What it does, when it appears, and why it's part of Currently.
What 'SMILE PLEASE' means
When you tap the capture button (especially with the front camera), Currently sometimes shows a SMILE PLEASE message at the top of the screen, with a small focus reticle in the centre.
This is the face-check feature — Currently is detecting that there's a real face in the frame before letting the photo go through.
Why the face check? Currently is a camera-only, face-friendly social app. The face check encourages real, authentic moments instead of empty rooms or random objects. It's a gentle nudge, not a hard block.
The 'NOW' badge
Just before the photo is taken, you'll see a NOW badge briefly flash at the top of the screen. This is Currently confirming that the moment is being captured right now (not pulled from anywhere else).
If your face isn't detected
Sometimes Currently doesn't see a face — bad lighting, angle, sunglasses, etc. When that happens, you'll see a SKIP THIS TIME button at the bottom. Tapping it lets you take the photo anyway, even without a face check.
Skip is fine. If you're shooting a sunset, a coffee cup, or a beautiful place — and there's no face — just tap SKIP THIS TIME and continue. Currently isn't going to force a face into every shot.
FAQs — Face check
Q. Does Currently store my face data?
A. No. The face check runs on your phone, on-device. Currently doesn't save or upload any face data — it just confirms a face is in frame, then forgets.
Q. Why does Currently want a face in my photo?
A. Faces are at the heart of what makes Currently feel real and personal — friends recognize friends. We don't enforce it, but we encourage it with the face check.
Q. How do I post a photo without a face (food, scenery, my dog)?
A. Just tap SKIP THIS TIME when the face check fails. Or take the photo with the PHOTO mode and the back camera — face check is more relaxed for back camera shots.
Q. Can I turn off the face check entirely?
A. There's no toggle to disable it — but SKIP THIS TIME essentially does that. Use it whenever your shot doesn't include a face.
Q. My face IS in frame but the check still fails. Why?
A. Try better lighting (avoid backlight), take off sunglasses, or move slightly closer to the camera. If it still fails, tap SKIP THIS TIME and the photo will go through.