Here’s your workaround
How to get around the Google Arts & Culture app’s block on Texas and Illinois
The Google Arts & Culture app has a fun new feature that’s driving the internet crazy. You can snap a selfie, and Google will use its facial recognition algorithm to find a match in classical or modern paintings.
There’s just one problem, and it’s a big one in these parts: It doesn’t work in Texas or Illinois. Although Google has not responded to our queries as to why, one theory is that these two states have restrictions on how facial-recognition technology can be used. Google’s trivial feature may actually be illegal in the Lone Star State.
However, if you’re feeling rebellious — or just want to play along with everyone else — there are a couple of ways around the Texas/ Illinois block.
Some folks have had good luck by turning off location services, which is found in iOS at Settings > Privacy > Location Services. Typically, you can turn off location on a per-app basis, but Arts & Culture doesn’t have this setting. You’ll have to turn off location services altogether, though at least one Twitter user told me he had it turned off globally for all Google apps, and that allowed him to see the feature.
That one’s hit or miss, but one sure-fire way to do it is to use a
Virtual Private Network, or VPN, which creates a secure and anonymous connection to the internet. It also masks where you’re located, so Google’s Texas block isn’t applied.
This is the same kind of tech that allows people in China to get around that country’s “Great Firewall” that blocks many U.S. sites. And it’s also really handy when you use public Wi-Fi hotspots — it can prevent you from being hacked in that typically insecure environment.
Nearly any VPN app will work, but be aware, there’s typically a monthly or annual fee to use it after an initial trial period. Helpline columnist Jay Lee pointed me to a VPN app called Windscribe that is free but has data limit. You can use it without cost for up to 2 gigabytes, and if you agree to put in an email address, you can get 10 GB. An unlimited plan is available for $9 a month or $90 a year.
Download the app, install it and then let it connect to a server. Windscribe lets you pick servers around the United States (some VPN apps let you connect to specific countries, only), so be sure to choose one that’s not in Texas or Illinois.
When you’re connected, launch the Google Arts & Culture app and start scrolling down the main Home screen. You’ll see the panel that lets you access the feature. Walk through the steps to match your mug to art.
Unfortunately, turning on the VPN app must be done each time before you launch the Google app if you want to use the selfie feature. And if you disconnect from the VPN while you’re working with the feature, it won’t do facial recognition — you’ll get a “No Match” message.
Hopefully, Google will eventually open the app’s selfie feature to residents of these two states. But in the meantime, VPN is your best friend.