Apple has released iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4, macOS 15.4 and visionOS 2.4, bringing a grab bag of new features to the companies devices and expanding Apple Intelligence to new countries and languages.
As previously announced by Apple iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4 and macOS 15.4 include a new Apple News+ Food section in the News app that collects recipes and food-oriented articles, including exclusive recipes for Apple News+ subscribers. The updates also introduce new emoji, AI-sorted Priority Notifications in Notification Center, new ways to filter photos in the Photos app and lossless audio on the AirPods Max. That's on top of a random assortment of other quality-of-life features like:
AI-generated summaries of App Store reviews
An Ambient Music tool in Control Center
The ability to add and control Matter-compatible robot vacuums to the Home app
New widgets for the Podcasts app
A new "Sketch" style for images in Image Playground
Apple
The update to visionOS 2.4 will add Apple Intelligence features like Writing Tools and Image Playground to the Vision Pro for the first time, on top of a streamlined process for sharing your headset with another person, a new Apple Vision Pro app for the iPhone to download apps and experiences to your Vision Pro remotely, and a Spatial Gallery app for the headset itself that features a rotating collection of spatial videos and photos curated by Apple.
After a bit of a delay, Apple says Apple Intelligence will be available in the European Union for the first time on iPhone and iPad. The suite of AI features will now also work in several new languages "including French, German, Italian, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish, Japanese, Korean, and Chinese (simplified) — as well as localized English for Singapore and India," Apple says.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ios-18-4-available-now-175358838.html?src=rss
Instagram has rolled out an update for Reels that will let users go through more of them more quickly. As TechCrunch has reported, the app now allows users to play Reels at 2x the speed by long-pressing on the right or the left edge of the screen. They'd simply have to release it if they'd like to resume watching at normal speed. Some users have had access to the feature for a while now, while others used to have it until Instagram removed it from their accounts, likely because the app was only testing it out. Now, an Instagram rep has told CNET that it's rolling out to everyone. We previously didn't have the feature and can confirm that we've gained access to it within the past few hours.
The representative said that the option has been highly requested by the app's users. Being able to fast-forward Reels has become somewhat of a necessity for a lot of people today, seeing as Instagram's short-form videos are no longer limited to 15 seconds in length like they used to be. Reels can now be as long as three minutes, and there are signs indicating that the app could allow uploads as long as 10 minutes. We wouldn't be surprised if Instagram started allowing Reels that long in the future. Instagram and TikTok have had history of adopting new features previously unveiled by the other, and TikTok allows videos recorded within its app to be 10 minutes long. In fact, TikTok has had the option to watch videos at twice the speed for a while now, which is even more necessary for the app, since its users can upload videos up to an hour in length.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/instagram-will-let-you-watch-reels-at-twice-the-speed-120047663.html?src=rss
There’s a good chance learning a new language is one of your New Year’s resolutions, unless you’re hoping Google Translate will be enough for your next international adventure. Either way, you’ll need a reliable method to guide you through speaking and understanding the foreign language of your choosing. Fortunately, we're no longer confined to flashcards and textbooks as you can learn using your phone from the comfort of your couch.
Many of the best language learning apps today offer a multi-tier approach, with AI-powered conversations, extensive vocab libraries and even podcasts you can listen to to help you master your target language. Whether you're just starting because you're just trying to understand what Bad Bunny means when he says "un verano en Nueva Yol," or you want to brush up on your Korean before that planned vacation, there’s a language learning app to suit your needs.
Best language learning apps for 2025
Others language learning apps we tested
Memrise
Memrise has a library of more than 200 languages to learn. From Spanish to isiXhosa, Memrise can teach you all the basics and dive into more regional differences. As a Spanish learner, I could choose to learn from Spain or Mexico and I enjoyed that Memrise didn’t just teach me a more generalized version of the language. While Memrise could be great for polyglots, its hefty $60 monthly fee was too steep and prevented it from gleaning one of our top slots.
Pimsleur
Dr. Pimsleur believed speaking and listening were key to learning a new language. This app allows you to take its audio lessons offline, even going as far as integrating into Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. As a commuter, I appreciated having a lesson or two stored away for my journey to the office. However, I wanted more ways to practice reading and writing. With other apps offering podcasts for listening along and other forms of teaching, Pimsleur didn’t offer enough to make our list.
Rosetta Stone
Gone are the large, yellow disc sets of yesteryear; now Rosetta Stone lives squarely in the digital age with its app. Using the same visual learning tools as the old-school Rosetta Stone, the app shows you pictures and terms to get you to understand what things mean. Users can repeat after voice recordings and match phrases to the images to learn slowly. Rosetta Stone could be great for beginners, but in order to get access to all 25 languages and a lifetime subscription, you’d have to dish out $400. There are cheaper apps on this list that provide comparable experiences.
HelloTalk
Similar to Discord, HelloTalk provides voice and chat rooms to talk to folks from different countries. Its users can learn regional terms and talk about cultural differences. With a paid subscription, you can practice with a tutor or their AI chatbot. If you’re looking to learn a new language outside of your inner circle, HelloTalk can be a great fit. I enjoyed connecting with others on the app, but, as always when meeting strangers online, beware — some users treat it like a dating app. Fortunately, there are apps on this list that offer a similar AI learning approach without that added concern.
