Samsung's 'Beauty' Filter Is Reportedly Automatically Airbrushing Your Selfies

Photo-editing is huge right now. Facetune is the second-most downloaded app on the iTunes store, and we've all seen the popularity of the Snapchat flower crown filter.

But at least these tools offer us a little choice in the matter. Not so for some Samsung Galaxy users, who are reporting that their phones automatically airbrush their selfies.

When blogger and author Mel Wells bought a new Samsung Galaxy phone and took her first selfie, she says she discovered the 'default' mode was set to 'Beauty level 8' - meaning it airbrushed out her stunning freckles.

In an impassioned Instagram post, Wells called out the brand for sending a negative message about body image.

"Wow Samsung. When you get a brand new phone and go to take a selfie and realise that the default setting on the front camera is automatically on 'Beauty level 8' which evidently means: seriously airbrushed face," she wrote.

"This means everyone who gets a new Samsung phone and flicks the front camera on is automatically being told 'Hi, we're Samsung and we think you look way better when we automatically airbrush your selfies for you, x 8!!

"Thanks @samsungmobile for the vote of confidence, I think I'll keep my freckles and imperfections since this is how I look in 3D and this is how all my friends see me in real life.

"I hope young girls are buying iPhones instead of Samsungs. (Wait, do iPhones do this too?) To clarify - no apps here - this is Samsung's DEFAULT FRONT CAMERA SETTING."

SEE ALSO:

This Illustrator Captures Our Obsession With Instagram Beauty

So This Is Why Celebs' Selfies Always Look Flawless

How To Take The Perfect Selfie, According To Science

The Huffington Post UK got in touch with Samsung about Wells' statement, and a spokesperson for the brand told us that the 'Beauty Mode' on its own is set to a default level 2, not 8 as Wells' had claimed.

"At Samsung we offer a range of camera settings on our mobile phones for our customers to be able to choose to switch on or use," they said.

"The beauty setting is one such setting that we know our customers love and has the option of being switched on or turned off completely, depending on personal preference."