decisions to large scale disruptions in economies and politics.
The Immediate AI Risks: What’s Already Happening
AI speed of growth isn’t just a technical story. It’s already reshaping how we work, what we trust, and how safe we feel online. The biggest problems are emerging faster than governments or companies can react. These aren’t future AI risks. They’re here now.
The Collapse of Information Integrity
The biggest short-term threat from AI is the breakdown of trust in information. Generative tools make it easy for anyone to create fake videos, cloned voices, or realistic text at scale. The World Economic Forum ranked AI-driven misinformation as the top global risk in its 2024 report.
We’ve already seen it play out in real elections:
In Pakistan, deepfakes of political leaders circulated right before the national vote, urging people not to participate.
In the United States, OpenAI shut down a Russian-linked operation using ChatGPT to flood Telegram with fake comments from accounts posing as ordinary citizens.
This kind of synthetic content floods the internet faster than fact-checkers can respond. It doesn’t just spread lies. It erodes confidence in everything, even the truth. When anyone can fake anything, public trust collapses.
Bias, Fairness, and Inequality
AI systems don’t invent prejudice, but they can amplify it. Models trained on biased data replicate the patterns they see. When used in hiring, credit scoring, or policing, those patterns can turn into real harm.
The Netherlands’ childcare benefits scandal is a clear example. A fraud detection algorithm wrongly targeted thousands of families, many with migrant backgrounds, as potential fraudsters. The damage was life-changing.
Bias also appears in subtle ways. Something as simple as using a postal code as a risk factor can indirectly discriminate, because location often tracks with ethnicity or income.
Globally, the problem runs deeper. The UNDP Human Development Report 2025 found that most large AI models are trained on data dominated by high income countries. That tilts the cultural balance of AI toward a narrow slice of the world and reinforces existing inequalities.
Even large vision-language models, those that combine text and image understanding, tend to amplify racial stereotypes. Bias isn’t a technical glitch. It’s a reflection of social and historical inequalities that AI ends up scaling.
Jobs, Productivity, and Disruption
AI brings both opportunity and disruption. It can make people more productive, but it can also automate work faster than new roles appear.
According to UNDP research, 60% of people believe AI will create new opportunities. About half also think it will eliminate jobs. Both are right.
The Stanford HAI report shows that AI can boost productivity and close skill gaps in some sectors. But freelancers in fields like software development, data entry, and content writing are already seeing falling demand and lower pay due to automation.
The outcome isn’t just a question of technology. It depends on policy and business choices. We can use AI to extend human capability, or we can let it hollow out the workforce.
AI as a Cybersecurity Threat
AI is also a growing weapon for attackers. It lowers the skill barrier for creating deepfakes, phishing scams, and realistic social engineering campaigns.
In surveys, 60% of Dutch citizens say they see AI as a cybersecurity threat. That fear is justified. Criminal groups are already using AI tools to scale scams, generate fake IDs, and breach systems faster.
AI gives defenders new tools, but it gives attackers even more. It’s a new kind of arms race, where speed and realism replace brute force.
The Cracks in Our Governance
The social AI risks we’re seeing aren’t just side effects of technology. They’re symptoms of weak oversight. AI is spreading faster than the rules, knowledge, and accountability needed to manage it.
Local Governments: Flying Blind
At the local level, AI is already being used in ways that directly affect citizens, but few officials understand how it works.
A study of Dutch municipalities found serious gaps in oversight:
Most had little to no visibility into which AI systems they were using
Local council members admitted they didn’t understand AI well enough to make policy decisions. One said simply, “Councillors know nothing about AI. It’s scary.”
92% of municipalities said they need clear national frameworks or rules for democratic control over AI systems
Without that, they can’t judge AI risks, protect citizens, or ensure accountability. AI risks is entering public administration through the side door, without proper scrutiny.
National and Global Regulation
The same problem appears at the national level. The EU AI Act is a major step toward responsible regulation, but many deadlines for public sector compliance stretch years into the future.
Globally, regulation remains fragmented. Countries are moving in different directions, each with their own rules and standards. The World Economic Forum warns that this fragmentation can spark tension when AI systems operate across borders.
What’s needed are shared international standards, rules for safety, accountability, and transparency that apply everywhere. Without that, AI governance becomes a patchwork of laws that criminals and corporations can easily exploit.
The Geopolitical AI Race
AI has also become a tool of power politics. The U.S. and China are competing for dominance in AI development, patents, and model performance.
Area of Competition
United States
China
Frontier AI Models (2024)
40 models
15 models
Private AI Investment (2024)
$109.1 billion
$9.3 billion
AI Patents (2010–2023)
14.2% of global total
69.7% of global total
Model Performance
Led in 2023, gap closing fast
Catching up on key benchmarks
The U.S. leads in private investment and cutting edge models, but China dominates in patents and state driven R&D. This fuels an AI arms race where both sides prioritize speed over safety.