How we test language learning apps
As an intermediate Spanish learner, I was looking for an app that best catered to my needs, but I know everyone learns differently. So for each app, I assessed based on several factors. Can beginners use this to gain confidence? Will advanced speakers feel challenged? Are there enough opportunities to test reading and writing skills? How many ways can you learn vocabulary words? For those who want to have more conversations, what opportunities did each app provide to speak in that language? Bonus points if an app helped you learn a bit of the culture surrounding that language.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/best-language-learning-app-120001600.html?src=rss
There’s now a native version of Google Drive for Arm-powered PCs, like those featuring last year’s Snapdragon X Elite and X Plus chips. The company announced this feature update in a blog post, saying that the Drive app for Windows is "generally available" for Snapdragon X chipsets. Today’s release follows a beta test going back to last year.
This includes machines by several big brands, with the most notable being the newest Microsoft Surface laptops. The Drive port for Arm-based PCs also allows users to access their accounts through the Windows File Explorer app. This should make it easier to pull files from Drive accounts.
The native app only works on devices running Windows 11 and Microsoft WebView2. Existing beta users will automatically be updated to the full version. It’s rolling out today but could take up to 15 days to hit everyone’s accounts. The new app is available for all Google Workspace customers, Workspace Individual Subscribers and users with personal Google accounts.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/google-drive-is-now-available-on-snapdragon-based-windows-pcs-173517153.html?src=rss
The most notable feature of Nothing’s latest phones may be its combo of distinct hardware design and Android software tweaks. However, after using the Nothing Phone 3a for a few weeks, the Essential Space app has kept me hooked on what is ostensibly a lower-mid-range smartphone.
It’s also a hard app to explain in a single sentence. It’s a little bit of a screenshot gallery, a little bit of a notes app, a little bit of a to-do list app, a little bit of country, a little bit of rock-and-roll. It’s all sewn together with similar AI features to what we've seen on most new smartphones.
However, compared to the disjointed apps and features of Google AI, Galaxy AI, or Apple Intelligence, Essential Space keeps everything in one place. The utility is helped by having a dedicated launcher button (the Essential Key): A single press will screenshot your phone (and file it in Space), while a long press starts recording your voice — and files it away in Space, too, initiating AI-powered transcription. A double press of the Essential Key launches the app, which seems odd. The screenshot should also be a double press, but maybe that’s just me.
It’s not an entirely new premise. We raved about Google’s Pixel Screenshot app, which also does a good job of organizing your screenshots to make things easier to find. However, Google’s Screenshots app is limited to only that — screenshots. Nothing, on the other hand, already announced it’ll bring a similar-seeming Smart Collections feature to the Space app in the future.
Inside Nothing’s Space app, the phone extracts dates, attempts to create to-do lists, analyzes screenshots and associates them with time, date, and location data. In short, it makes it easier to remember why I took a screenshot when I did, and it even attempts to create actionable items and reminders. I’ve started taking voice notes and mulling over everything I must do on a workday morning. It'll summarize it into a to-do list with goals I can check off when completed.
With Essential Space, Nothing doesn’t seem to be meddling with AI for the sake of it. While image generation, rewriting emails, and writing guidance on my smartphone are occasionally fun, Essential Space removes many roadblocks to using these functions. I don’t have to ask the Phone 3a to transcribe your voice recordings; it just gets to work. There are limitations, perhaps predictably, given the middleweight processor of a mid-range phone, and AI processing happens on the cloud. Nothing says it deletes processing requests from its servers after they’re completed. However, phones that cost over twice as much as the Phone 3a can handle AI processing on-device for most things that Essential Space can do.
There is also no way to share something with Space, whether a photo or a recording unless you initiate the recording through that pesky Essential Key. Of course, you can take screenshots of old screenshots, photos, and websites, but then you’re back to the same disjointed process as other Android devices and iPhones.
Nothing’s Essential Space manages to streamline AI into many of the features I use most, like transcription and reminders. The company has teased further functionality, like a focused search for use inside the Space app, and cutesy gimmicks like flip-to-record for your voice notes, which should only bolster what I thought would be weird software curio. It isn’t earth-shattering, but put all together, it's one of the best integrations of AI aimed at making your life easier.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/nothing-phone-3a-essential-spaces-ai-powered-app-done-right-163042976.html?src=rss
Gone are the days of kids asking their parent to borrow cash or their card when going out with friends. Instead, parents can now give their kids access to Google Wallet for making in-store payments with their Android device. Google first announced that this feature was coming back in October.
Kids can also use Google Wallet to store passes to things, including a library card, ticket for an event or a gift card. But, parents have a lot of oversight, such as receiving an email every time their child makes a purchase. They can also monitor everything within Family Link, along with remove a payment card or shut off access to all passes.
Google
Right now, Google is just rolling out the new feature for families in the US, UK, Australia, Spain and Poland. Parents in any of these locations should see the option pop up within the next few weeks.
