iOS apps

Anonymous question app Sendit deceived children and illegally collected their data, FTC alleges

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) filed a complaint against Sendit, an anonymous question app that became popular with Gen Z and younger, for unlawfully collecting children’s data, deceiving users about who sent them messages, and tricking users into buying memberships. On Sendit, users — who are mostly teens — can send each other anonymous questions […]

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As people look for ways to make new friends, here are the apps promising to help

In recent years, people have been increasingly looking for new ways to form platonic connections, as loneliness and social isolation have become more prevalent. In 2023, the U.S. Surgeon General went so far as to label this issue a public health crisis. Remote workers, who miss the everyday interactions found in an office, and younger

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Airbuds is the music social network Apple and Spotify wish they had built

A new social network has been quietly blowing up with Gen Z and younger, and it’s not from Meta. San Francisco-based Airbuds offers a mobile, social app that lets people express themselves through their music. Users can share what they’re streaming with friends through a smartphone widget that works with a range of streaming services.

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Awake’s new app requires heavy sleepers to complete tasks in order to turn off the alarm

A new iOS app called Awake, designed specifically for heavy sleepers who must complete missions to turn off their alarms, launched Monday. The app is only available to users with the iOS 26 update, which also came out on Monday.  Unlike traditional alarm clocks that can be silenced with a simple tap, Awake is intended

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Substack writers can now direct US readers to (often cheaper) web-based subscriptions on iOS

Newsletter subscription platform Substack will begin taking advantage of an option on the U.S. App Store that allows users to make purchases outside of Apple’s in-app purchasing system. This functionality is permitted by a change to the App Store’s rules in May, as a result of Epic Games’ antitrust lawsuit against the tech giant. Since

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Photo-sharing app Locket is banking on a new celebrity-focused feature to fuel its growth

Locket, the photo-sharing app that allows users to share images with friends that are then displayed on their home screens as widgets, wants to stay on your radar, and it’s enlisting the help of celebrities. Locket emerged as a competitor to BeReal when it launched in 2022, offering a more authentic way to connect with

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Design and development shop the Iconfactory is selling some apps —and AI is partially to blame

At one point, an app called Twitterrific was one of the most popular iPhone apps for browsing Twitter. These days, the company behind that app, and the many apps that followed, is struggling. And AI may partially be to blame. On Wednesday, the company known as the Iconfactory admitted it was at a crossroads and

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Ahead of WWDC, Apple says App Store blocked $2B in fraud transactions last year, $9B in past 5 years

Apple on Tuesday announced new figures related to its App Store’s ability to protect app developers and consumers from fraud. The company said it has prevented more than $9 billion in fraudulent transactions over the past five years. In 2024, Apple stopped $2 billion in fraudulent transactions and blocked nearly 2 million risky app submissions

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