The WEF (World Economic Forum) lists “interstate armed conflict” among its top global AI risks. As AI risk moves deeper into military systems, intelligence operations, and cyber warfare, the danger grows that competition, not caution, will shape the future.
Long-Term and Existential AI Risks
The logical endpoint of today’s acceleration and weak governance is a set of high impact, low probability AI risks that can’t be ignored. These are the scenarios that move from policy debates to questions of human survival.
Expert Views on Catastrophic Risk
A 2024 survey of 2,778 AI researchers showed that many experts take existential AI risks seriously.
Between 38% and 51% believe there’s at least a 10% chance advanced AI could cause catastrophic outcomes, including human extinction.
Even among optimists, almost half assign a 5% chance to that scenario.
The median estimated probability of extinction from AI was between 5% and 10%.
The message is clear, even those closest to the technology can’t rule out the worst outcomes. When experts who build the systems say extinction is possible, policymakers have a duty to listen.
The Alignment Problem
The alignment problem is at the heart of these concerns. It’s the challenge of ensuring that advanced AI systems pursue goals that truly match human values. As AI becomes more autonomous, even small misalignments could have large consequences.
A related issue is explainability. The more complex a system becomes, the harder it is to understand how it makes decisions. The same 2024 survey found that for advanced systems expected by 2028, there’s only a 10–40% chance users will know why the AI made a given choice.
That lack of transparency makes control difficult. You can’t manage what you can’t explain. If alignment and explainability fail together, AI could act in ways that no one predicts or stops.
Building a Safer Future
AI risks are serious but not unmanageable. The key is to act early, cooperate widely, and focus on systems that serve people rather than replace them.
Stronger Governance and Global Cooperation
Effective governance is the foundation. Governments and international bodies need to close the gap between innovation and oversight.
Algorithm registration – Public institutions should keep a public record of the AI systems they use. That builds transparency and accountability.
International standards and audits – Countries need shared safety and ethics standards. Independent AI safety institutes should test and evaluate models before they’re deployed.
Cross border cooperation – The UNDP recommends collaboration on things like content authenticity standards and joint model evaluations. This helps smaller nations participate safely in the AI economy.
Corporate Responsibility and Transparency
Most frontier AI models come from the private sector. That gives companies a direct responsibility for safety and transparency.
A 2024 McKinsey survey found that the top AI risks businesses are addressing are cybersecurity (66%), regulatory compliance (60%), and privacy (57%). But 51% of firms cite a lack of internal expertise as their main barrier to responsible AI adoption.
Transparency also remains limited. The Foundation Model Transparency Index shows improvement, but most companies still don’t disclose enough about training data or how copyrighted material is used.
Some companies, like Anthropic, are taking proactive steps. Its Responsible Scaling Policy (RSP) includes safeguards for model security, such as strict protections for model weights to prevent theft or misuse.
Keeping Humans at the Center
The long term goal should be simple. AI that helps people, not replaces them.
The UNDP Human Development Report argues for a “complementarity economy”, where AI tools are designed to augment human work, not automate it away. That shift requires deliberate policy, education, and corporate incentives.
We also need to protect human agency. AI systems should expand people’s choices, not make them on our behalf. In high stakes areas like healthcare, law, and defense, humans must stay “in the loop” or “on the loop”, able to question, correct, and override automated systems.
AI should be explainable, contestable, and aligned with democratic values. The goal isn’t to hand control to machines but to use them wisely, with clear boundaries and shared benefits.
Conclusion
The future of AI risks isn’t written yet. It’s not a path we discover. It’s one we choose. Every policy, design decision, and ethical choice we make today shapes that path.
AI can amplify the best of human creativity and knowledge. It can also deepen inequality and confusion. The difference lies in governance, transparency, and intent.
Building a safer AI future means acting now. Regulating what matters, educating decision makers, holding companies accountable, and keeping people at the center of every system we create.
That’s how we close the gap between progress and control, and make sure AI remains a tool for humanity, not a threat to it.
FAQ
What are the risks of AI?
AI risks range from immediate threats like misinformation, deepfakes, algorithmic bias, and job displacement to long-term existential risks where advanced AI systems might become uncontrollable or misaligned with human values.
What are 5 disadvantages of AI?
The five major disadvantages of AI are: job displacement through automation, algorithmic bias that amplifies discrimination, erosion of information trust through deepfakes and synthetic content, increased cybersecurity threats from AI-powered attacks, and lack of transparency
What are the 4 levels of AI risk?
(1) Individual risks affecting single users through bias or privacy violations, (2) Organizational risks impacting businesses through security breaches or compliance failures, (3) Societal risks undermining social trust, jobs, and democratic institutions through misinformation and automation, and (4) Existential risks threatening human survival if advanced AI systems become uncontrollable or misaligned with human values.
This article was inspired by the study “User Privacy and Large Language Models:An Analysis of Frontier Developers’ Privacy Policies” available at arxiv.org/pdf/2509.05382 , which analyzed the privacy practices of major AI chatbot platforms.