Apple users can already access a similar feature with Apple Cash Family. Parents can set up anyone in their Family Sharing group and let them make purchases, or send and receive money through their wallet or messages. Just like on Android, parents can see their kids' purchases and get notifications each time they buy something. Plus, parents can view the remaining balance or send an allowance through Apple Cash by creating a recurring payment.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/google-wallet-is-now-available-for-kids-140039676.html?src=rss
If you're frustrated by some of your favorite apps pestering you to sign up for a subscription, some new data may help you empathize with their developers more. According to revenue data from "over 75,000" mobile apps, the vast majority have a hard time making $1,000 per month.
The data is detailed in RevenueCat's 2025 State of Subscription Apps report. RevenueCat makes a mobile app subscription tool kit and gathered the report's data from apps using its platform. The report covers "more than $10 billion in revenue across more than a billion transactions," and RevenueCat's customer base ranges from indie-sized teams to large publishers. Buffer, ChatGPT, FC Barcelona, Goodnotes, and Reuters are among the San Francisco-based firm's customer base.
Additionally, the report examines apps that rely primarily on in-app subscriptions, as well as those that only generate some revenue from subscriptions. All apps examined, though, actively generate subscription revenue and "meet a minimum threshold of installs or revenue (to ensure statistically meaningful findings," according to the report.
Now that Apple’s recent slew of hardware releases are behind us, we got some news on the software side last week. First, the company publicly announced that it was delaying the smarter, more personal version of Siri that’ll be powered by Apple Intelligence. Then, rumors sprang up again that Apple was giving an extensive visual update to its software platforms, including iOS 19 and macOS 16 which are expected to be revealed at WWDC in June.
The sources for this redesign rumor are solid. Jon Prosser dropped a video on his YouTube channel Front Page Tech back in January where he said that he had seen a redesigned Camera app for the next version of iOS that had a number of interface changes that made it feel more like a visionOS app. His thinking is that Apple wouldn’t redesign a core app like Camera without bringing changes to some of the rest of the OS, as well.
Mark Gurman at Bloombergfollowed up on that, reporting that iOS 19, iPadOS 19 and macOS 16 “will fundamentally change the look of the operating systems and make Apple’s various software platforms more consistent.” He also specifically mentioned visionOS, which runs Apple’s wildly expensive ($3,500) Vision Pro headset, as an inspiration for the new design.
This rumor could definitely have legs. Even though visionOS doesn’t feel radically different to Apple’s other software, it does make sense that the company would unify visual themes across all its platforms and devices as it usually does. But at a time when the company is struggling mightily with its Apple Intelligence rollout and delaying a new Siri (which feels to me like the most significant update the company could deliver), slapping a new coat of paint on iOS and macOS feels like a distraction at best and misguided priorities at worst.
The delay to a more intelligent Siri is a major blow to Apple’s AI ambitions. Since it was first introduced at WWDC 2024, it’s been the single thing that might make me upgrade my phone to one that works with Apple Intelligence. The promise is an assistant that has a better understanding of the apps on your phone and can use them more extensively on your behalf; it can do things like automatically adding addresses to a contact card. Another example Apple showed was asking Siri to find an image of your driver’s license, take the ID number on it and put it into a form you’re filling out. It’ll also have more awareness of what’s on your screen and better natural language understanding.
That, of course, is all just a promise right now. Apple commentator John Gruber, who typically takes a fairly positive view of the company, absolutely ripped the company a new one over the Siri delay. He says that at WWDC 2024, he and other members of the press saw controlled demos of Apple Intelligence features, but no proof of a smarter Siri — thus far, all we’ve seen are product videos showing what it could do. In retrospect, Gruber says that a smarter Siri is nothing more than “vaporware.” “They were features Apple said existed, which they claimed would be shipping in the next year, and which they portrayed, to great effect, in the signature ‘Siri, when is my mom’s flight landing?’ segment of the WWDC keynote itself,” he says. “Apple was either unwilling or unable to demonstrate those features in action back in June, even with Apple product marketing reps performing the demos from a prepared script using prepared devices.”
Apple's presentation of Siri at WWDC 2024 can be seen above.
It’s a bad look for Apple, and was made worse when Bloombergpublished a piece showing the turmoil inside the Siri team following the delay announcement. The publication reported that Apple senior director Robby Walker held an all-hands meeting for the Siri team saying the delays have been “ugly and embarrassing,” and that the decision to promote these features to the public before they were ready compounded the issues. To be fair, Apple has shipped a few Siri improvements since the fall (most significantly the addition of ChatGPT), but they’re not things that have radically changed the voice assistant’s most glaring weaknesses.
Additionally, Gurman’s sources claim that we won’t see these features until sometime in 2026 at the earliest, long after iOS 19 would be released. With all that in mind, these redesign rumors feel like a fresh coat of paint to distract people from the structural issues with Apple Intelligence as a whole and the delays on a massively important feature.