In August 2025, ChatGPT surpassed 700 million users. It’s the fastest-growing application in history. Daily, millions of people entrust chatbots with their most personal matters, from health and finances to family dilemmas.
But there’s a fact rarely discussed. These conversations aren’t always private. They can be read by humans, stored indefinitely, and used to train new AI systems, often without your consent.
Digital Tracking Reimagined
The internet has operated on data collection principles for years. An AI privacy policy was supposed to act as a shield, but in practice, it’s often more fiction than fact. Experts estimate that reading all the policies we encounter in a year would take over 200 hours.
It’s like having to read an encyclopedia every time you install an app.
Why Chatbots Are a Different Level
Previously, the problem was cookies tracking clicks. Today, chatbots collect something much deeper.
Conversations reveal a complete picture of a person: emotions, problems, concerns, and even dreams. Asking Siri about weather is one fact. An hour-long exchange with ChatGPT about mental health is nearly a complete portrait of your psyche, and this falls directly under how an AI privacy policy governs usage.
Default Settings vs. AI Privacy Policy
The biggest companies – Amazon, Anthropic, Google, Meta, Microsoft, and OpenAI automatically use your conversations to train their models. You don’t have to agree because consent is “built into” their AI privacy policy and terms of service.
Anthropic was initially the only one requiring explicit “yes” from users (opt-in). But in September 2025, it changed its approach to opt-out. Now, if you don’t want this, you must search through settings and legal documents yourself to figure out how to disable it.
Manipulation Under the Guise of “Common Good”
OpenAI uses a known psychological trick. It’s AI privacy policy claims that sharing data “helps improve the model for everyone.” It sounds like an appeal to social responsibility, but in practice, it reinforces default settings.
Most users never change them. Companies know this well. It’s called decision inertia, people stick with what’s easiest.
What Companies Actually See
Amazon, Google, and OpenAI clearly state: they train their systems also on files uploaded by users documents, recordings, videos. Microsoft and Google go even further, analyzing voice data to improve speech recognition.
Only Microsoft declares it tries to remove personal data before training models. Other companies don’t provide details, so it’s unclear what happens to the most sensitive information.
People Are Looking at Your Conversations
Google and OpenAI openly admit: they employ people to review user conversations to improve their models. And they warn: don’t type anything you wouldn’t want to show a stranger.
Journalists revealed that Meta contractors had access to data allowing user identification. Companies talk about “anonymization,” but in practice, complete anonymity is difficult to achieve.
Two Classes of AI Privacy Policy
OpenAI applies double standards. Companies paying for business products have their data excluded from model training.
But millions of ordinary people using free versions don’t have this protection. It’s a digital class divide: privileged business clients and the rest of the users.
Data Without Expiration Date
Amazon, Meta, and OpenAI store user data indefinitely. No time limits, no real deletion option.
It’s like a time bomb. The longer data exists, the greater the risk it will be disclosed, stolen, or used in unforeseen ways. Do we really want our today’s conversations analyzed in ten years?
Law Can’t Keep Up
The US has no comprehensive national data privacy law. Only a patchwork of state regulations exists, with California’s CCPA being the strongest.
The European Union has GDPR, which requires privacy “by design” and user-friendly settings. Companies like Google or OpenAI boast SOC 2 Type II and ISO/IEC 27001 certifications, but certificates don’t replace real oversight.
Children as “Fuel” for AI
Four of six companies also train models on data from youth aged 13-18. Google went even further, adding users under 13 to the Gemini database.
Children cannot consciously consent to such practices. Research shows young people often enter para social relationships with chatbots, sometimes even of a sexualized nature. This raises serious ethical and legal questions.
Boundaries Are Blurring
Companies increasingly combine data from different services. Your emails, Google Drive documents, and search history can be linked with chatbot conversations.
This directly violates GDPR principles: data minimization and purpose limitation. But the pursuit of “omniscient” AI makes boundaries between products dissolve, and our digital life becomes one giant database.
What Can Be Done Better
Consent Must Be Explicit– Require opt-in before using any data in training, as part of every AI privacy policy.
Automatic Sensitive Data Filtering– Systems for removing personal information from training materials must be introduced. Microsoft is already trying – others should do this or go further.
Privacy-Protecting Features– OpenAI offers temporary chats, Google has similar options, Apple doesn’t use user data in AI. It shows development and privacy can go together.
Our Future, Our Choice
For three decades, US law hasn’t kept pace with technology. Now, when chatbots have become places where people share their most personal thoughts, boundaries must be clearly set.
The core question: are AI benefits worth the risks created by weak or manipulative AI privacy policy?
The future of artificial intelligence requires trust and transparency. If people feel deceived, they’ll turn away from this technology regardless of its potential.
The choice is ours. And it’s time to make it.
FAQ
Can AI write my privacy policy?
Yes, but only as a draft. A lawyer should review it to make sure it fits the law and your business needs.
Is AI violating your privacy?
It might, if it gathers or stores personal data without consent or proper safeguards. The risk depends on what data is used, how the system is built, and whether it follows privacy rules.