The timing also feels strange. While Apple hasn’t embarked on a full-scale redesign of iOS since it released iOS 7 way back in 2013, the company has made small but significant changes and refinements nearly every year since that have added up to software that’s far more customizable and refined than it was more than a decade ago. Since iOS 14 in 2020, Apple added home and lock screen widgets, major customization features for lock screen visuals, and the wild notion of not having all your apps aligned to an inflexible grid. Apple also added the ability to color-tint the icons to match your background image (or just make them any color you want, dark or light). These all add up to an iOS that is a lot more visually customizable than ever before.
Android has had these features for years, so I’m not praising Apple for being some paragon of user freedom. But it’s clear from these changes that Apple is finally interested in giving users more control over how their phones look. With all this as well as many smaller visual tweaks the company has made over the years, it’s fair to say that iOS 18’s design language has evolved far beyond what we saw with iOS 7’s complete and abrupt makeover.
As for macOS, Apple has given it several notable visual updates over the last decade or so. In 2014, OS X Yosemite largely brought over the flatter design from iOS 7 that removed skeuomorphic elements that had littered iOS and the Mac for years. Apple continued to tweak it over the following years before giving it another big visual overhaul in 2020 with macOS Big Sur. That was the first OS that supported Apple’s M-series Macs and as such the company dropped the OS X branding and moved to macOS alongside the new design.
While I was initially skeptical of a major macOS visual refresh, I am a little surprised to remember that it’s been almost five years since Big Sur launched — maybe we’re right on schedule for a visual refresh. And in recent years, Apple has wanted to keep its platforms as aligned as possible, both from a feature perspective as well as how they look. It’s not hard to imagine designers wanting to unify things across platforms again.
Given that the user interface is literally how we interact with all these devices, a design refresh can certainly keep things feeling new, even if the functionality hasn’t changed much. And without a smarter Siri to look forward to at WWDC this year, a fresh coat of paint might be Apple’s best option to make its next software updates feel new. That said, I don’t mean to suggest that the people working on the visual design of Apple’s software platforms could or should abandon their work and rush a better Siri out the door — the skill sets and priorities of those two teams are surely completely different. But at the very least, Apple’s going to have to more forcefully address the elephant in the room that is Siri than it has before it can try selling us on a new design.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/apple-should-focus-on-fixing-siri-not-redesigning-ios-again-164446205.html?src=rss
These days, we all could use a bit of quiet time away from the rise and grind. That’s where meditation comes in. This practice may not be the ultimate cure-all for everything that ails you like some claim, but it can still help with sleep, stress, mood and focus. I’ve been meditating most of my adult life, with varying degrees of regularity, and I’ve tried plenty of different techniques. I’ve done silent retreats. I’ve done transcendental meditation (RIP David Lynch.) I’ve followed along in crowded rooms. This is something well worth your time and effort.
This is where meditation apps can come into play. Of course, practicing mindfulness doesn’t require an app; people have been doing it for thousands of years, with nary a smartphone in sight. But mindfulness apps can be useful in a number of ways. They provide access to all kinds of guided meditations to suit different styles. Some even offer social connections, which can motivate you to keep up your practice via the magic of peer pressure. They are also particularly well-suited to beginners, with many of them offering a free trial. With all of this in mind, I downloaded some of the most popular meditation apps and set about sitting calmly on a comfortable chair to test them out. What follows is a comparison aimed at real people just looking to squeeze a bit more joy and relaxation out of daily life.
How we tested meditation apps
Every brain is different, so I did not rate these apps based on if they sync up with my preferred meditation style. First and foremost, I looked for apps that cater to various methods and those that offer guided meditations that go beyond what’s free on YouTube. All of the items on this list are available on both Android and iOS, so you won’t have to worry about something being only for iPhone owners.
Of course, there’s lots of free stuff out there, from podcasts and videos on YouTube to audio tracks on streaming services. You can even find guided breathing sessions on an Apple Watch or Fitbit, as well as meditations in Fitness+, Samsung Health or any number of workout video providers. For this guide, I focused on apps that stood out in some way. I liked apps with huge libraries of guided meditations and those that offer additional mindfulness activities, like yoga routines. I also looked for easy-to-use apps with well-designed layouts. You don’t want to start your meditation journey with a clunky app that actually increases anxiety.
The most important thing with meditation is to keep doing it, so I awarded points for clever gamification elements, simple social network integration and anything else that encourages repeat visits. Finally, I considered extra features that set an app apart from the glut of competitors out there. For example, some meditation apps offer novel ways to track your progress, access to yoga routines and a whole lot more.
At the end of the day, each of these apps has its strengths. But if installing an app or using a device is not how you prefer to meditate, you can always turn off your phone and find a quiet room or environment. For those of us who need a little help from a digital guru, though, here are our favorite apps for meditation.
Other meditation gear we tested
Brain-tracking wearables have been around for years, but there are some newer devices that have been tailor-made for meditators. These gadgets track the brain during meditations and offer real-time feedback. It’s a real boon for the data-obsessed, but also a real bank account drainer, with some gadgets costing thousands of dollars. I took two of the more-popular options for a spin to see what they’d make of my brain.