Can ChatGPT make an AI privacy policy?
It can create a draft based on your input, but it can’t replace legal advice. Always ask a lawyer to review before you publish.
How does AI protect privacy?
AI can support privacy with tools like anonymization, encryption, and threat detection. But it must be designed with privacy in mind, or it could create new risks.
We all need a way to manage passwords. Most people turn to cloud-based password managers like 1Password, Dashlane, or LastPass. They work, but they also come with a catch: you’re handing your most sensitive data to a company you have to trust completely.
KeePass takes a different approach. It’s free, open source, and it keeps your passwords in your hands. That’s why it’s been around for years and still has a loyal following among security professionals and privacy-conscious users.
If you’ve ever wondered why this password manager keeps coming up in conversations about password security, here are seven reasons it deserves your attention.
1. You own your password database
Most password managers store your data on their servers. KeePass doesn’t. Instead, it creates one encrypted file — usually ending in .kdbx. That single file holds all your logins.
You choose where that file lives:
On your computer
On a USB drive
In your own cloud storage
This setup makes a big difference. When large password companies get hacked, millions of users are at risk at once. With this manager, there’s no central target. For an attacker to get to your database, they’d need access to your personal device and your master password. That’s a much smaller attack surface.
It’s like the difference between a bank vault and a safe in your own house. Both can be attacked, but one is a giant target, and the other is private and hidden.
2. It’s free and open source
KeePass costs nothing, no subscriptions, no premium tiers, no ads. That’s rare in a world where most password tools are moving to a subscription-only model.
Even better, it’s open source. Anyone can read the code to see how it works. This openness has three big advantages:
Transparency: You don’t have to trust marketing promises; the code is right there.
Security: Thousands of developers have reviewed the code. Bugs and vulnerabilities get caught and patched quickly.
Longevity: Even if the original creator stepped away, others could pick it up and continue development.
That makes password software one of the few password managers that doesn’t depend on a company staying in business.
3. It’s customizable
KeePass is often described as “not user-friendly.” That’s true if you want a slick, plug-and-play app. But its flexibility is what makes it powerful.
Through plugins and extensions, you can shape software to work exactly how you want. For example:
Highlight accounts with weak or soon-to-expire passwords
Check your passwords against known data breaches
Set up automatic backups each time you save changes
Integrate with browsers for autofill
This plugin system makes credential manager more like a toolkit than a single product. If you’re willing to tweak it, you can build a password manager tailored to your own habits.
4. It runs everywhere
KeePass started as a Windows program, but because it’s open source, developers have built versions for nearly every platform:
Windows: The original KeePass or my favourite KeePassXC
Mac: MacPass, Strongbox
Linux: KeePassXC (a favorite among Linux users)
Android: KeePassDX, Keepass2Android
iOS: Strongbox, KeePassium
All of these apps read the same .kdbx database. That means you can keep your file in Dropbox, Google Drive, or another syncing service, and access your passwords on all your devices.
You get the convenience of cloud sync without handing over your data to a third-party password company.
5. It works offline
KeePass doesn’t need the internet to function. That might not sound like a big deal, but it has real benefits.
You can use it on a plane, in a hotel with bad Wi-Fi, or anywhere else without a connection. More importantly, it means your passwords aren’t constantly being synced to someone else’s servers.
Most commercial password managers are always talking to the cloud, which opens the door to potential leaks or man-in-the-middle attacks. KeePass avoids that by default. Unless you choose to sync your file, everything stays local.
6. It stores more than passwords
This password storage tool is basically a secure vault for any sensitive information. In addition to website logins, you can store:
Software license keys
Bank account details
Credit card numbers
Server credentials
Private notes
Even entire files (like scans of passports or IDs)
Everything you store is encrypted as part of the same database. That makes a good option not just for personal passwords, but also for IT admins who need to store server logins or companies that want a secure way to share credentials internally.
7. No vendor lock-in
One of the biggest risks with commercial password managers is lock-in. What if they raise prices? What if the company goes out of business? Migrating your data can be painful.
Software avoids this problem. Your .kdbx file belongs to you. The format is open, and many tools can read it. If you ever want to switch to another manager, you can export your data as a simple spreadsheet.
Favorite app for Windows
This freedom means you’re never trapped by a company’s pricing or policies. Your passwords remain under your control.
Bottom line
KeePass isn’t flashy. It doesn’t have the smooth design or built-in sync features of commercial password managers. But what it offers is more valuable: control, security, and independence.
If you want a free, open-source tool that keeps your data in your hands, That open source manager is still one of the best choices out there.
It may take a little effort to set up and customize, but once you do, you’ll have a system that belongs entirely to you, no subscriptions, no hidden risks, and no lock-in.
Your passwords are too important to hand over to someone else’s servers. KeePass gives you a way to keep them safe on your own terms.
FAQ
How safe is KeePass?
KeePass uses strong encryption (AES-256) and keeps your data in a local file, making it very secure if you use a strong master password.
What are the disadvantages of KeePass?