Sens.ai Neurofeedback System
Sens.ai is a weird contraption that not only claims to track brainwaves, but gives real-time feedback to “teach” people how to meditate and enter a flow state. The device involves a giant headset that’s stuffed with brainwave sensors that detect beta, alpha, theta and gamma waves, in addition to heart-rate sensors. It also comes with a truly bizarre companion gadget that uses light stimulation (transcranial photobiomodulation) to keep an eye on focus and attention levels. The whole thing is combined with an app that keeps track of dozens of data metrics and allows access to various guided meditations.
I’m as surprised as you to say that this thing appears to work, with some caveats. It’s uncanny how well it monitors the brain during meditations. If I got lost in a thought spiral about lasagna at six minutes in, sure enough, there would be a dip in analytics at the six-minute mark. It’s also fairly easy to use, despite a process that involves wetting a number of electrodes. As magical as the accurate brain-tracking seems to be, however, I wasn’t as keen on the actual training portion, which often involves staring at a screen throughout the entirety of the practice. It’s also not for the financial faint of heart, as the Sens.ai device costs $1,500.
NeoRhythm Omnipemf
NeoRhythm’s Omnipemf is another wearable to help people get into that ever-elusive flow state. It doesn’t track your brain, but rather floods it with electromagnetic fields at specific frequencies to make it more susceptible to meditation and focus. This is supposed to prime your brain for the meditative state and, in theory, make it easier to capture that zen. However, I didn’t get much from it, other than a placebo-esque buzzing in my head.
To use it, you simply pop on the wearable and go about your day. You aren’t tied to an app, so you can meditate in whatever way you like. There are multiple modes that go beyond meditation, as this thing is supposed to help with focus, pain relief and sleep. I’d wait for some peer-reviewed studies, however, before buying this.
WhatsApp never waits long between updates and this time it's reportedly changing how replies look. According to WABetaInfo, WhatsApp is currently working on a feature that would put all replies to the same message in one thread. A look at it appeared in an Android update available through the Google Play Beta Program.
Right now, WhatsApp allows users to reply directly to a message and shows the original on top of the new message. However, users have to click through each response to see any earlier replies or the first message quoted. The new update would instead show every message in the thread in one place, making the flow of conversation clearer.
WABetaInfo
The update is currently under development, but should be available in individual or group chats, communities and channels. It would especially be beneficial for those latter ones, considering it's always impossible to keep track of an ongoing conversation between multiple people. In the meantime, there's no word yet of when this will roll out, though it probably won't be too long if it's already showing up in a beta.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/whatsapp-is-reportedly-developing-reply-threads-134516511.html?src=rss
FILE PHOTO: A woman stands next to a logo of messaging application Whatsapp during a Meta conference in Mumbai, India, September 20, 2023. REUTERS/Francis Mascarenhas/File Photo
Google is pushing back on a bill that would make Utah the first state in the US to have a law requiring app stores to conduct age verification of their users. The company has formally requested the state's governor to veto the bill, passed by the state legislature last week, as it urges states to consider a different approach to app safety.
In a blog post from Google public policy director Kareem Ghanem, the company said the Utah law poses “real privacy and safety risks” and that states shouldn’t rush to pass laws “pushed by Meta” and other social media companies. Instead, Ghanethe says that Google has proposed an “alternative legislative framework” that would allow the developers of potentially “risky” apps to request “age signals” from app store owners like Google.
The statement is the first time Google has publicly opposed the bill, which would make Apple and Google responsible for age verification and parental permission features for children under 18. A spokesperson also confirmed that the company requested that Utah Governor Spencer Cox veto the bill. Cox has previously signed off on laws that imposed age verification and parental permission requirements on social media companies, though the measures were revised and later blocked by a judge. A spokesperson for Cox didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
While it’s not surprising that Google is opposing the law and others like it (there are at least eight other states considering similar measures), it’s notable that the company is proposing its own parameters for a law that would take into account what kind of content is available in a given app, which would place more of a burden on social media companies.
Ghanem argues that not all apps should be subject to age verification. “This level of data sharing isn’t necessary — a weather app doesn’t need to know if a user is a kid,” he writes. “By contrast, a social media app does need to make significant decisions about age-appropriate content and features.” He also argues that app store safety proposals should come with a ban on all personalized ads to anyone under 18, pointedly noting that "other companies" should follow Google's lead on the issue.
Google obviously has a vested interest in not being responsible for age verification of its users, which would impose significant logistical and legal risks for the company. But many other privacy and digital rights groups have also opposed age verification laws.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/google-asks-utahs-governor-to-veto-the-states-app-store-age-verification-bill-233733280.html?src=rss
Google logo is screened on a mobile phone for illustration photo. Krakow, Poland on October 17th, 2024. (Photo by Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
When it goes live, iOS 18.4 will allow some users to set a default navigation app other than Apple Maps. The software of choice can be set from the Settings app by going to Apps, then to Default Apps, then to Navigation. This way, users can opt for a program like Google Maps or Waze to be automatically opened when you're getting directions.
This sounds like a useful update that lots of iPhone owners would appreciate. But not all of them will be able to take advantage. Default navigation choice will only be available in the EU. The change was previously noted by Apple earlier in the month as part of its broader response to the bloc's Digital Markets Act.