It’s not as user-friendly as paid managers, and setup or syncing requires more manual work.
What is KeePass used for?
It stores and encrypts passwords, logins, and other sensitive data in one secure database.
Is KeePass compatible with Windows 11?
Yes, the latest version of KeePass works fine on Windows 11.
Why is KeePass free?
It’s open-source software maintained by a global community, so anyone can use or improve it at no cost.
How AI Data Collection is Making the Buyer Smarter Than You
My dear reader, you are in the business of selling yourself. Every day. Every hour. Every click, you participate in a massive, unseen economy fueled by AI data collection.
You may not realize it, but you are one of the most productive salespeople alive. The product? Your life. Your thoughts. Your secrets. Your desires. And business, I’m afraid, is booming.
The Latest Heist Happened Last Week (And You Probably Participated)
Just weeks ago, millions of people discovered that ChatGPT could turn their photos into cute cartoon characters – “ghibli” style – or place their faces on Barbie doll boxes. Delightful! Harmless fun!
So they uploaded their faces. By the millions.
Selfies. Family photos. Pictures of their children.
All fed directly into an AI system that now has the most comprehensive facial recognition database ever assembled. And people paid for the privilege of contributing to it.
This wasn’t an accident. This was the most brilliant marketing campaign in history. It was a masterclass in AI data collection. Make people want to give you their biometric data. Make them beg to hand over their faces.
The result? An AI company now owns digital maps of millions of human faces, knows what those people look like in dozens of expressions and angles, and has connected those faces to payment information, email addresses, and usage patterns.
And the customers? They got a cartoon.
That, my friends, is the bargain of the century – for the AI company.
The Sale Begins Before Your Coffee Gets Cold
This morning, you reached for your phone. Perhaps you checked the weather. Maybe you glanced at the news. You searched for something – anything – and in that moment, you made a sale.
You sold the fact that you live in Chicago and worry about rain.
You sold your political leanings when you clicked that headline.
You sold your insecurity about your weight when you lingered on that diet advertisement.
The buyer? Machines. The process? Pervasive AI data collection. And they never forget a transaction.
How AI Data Collection Makes a Smarter Customer
AI systems don’t just know that housewives buy more soap on Thursdays. They know that you specifically will buy soap on Thursday because you always clean house before your mother-in-law visits on Friday.
They know you’re thinking about divorce before you do.
They know you’ll buy a car next month because you’ve been searching for parking spaces.
They know your daughter is pregnant because you started buying different groceries.
And now? They know exactly what your face looks like from every angle. They know your children’s faces. They can track you in any crowd, on any street camera, in any store.
All because you wanted to see yourself as a cartoon character.
The Price You’re Accepting is Ridiculous
In advertising, we have a saying: “Know what you’re selling.”
Do you?
You’re trading the most intimate details of your existence for the convenience of seeing ads for shoes instead of ads for baby formula. You’re selling your location, your relationships, your fears, your hopes – and now your actual face – for what? So a computer can guess what you want to buy?
That’s the worst negotiation in history.
The Ghibli Trap: Making AI Data Collection Irresistible
The genius of the recent ChatGPT photo feature wasn’t the technology. It was the psychology.
They made surveillance cute.
They made facial recognition fun.
They made biometric data collection shareable.
People didn’t just upload their own faces – they uploaded their children’s faces, their spouse’s faces, their friends’ faces. Then they shared the results on social media, tagging everyone, creating a complete social network mapped to facial biometrics.
The AI company didn’t have to spy on anyone. Millions of people volunteered for this new form of AI data collection. They paid to be spied upon. They advertised that they were being spied upon.
It was surveillance disguised as entertainment. And it worked perfectly.
What AI Data Collection Knows About You (That You Don’t)
They know you buy groceries when you’re stressed.
They know you’re more likely to click ads when you’re tired.
They know your salary based on where you shop and what you buy.
They know your marriage is in trouble before your marriage counselor does.
They know you’re job hunting before you tell your boss.
They know you’re pregnant before you tell your mother.
And now they know exactly what you look like, what your children look like, and can identify you anywhere in the world using facial recognition technology.
How? Because AI data collection connects dots that human minds cannot. It sees patterns in billions of people and applies them to you. And you handed them the most important dot of all: your face.
The Most Expensive Mistake You Make Every Day
You think “free” means free.
Gmail is not free. You pay with every email.
Facebook is not free. You pay with every relationship.
Google is not free. You pay with every question.
Instagram is not free. You pay with every moment of happiness you share.
ChatGPT’s photo feature is not free. You pay with your biometric identity, the ultimate prize in AI data collection.
The currency is your data. The exchange rate is terrible. You’re getting robbed in broad daylight, and you’re saying “thank you.”
How to Protect Yourself from Intrusive AI Data Collection
First, realize you’re in a negotiation. Stop being the fool who signs without reading.
Before you upload that photo for a “fun” AI feature, ask yourself: “What could they do with my face besides make a cartoon?” The answer should terrify you.