There are some preferences iPhone owners in the US can set for default programs. Currently, Americans get options for setting the to-go apps for email, messaging, calling, call filtering, browser, passwords and codes, contactless and keyboards. And they've been thrown a bone in iOS 18.4, with the added choice to set a default translation app.
Across the Atlantic, however European users can make more impactful choices around their Apple use. Most notably, they can use alternative app stores. Some features that were sparked by compliance with the Digital Markets Act have been rolled out in other markets, such as third-party access to the near-field communication that powers functions like tap-to-pay. Having an international consumer base will often lead to situations where different laws and regulations create different user experiences around the world. But at the rate EU users are getting a better experience, either initially or permanently, over Apple's home market, these instances are feeling more like an accepted strategy rather than edge cases.
iOS 18.4 is still in beta; the final version is expected to release in April.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/ios-184-introduces-a-new-default-navigation-app-choice-but-only-in-europe-223408294.html?src=rss
The Remote Desktop app for Windows is (almost) dead; long live the Windows app. Microsoft said on Monday that its legacy Remote Desktop client, which has already been replaced on other platforms, will no longer be supported on Windows after May 27, 2025. But you aren't losing any functionality here. You can still do tech support for your parents using built-in Windows functionality or the modern Windows app, which is somehow both the simplest and most confusing naming convention Microsoft's marketing team could have mustered.
"Starting May 27, 2025, the Remote Desktop app for Windows from the Microsoft Store will no longer be supported or available for download and installation," Microsoft's Hilary Braun wrote on its Windows IT Pro Blog. "Users must transition to Windows App to ensure continued access to Windows 365, Azure Virtual Desktop and Microsoft Dev Box."
The company says connections to Windows 365, Azure Virtual Desktop and Microsoft Dev Box via the Remote Desktop app from the Microsoft Store will be blocked in the Remote Desktop app on the app's expiration date of May 27. For all other users, it will continue working but will no longer be supported.
Increasing the confusion, Windows has a built-in Remote Desktop Connection app that will remain the only way to use Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) connections after May 27. But Microsoft will eventually incorporate that into the Windows app.
As Thurrot.com notes, Microsoft warned that it would eventually replace the Remote Desktop with the Windows app when the operating system's namesake app launched last fall. The new app even arrived as an update to the Remote Desktop client on Apple's App Store.
As for the, uh, interestingly named Windows app, the company likely chose that branding because it wants to move Windows increasingly to the cloud. Its Windows 365 service, introduced in 2021, even lets you stream a virtual version of the OS from any device. So, calling the unified app used to access cloud and remote PCs "Windows app" seems maybe slightly less bizarre from that angle.
Still, a Reddit thread from the Windows app's September launch held some entertaining reactions from the company's fans. "Microsoft needs to collect all the staff responsible for naming or renaming their products in the past 15 years and shoot them into the sun," u/AlignedHurdle posted. Meanwhile, u/Shoddy_Eye7866 seized an opportunity to use the Xzibit meme: "Yo dawg, I heard you like Windows, so I took Windows App and put in your Windows so you can Windows while you Windows."
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/microsoft-is-phasing-out-its-remote-desktop-app-in-may-211320714.html?src=rss
Apple is planning to dramatically rethink the look and feel of its operating systems with the introduction of the next version of iOS, iPadOS and macOS, according to Bloomberg.
The redesign is meant to make using the company's software more consistent, and will impact "the style of icons, menus, apps, windows and system buttons," Bloomberg writes. The changes may take loose inspiration from visionOS, the mixed-reality operating system of the Vision Pro. The headset featured a slightly different style from Apple's other software, with a focus on translucency, floating interface elements and rounded app icons.
As Bloomberg notes, Apple hasn't dramatically rethought the look of any of its software since iOS 7 and macOS Big Sur, so tweaks would be notable. When it was released in 2013, iOS 7 was the first version of the iPhone's operating system overseen by former Chief Design Officer Jony Ive, and when Big Sur came out in 2020, it was the first version of macOS to run iPad apps and work on Apple's custom silicon. There don't seem to be any equally big shifts paired with iOS 19, iPadOS 19 and macOS 16, beyond the company's ongoing work on Apple Intelligence, which isn't available in all of its apps yet.
Apple Intelligence was introduced alongside iOS 18 and includes a host of new AI-powered features for working with audio, images and text, on top of a revamped version of Siri that can use apps for you. Most of those features shipped — though not at launch — save for the new Siri, which Apple recently announced will now be available "in the coming year."
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/apple-is-reportedly-planning-a-major-redesign-for-ios-19-and-macos-16-202804091.html?src=rss
New Apple iOS 7 features are displayed on screen during Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2013 in San Francisco, California June 10, 2013. REUTERS/Stephen Lam (UNITED STATES - Tags: BUSINESS SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY)
1Password has announced a new feature that lets you assign a geolocation to items stored in your vault. At first glance, that might not seem like much: a new little box inside a mobile utility you use on occasion. But allow me to remind you of something many of us cannot get away from: Terrible yet semi-mandatory apps with awful names that sign you out just when you need them.