Check your phone’s privacy settings. Now. Not tomorrow. Now. Turn off location tracking for apps that don’t need to know where you live.
Second, practice saying no. When a website asks for your birthday, ask yourself: “Do they need this to sell me shoes?” When an AI asks for your photo, ask: “Do they need my face to make a cartoon?” The answer is usually no.
Third, use different emails for different purposes. Don’t give the grocery store the same email you use for banking.
Fourth, read privacy policies. I know they’re boring. I know they’re long. But when it comes to AI data collection, they’re the contract for your soul. Read them.
The Choice That Defines This Generation
You can continue being the easiest sale in history. You can keep uploading your face for cartoon characters. You can keep trading your privacy for convenience. You can let machines know you better than you know yourself, all powered by relentless AI data collection.
Or you can become a harder customer. You can demand better terms. You can make them work for your data.
Remember: In any negotiation, the person who cares least has the most power.
Right now, you care too much about cute cartoons and too little about your biometric privacy. The machines know this. They’re counting on it.
The next time an AI offers to turn your photo into something “fun,” remember: you’re not the customer having fun. You’re the product being processed.
Stop being such an easy sale.
Your face is your identity. Don’t give it away for a cartoon.
FAQ
What is data collection in AI?
Data collection is the foundational process of systematically gathering massive volumes of raw information, such as text from the internet, user interaction logs, or images to build a structured dataset. This dataset is then fed to machine learning algorithms to train them in recognizing complex patterns, enabling them to perform advanced tasks like natural language processing or facial recognition.
Which AI is best for data collection?
There isn’t one single “best AI” for data collection; the right choice is always a specialized AI tool designed for a specific data source, like a website, a PDF document, or social media text. For example, you’d use an AI web scraper to extract product prices from online stores, but you would use a Natural Language Processing (NLP) algorithm to analyze sentiment from thousands of tweets.
Can I use AI to scrape data?
Yes, you can absolutely use AI to scrape data, and it’s much more powerful than basic scraping because the AI can understand a webpage’s content and layout like a human would. This allows AI-powered tools to intelligently pull specific information, like a price from a product page or a comment from a forum, even from complex or constantly changing websites.
How does AI collect its information?
An AI doesn’t collect information on its own, it learns from massive amounts of data that humans gather and feed to it. This information comes from countless sources, such as developers creating huge labeled datasets of images and text, programs scraping public websites, and even the everyday data we generate while using apps and online services.
How do AI datasets work?
An AI dataset works like a massive textbook full of examples, like millions of images labeled “cat” or “dog” that a machine learning model uses to study and learn from. By processing all this data, the AI learns to identify the key patterns and features for itself, allowing it to eventually make accurate predictions about new, unseen data.
I never thought a tiny pen would change my life. Yet here I am, one year later, completely hooked on my Samsung S Pen.
I used to be that person with stacks of half-filled journals cluttering my bookshelf. I’d buy a pretty new notebook, use it for a week, misplace it, then start the cycle again. The day I got my first S Pen with my Samsung phone broke that pattern forever.
What makes this little stylus so special? Why has it completely replaced my physical journals? And could it do the same for you? Let’s find out together.
Inside the S Pen: The Cool Tech Stuff
The S Pen isn’t your average plastic stick. What makes it different from those cheap styluses is some pretty amazing technology.
The Hidden Science
The Samsung S Pen uses something called Electromagnetic Resonance (EMR). Here’s what happens:
Your Samsung device has special coils under the screen
These coils create an energy field above the screen
The S Pen picks up this energy
Your device can tell exactly where the pen is, how hard you’re pressing, and even how you’re tilting it
This invisible connection between pen and screen feels almost magical when you use it. The pen doesn’t need batteries for basic writing – it gets power from the device itself.
Feel Like You’re Writing on Paper
The S Pen can detect 4,096 different pressure levels. That might sound like tech jargon, but in practice, it means the pen knows the difference between a light touch and a firm press.
When I journal, this lets me vary my line thickness naturally. I can emphasize words with thicker lines or write delicately with thin ones, just like a real pen on paper.
Drawing Like a Pro (Even If You’re Not!)
The Samsung S Pen knows when you tilt it, similar to using a pencil for shading. While I’m no artist, this feature makes even my simple doodles in my journal look better than they should.
You can tilt for broad strokes or hold it straight for fine lines. Artists love this, but even for my basic needs, it adds a natural feel that basic styluses just can’t match.
Which Samsung Devices Work With S Pens?
I remember feeling confused when Samsung started putting S Pens in more than just Note phones. Here’s a simple list of which gadgets work with which pens:
Phones That Love S Pens
Galaxy S21 Ultra
Galaxy S22 Ultra
Galaxy S23 Ultra (this is mine)
Galaxy S24 Ultra
Galaxy S25 Ultra
The older Note series phones (Note 8-20)
Galaxy Z Fold 3-7.