The Ticketmaster app, for example, will always be signed out right when you're coming up to the front of the line at the venue and the line suddenly starts moving faster. Or you will remember you have a discount or coupon inside a store or takeout joint's app, but you will remember this only after every item has been scanned, just as the eyes of those in line behind you start burning holes into your neck. The airline on which you are flying ensures you are not logged in right before you arrive at the airport, so you can spend a little more time at their self-service kiosk, holding your bags so they don't tip over while you log back in.
Can you get by without using these apps? Technically, yes. But they're quite handy in a pinch, and 1Password's newest feature actually does something to make them even more accessible.
Anyone looking for an alternative to Instagram might have a suitable candidate in Flashes, a recently launched app built on Bluesky that seems to get all the important basics right. Flashes technically launched on the App Store on February 24, but a series of updates released in the days after launch have made the app much easier to recommend.
If you remember an Instagram before Meta turned it into its Facebook replacement, you have the basic gist of what Flashes is. It's an app for sharing photos and videos, with some Bluesky-flavored wrinkles, like multiple custom feeds to choose from instead of Meta's algorithm-driven default option.
Ian Carlos Campbell for Engadget
When you first open Flashes you'll be prompted to login with a Bluesky account or create a new one to use exclusively with Flashes. If you use your existing account, the app essentially repackages image and video posts from whoever you're currently following into an Instagram-style feed. This setup also works in reverse: Any post you put on Flashes will also show up in your normal text-focused Bluesky feed.
The app itself features multiple tabs, with a home tab for your feeds, a search tab where you can search for posts and view trending topics, a dedicated tab for creating new posts, a notifications tab that features all of your Bluesky notifications and a profile tab. Flashes includes some filters to apply to your photos, along with some custom feeds that you can use if you want, but otherwise customizations are minimal. It's really an image and video-focused version of Bluesky. That comes with some annoying drawbacks, though. If you get a lot of Bluesky notifications, you'll now get them twice, once in the Bluesky app and once in Flashes. If you delete your account from one app, it will also be deleted from the other.
Ian Carlos Campbell for Engadget
Building a more customizable, portable version of social media that doesn't lock you to one platform is a big part of Bluesky's goal with the AT Protocol and what apps like Mastodon and Threads are trying to do with ActivityPub. It's not clear if one standard is going to become the default, but Bluesky has been picking up momentum. The app hit 20 million users in November 2024, prompting a dramatic expansion to its moderation efforts, and then passed 30 million users in January 2025. Flashes design means all of those new Bluesky accounts are potential Flashes users, too.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/flashes-an-instagram-alternative-based-on-bluesky-is-available-for-iphones-now-205946754.html?src=rss
Microsoft is making its Copilot AI assistant available as a Mac app. The native macOS app will offer access to the web-based version of the Microsoft tool. It's rolling out today in the US, the UK and Canada. In practice, the apps functionalities sound pretty much identical to the experience of going to the web version of Copilot. The real distinction is that the Mac app includes a keyboard shortcut for activating the AI assistant with Command + Space and it can be viewed in dark mode.
Earlier this week, Microsoft announced that it would make the Copilot features Voice and Think Deeper, which taps into OpenAI's o1 model, available to any users for free. Both moves seems aimed at broadening the company's audience for Copilot.
Big tech companies have a rocky history of trying to make their software available on rival hardware. Sometimes, it can take years for a service to be optimized for a different brand's exact specs. The arrival of a dedicated macOS app for Copilot, which is already out as an iPhone and iPad app, might be about as quick as Microsoft has ever brought a service to the Apple ecosystem.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/microsoft-launches-native-mac-app-for-copilot-235945829.html?src=rss
Adobe has launched a brand new Photoshop app for iPhones, which it's also releasing for Android later this year. While there's already a Photoshop Express for mobile, the company says the new app was "designed from the ground up" with more features and has an easy-to-use mobile interface. The app, which is free to download and use, comes with Photoshop's core imaging and design tools. Users can make selections, layers and masks in the app to combine or blend images. They can also replace parts of an image with the Tap Select tool, remove elements from a photo with the Spot Healing Brush and add new elements by using its generative AI tools, such as Generative Fill and Generative Expand.
Users will have access to free Adobe Stock assets and can link their apps with other Adobe applications, including Express, Lightroom and Fresco. Adobe is, as expected, offering premium upgrades to the app's capabilities for those willing to pay for the new Photoshop Mobile and Web plan. The $8-a-month service will add features to the app on mobile and iPad and will also include access to Photoshop on the web. Users who already have an existing Photoshop subscription, however, will also be able to enjoy the new Photoshop app's premium features.
The premium features included with the new plan include the ability to transition editing from Photoshop mobile to the web if a user needs a bigger screen or more precise controls. Users are also getting extra generative AI features, including Adobe Firefly's Generate Similar, which allows users to create new variations of an existing image. Subscribers will get access to 20,000 fonts, be able to make precise selections of people and objects with the Object Select too, isolate objects with the Magic Wand, erase elements with the Remove Tool, copy and clone certain elements with the Clone Stamp and fill portions of an image with Content-Aware Fill. They will also be able to control an image's transparency and lighten or darken certain areas of an image. The new app for iPhones is already available from the App Store worldwide.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/a-new-adobe-photoshop-app-is-coming-to-iphones-140003461.html?src=rss
The Amazon Appstore will no longer be available on Android as of August 20, 2025. After that date, apps from the digital storefront "are not guaranteed to operate" on Android hardware; however, they can continue to be used on devices like the Fire TV and Fire Tablets. The Coins program, Amazon's virtual currency for some Appstore app and in-app purchases, will also end on that same date. Coins will no longer be available for purchase beginning today.
The Appstore was Amazon's effort to get in on the app distribution game for Android. Third-party app stores have been a hot topic for the business world in recent years, with the owners of walled gardens insisting that everything is fair while the companies trying to get a share of the action for themselves insist that it's not. There have been mixed moves to address the question in the US government, while regions such as the EU have taken more decisive steps to increase competition.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/amazon-is-shutting-down-its-third-party-android-app-store-192047953.html?src=rss
DJI has unveiled two new smartphone gimbals, the Osmo Mobile 7 and 7P, with the latter offering native app tracking on both Android and iOS thanks to its "Multifunctional Module." That feature is clearly designed to rival Insta360's Flow 2 Pro, which until yesterday only offered native app tracking on iPhones via Apple's Dockkit.
The primary differences between the Osmo Mobile 7 and 7P is that the latter comes with the Multifunctional Module, while the Osmo Mobile 7 doesn't (though it can be purchased separately later if you change your mind). The Osmo Mobile 7P also has a built-in extension rod that's missing on the Osmo Mobile 7. With that said, the products look very similar and have the same folding design carried over from the Osmo Mobile 6. A key addition to both is that the tripod is now built in to the gimbal (just like on the Flow 2 Pro) so you no longer need to screw on an accessory like before.
Steve Dent for Engadget
DJI sent me the Osmo Mobile 7P to test, so I'll be referring to that product from now on. As with the Osmo Mobile 6, it's primarily designed as a three-axis gimbal to smooth out smartphone video better than your mobile device's built-in camera ever could, with the ability to shoot in both "Tilt Lock" and "FPV" modes for either steady or more dynamic footage. At the same time, you can control the gimbal's direction using the built-in joystick.
It also tracks subjects automatically, and that's where the Multifunctional Module comes in. On the Osmo Mobile 6, automatic subject tracking only worked with DJI's Mimo camera app. Now, with the new module connected to your smartphone, the Osmo Mobile 7P can track your subject automatically (with gesture control) in nearly any app on both Android devices and iPhones.
Here's how it works. The Multifunctional Module can be mounted either forward for the main camera or backward for the selfie camera. It's about the size of DJI's Mic 2, and has a built-in tracking camera along with an LED light. It also works as a receiver for DJI's Mic Mini wireless microphones.
Steve Dent for Engadget
With the module installed on the side of the gimbal and connected via a USB-C cable to your phone, just open your app of choice (I tried the native camera apps on an iPhone 16 and Pixel 7a, plus Zoom, Google Chat and Blackmagic Camera). Then, simply hold up your palm to the camera or have your subject do it and tracking will begin automatically, as indicated by a green light on the module — then hold up two fingers to start and stop recording. From there, you can move around while you vlog or conduct a video call, and the Mobile 7P will move to keep you in view. It works reliably with only minor lag provided you stay within the gimbal's range of motion.
Interestingly, Insta360 just released a similar module for its Flow 2 Pro gimbal called the AI Tracker that performs the same function. Up until now, native app tracking on the Flow 2 Pro only worked on iPhones via Apple's Dockkit function, so Android users were out of luck. Insta360's new module brings the same feature set to Android users, albeit at a cost of $40, or in a bundle with the Flow 2 Pro at $180.
That does beg the question as to whether DJI will introduce Dockkit support for the Osmo Mobile 7/7P, as it would allow iPhone users to get the tracking benefit of the module without having to pay for it. However, DJI is staying mum on that matter for now.
Steve Dent for Engadget
Other features on both gimbals include 10-hour battery life, and when the gimbal isn't in use, it works as a power bank to charge your phone. With the DJI Mimo app, tracking supports multiple people in a scene as well as pets, and you can easily switch subjects by tapping on the tracking box. The Mimo app also supports panoramic shooting, dynamic zoom and other intelligent functions, along with zoom/focus control via the side wheel, which also activates the fill light.
And of course, the Osmo Mobile 7P's Multifunctional Module works as a receiver for DJI's $59 Mic Mini transmitter, so if you have one of those, you'll get far better sound quality than you would from your phone alone — a big advantage over the Flow 2 Pro.
Given the rivalry with Insta360, the Osmo Mobile 7/7P is an interesting addition to DJI's lineup — particularly in light of the Flow 2 Pro's very similar new AI Module. The Osmo Mobile 7 ($89) and Osmo Mobile 7P ($149) are now available to order with shipping starting today. There's no word yet on pricing for OM 7 Series Tracking Kit when it's purchased separately.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cameras/djis-osmo-mobile-7p-gimbal-can-track-you-around-on-any-android-or-ios-camera-app-130037243.html?src=rss