Tablets Made for S Pens
Galaxy Tab S6 and S6 Lite
Galaxy Tab S7 and S7+
Galaxy Tab S8 series
Galaxy Tab S9 series
Galaxy Tab S10 series
One thing to know: not all S Pens do the same things. Some have Bluetooth for remote control features, while others are simpler. Always check what works with your specific device before buying.
Do I Need to Charge My Samsung S Pen?
This question confused me at first too. The short answer: it depends what you want to do with it.
Writing and Basic Stuff: No Charging Needed
For everyday writing, drawing, and using your S Pen as a pointer, you don’t need to charge it at all. The pen gets enough power from your device’s screen to handle these basic tasks.
This is perfect for my daily journaling habit. Even if I forget to charge anything, I can still write as long as my phone has power.
Fancy Remote Control Features: Yes, Needs Charging
If you want to use your S Pen as a remote control (taking photos without touching your phone, controlling presentations, etc.), then it needs to be charged. These “Air Actions” require the Bluetooth features that run on the pen’s own power.
Charging is super quick though:
For phones: Just put the pen back in its slot and it charges in under a minute
For the S Pen Pro: Use a USB-C cable
For tablets: Place it on the magnetic charging strip
A full charge can last 24 hours on standby or about 30 minutes of active use. Pretty good for such a tiny battery.
Will My Samsung S Pen Last Forever?
Nothing lasts forever, but S Pens are built to last a long time with proper care.
The Main Body: Very Tough
The pen itself is made from good materials that can handle daily use. Samsung clearly built these knowing they’d be used every day.
S Pen Battery Life: Better Than You’d Think
For S Pens with Bluetooth features, the battery lasts surprisingly long:
The older Note10 S Pen gives about 10 hours of standby time My S23 Ultra’s S Pen lasts around 24 hours on standby Charging takes just seconds for hours of use
And remember – even with a dead battery, you can still write and draw without any problems!
My Everyday S Pen Journal Routine
The S Pen has totally replaced my paper journals, and I’m so happy about it. Here’s how I use mine throughout my day:
Morning Pages with Coffee
Every morning I try journaling.
I created a template “Daily journal” in Samsung Notes and i writing for whatever’s on my mind.
The S Pen makes this feel just like writing in a paper journal, but better.
I can erase mistakes, change colors for different moods, and my journal is always backed up to the cloud.
Using All The S Pen Powers
The S Pen does way more than just write. Here are some of the cool features I’ve discovered:
Air Command: Your S Pen Control Center
When you pull out your S Pen (or hover and press its button on some models), a circle menu pops up.
From here you can:
Start a new note
Select part of the screen to capture
Write on screenshots
Create animated messages
Draw in AR (augmented reality)
Translate text by hovering over it
And more, depending on which device you have
Using The Pen Instead Of Your Finger
The S Pen is super precise for basic navigation:
Tap to open apps
Swipe to scroll
Hover over items for preview info
I find the pen much better than my finger for selecting small text or clicking tiny buttons on websites.
Remote Control Tricks
If your S Pen has Bluetooth, you can use Air Actions – gestures you make while holding the button:
Swipe up/down or left/right to navigate
Make circle motions to adjust volume
Flick to move through photos or presentation slides
This is perfect for taking group photos without setting a timer and running into position.
Will The S Pen Scratch My Screen?
This worried me too when I first got my S Pen. After almost one year of use, I can tell you my screen is still perfect.
The S Pen tip is made from special plastic that’s hard enough to work properly but soft enough not to damage your screen. It’s specifically designed to be safe on Samsung devices.
A few tips to keep everything working great:
Screen Protector Tips
If you use a screen protector (I do), make sure it works with the S Pen:
Glass protectors give the smoothest writing experience
Hydrogel
I use a hydrogel and have had zero issues with S Pen compatibility.
Keep Your Pen Clean
Sometimes dust or dirt can stick to the pen tip. Just wipe it clean occasionally with a soft cloth to prevent any potential scratches.
Also, replace worn-down tips promptly, a badly worn tip might potentially scratch your screen.
When Your S Pen Acts Weird: Quick Fixes
Even the best tech has off days. Here’s how to fix common S Pen problems:
If Your Pen Stops Responding:
Make sure it’s fully seated in its slot
Check if Air Command is turned on in Settings > Advanced Features > S Pen
Restart your phone
For Bluetooth features, check if the pen needs charging
If The Pen Seems Inaccurate:
Go to Settings > Advanced Features > S Pen > Air View
Select “Calibrate” to fix alignment issues
If Battery Drains Too Fast:
Check you’re using a genuine Samsung S Pen
Update your software
Turn off Bluetooth features if you don’t use them
Best Apps To Use With Your S Pen
The right apps make S Pen use even better! Here are my favorites:
For Taking Notes:
Samsung Notes – built-in and gets better with each update
Noteshelf – beautiful notebooks with many paper styles
GoodNotes – great organization for serious note-takers
OneNote – syncs with Microsoft accounts
For Drawing and Art:
PENUP – Samsung’s own social network for S Pen artists
Clip Studio Paint – closest to professional desktop software
For Getting Work Done:
PDF Expert – mark up PDF files easily
LectureNotes – perfect for students
Squid – great for adding notes to screenshots
I mainly use Samsung Notes because it works so well with the S Pen.
My Switch From Paper To Digital Journaling
When I first got my S Pen, I wasn’t sure if digital journaling would feel “real” enough. Would I miss the feel of pen on paper?
One year later, I journal more consistently than ever before. Here’s why it worked for me:
Always With Me
My journal is always in my pocket because my phone is always with me. No more forgetting my notebook at home or work – I can write anywhere, anytime.
This means I capture more thoughts and ideas than I ever did with paper journals.
Finding Old Entries Is Easy
Being able to search all my journal entries is game-changing! Want to find what I wrote about a specific event last year? Just type a keyword and it appears instantly.
With paper journals, I’d have to flip through dozens of pages hoping to find what I wrote.
So Many Options
Digital journaling with the S Pen gives me:
Different pen colors and styles
The ability to erase mistakes completely
Options to add photos to my entries
Ways to convert my handwriting to typed text if needed
Automatic backup so I never lose my thoughts
The S Pen has truly changed how I record my life, making it easier, more flexible, and surprisingly, more personal than paper ever was.
Complete Guide To Charging Your S Pen
For S Pens with Bluetooth features, here’s how to keep them powered up:
For Galaxy Note and S Ultra Phones:
Put the S Pen back in its slot in your phone
You’ll see a notification showing it’s charging
It takes only about 40 seconds to fully charge
This gives you roughly 24 hours of standby time
For S Pen Pro:
Plug a USB-C cable into the end of the pen
Connect to a power source
A light shows when it’s charging
Takes about 50 minutes for a full charge
For Galaxy Tablets:
Place the S Pen on the magnetic strip (usually on the back)
It will stick in place and start charging
Check battery status in Settings > Advanced Features > S Pen
Remember, even with no battery power, your S Pen still works for basic writing.
My Favorite S Pen Tricks After One Year
After using my S Pen daily for almost year, I’ve found some really useful tricks:
Screen-Off Memo
This is the feature I use most! When your screen is off, just pull out the S Pen and start writing. Your note saves automatically without unlocking your phone.
Perfect for middle-of-the-night ideas or quick shopping lists.
Make Air Command Your Own
You can add or remove shortcuts from the Air Command menu. Go to Settings > Advanced Features > S Pen > Air Command to set it up exactly how you want.
I removed features I never use and added direct links to my favorite note templates.
Smart Select for Research
The Smart Select tool lets you capture specific information from websites or documents. You can even pull text from images using the Text Extraction feature.
This is super helpful when gathering information for projects.
Turn Handwriting Into Text
When you want to share your handwritten notes in a more formal way, use the handwriting-to-text feature in Samsung Notes. It’s surprisingly good at reading even my messy writing.
Rest Your Hand While Writing
Put your palm right on the screen while writing for the most natural position. The S Pen knows to ignore your hand and only register the pen tip.
What Might Come Next For S Pens?
Samsung keeps making the S Pen better with each new version. Based on what they’ve done before, here are some things we might see in future S Pens:
Possible New Features:
Better feedback that makes it feel more like writing on different surfaces
More gesture controls for easier navigation
Even better pressure sensitivity beyond the current 4,096 levels
Using your phone’s S Pen with your tablet without switching pens
Smart features that help organize your notes or assist with content creation
As someone who’s watched the S Pen get better over time, I’m excited to see what comes next. The blend of old-school writing feel with new technology keeps improving.
FAQ
Does the S Pen need charging?
For basic writing and navigation, no. For Bluetooth features like remote control, yes. Charging takes less than a minute when put back in your phone.
Which phones work with S Pens?
Galaxy S21/S22/S23/S24 Ultra, Galaxy Note series, and Galaxy Z Fold3/4/5 work with S Pens. Galaxy Tab S series tablets also support S Pens.
Does the S Pen wear out?
The main body lasts for years, but the tip will eventually wear down with regular use. Replacement tips are cheap and easy to install.
Will the S Pen scratch my screen?
No, the S Pen tip is specially designed to be safe for your screen. For extra protection, use a screen protector that works with stylus input.
How do I get the S Pen to work?
Just take it out of your device and start using it! For Bluetooth features, make sure it’s charged and set up in Settings > Advanced Features > S Pen.
Does the S Pen have a battery?
Yes, S Pens with Bluetooth features have a small battery or capacitor for wireless features. Basic functions work without any battery power.
How do I charge the S Pen wirelessly?
Put it back in your phone, or place it on the magnetic charging area of compatible tablets. The S Pen Pro charges with a USB-C cable.
What can I use if I lose my S Pen?
Official replacements work best, but alternatives include the Staedtler Noris Digital, Wacom One, or the S Pen Pro (which works with multiple devices).
How does a tablet stylus compare to the S Pen?
The S Pen uses electromagnetic technology for precision, pressure sensitivity, and hover features. Basic tablet styluses use simpler technology with fewer features.
