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Welcome to Indie App Spotlight. This is a weekly 9to5Mac series where we showcase the latest apps in the indie app world. If you’re a developer and would like your app featured, get in contact. Focus is a unique pomodoro timer app for iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and Apple Vision Pro that makes it easy to stay focused and develop productive working habits. If you...

WhatsApp for iPad has just launched on the App Store. For the first time ever, iPad users can get a native WhatsApp experience on Apple’s tablet. Here are the details. more…

The Mac app Arc set out to re-invent the web browser as an “internet computer” app – something which felt more personal and usable than mainstream browsers. Less than two years later, the company has announced that it’s discontinuing Arc in favor of a new app – Dia – which it is also pitching as the future of internet usage … more…

Welcome to Indie App Spotlight. This is a weekly 9to5Mac series where we showcase the latest apps in the indie app world. If you’re a developer and would like your app featured, get in contact. Apple Watch, allowing users to learn more about Apple Watch bands and keep track of their collection. more…

Adobe is giving its Creative Cloud All Apps plan a new name – Creative Cloud Pro – and a hefty bump in pricing. The annual plan will increase to $799.99 while the monthly cost now breaks $100. The company says users will get some new capabilities in return for the price bump, including unlimited access to some of the AI tools … more…

Welcome to Indie App Spotlight. This is a weekly 9to5Mac series where we showcase the latest apps in the indie app world. If you’re a developer and would like your app featured, get in contact. Untold Novel is an app built to help fiction writers get their ideas down in a pinch. It has a number of useful features, a cool design, and is available on...

A Coinbase hack has seen some customers tricked into sending funds to the attackers, with the company estimating that they suffered losses of somewhere between $180M and $400M. The attackers also stole personal data, after Coinbase refused to pay a ransom demand – instead reporting the hack to law enforcement, and offering a $20M reward for information on the perpetrators … more…

Airbnb is launching an all-new version of its iOS and Android app that’s designed for more than just booking great places to stay. The new app lets you enhance each trip with opportunities to make memories and enjoy unique experiences around your destination. That’s because Airbnb’s major app redesign supports a new initiative called Airbnb Services, a modern take on hotel amenities for the...

Good news: Hotel and concert apps and websites can no longer display misleading prices upfront, with hidden fees revealed only when you go to checkout. As of this week, the practice is illegal in the US. Amusingly, one of the biggest offenders – Ticketmaster – is trying to claim credit for complying with the law, acting as if it’s doing us a favor …...

SoundCloud is the latest company to run into trouble after quietly adding an AI clause to its terms and conditions. The clause appeared to allow the company to use subscriber work to train AI models … more…

Welcome to Indie App Spotlight. This is a weekly 9to5Mac series where we showcase the latest apps in the indie app world. If you’re a developer and would like your app featured, get in contact. CarStream for Twitch lets you listen to audio versions of Twitch streams on CarPlay, without needing to fiddle with your phone while driving. Think radio stations, but with Twitch livestreams. It...

Reddit has announced plans to fight back after a large-scale AI fraud was carried out against users of the highly popular Change My View subreddit. However, the company’s plans to take to fight AI bots may not be popular with users, as it could compromise the platform’s long-standing approach to privacy … more…

TikTok has told advertisers that it’s in the US to stay, stating that “we are here” and “are absolutely confident in our platform and confident in the future of this platform.” The statement came after Trump indicated that he would extend the current enforcement pause again if needed, despite that fact that this is probably unlawful … more…

Instacart has launched a new Fizz app aimed at Gen Z users. While the Instacart app is geared to food delivery, Fizz is all about booze and snacks. The company says it incorporates a number of features specifically geared to a younger demographic … more…

Welcome to Indie App Spotlight. This is a weekly 9to5Mac series where we showcase the latest apps in the indie app world. If you’re a developer and would like your app featured, get in contact. Finding a charging station for your electric vehicle can be a challenge sometimes. There’s a multitude of charging networks, varying charging connectors, and it can often be hard to find availability....

Raycast is a powerful Mac app that’s grown increasingly popular since its launch a few years ago. Now, for the first time, Raycast is available on iPhone too via the just-launched iOS app. Here are the details. more…

Welcome to Indie App Spotlight. This is a weekly 9to5Mac series where we showcase the latest apps in the indie app world. If you’re a developer and would like your app featured, get in contact. Ever wanted a cute pets game on your Apple Watch? Pixel Paws is the answer for you. It’s a fun and simple game where you can take care of digital pets...

Welcome to Indie App Spotlight. This is a weekly 9to5Mac series where we showcase the latest apps in the indie app world. If you’re a developer and would like your app featured, get in contact. Ping Pong Club is a realistic table tennis simulator for Apple Vision Pro. It supports spatial audio and offers dynamic lighting for an authentic gameplay experience. Despite relying solely on hand...

We’re currently seeing growing concern about the potentially harmful impact of things like social media usage by kids and teens, with many states and countries enacting laws to address this. Discord has responded by starting to use a mix of AI-powered face scans and ID checks in two specific scenarios … more…

For the past couple years, Apple has put a large emphasis on lock screen customization. But, have you ever wondered: what if I could easily create my own custom wallpaper on my iPhone? This new app has the answer for you. Deco makes personal wallpaper customization accessible and enjoyable for enthusiasts and everyday users, allowing you to express yourself in a big way that...

Every gaming platform has its own app for managing games, such as Apple’s Game Center, for example. But for those who have multiple consoles, GamePal is a great companion app that helps players keep track of their entire game library. more…

Welcome to Indie App Spotlight. This is a weekly 9to5Mac series where we showcase the latest apps in the indie app world. If you’re a developer and would like your app featured, get in contact. VoicePen is a native app for iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Vision Pro that transcribes your lectures, meetings, and any sort of speech into clear notes. All of the transcriptions run...

Earlier this year, The Iconfactory launched a new social feeds app called Tapestry. The app pulls together Bluesky, Mastodon, and other feeds into a unified timeline. And Tapestry’s latest addition, Crosstalk, solves an especially annoying quirk of our fractured social app landscape: duplicate posts. more…

Welcome to Indie App Spotlight. This is a weekly 9to5Mac series where we showcase the latest apps in the indie app world. If you’re a developer and would like your app featured, get in contact. Sofa is an easy-to-use app that helps keep you organized when you don’t have something to do. Everyone has some level of downtime, but often don’t plan things out. Social media...

A number of people are reporting that previously deleted iPhone apps are reappearing on their devices after upgrading to iOS 18.4. Some Reddit users are also claiming apps they have never installed have appeared on their iPhones … more…

Welcome to Indie App Spotlight. This is a weekly 9to5Mac series where we showcase the latest apps in the indie app world. If you’re a developer and would like your app featured, get in contact. Yumbox is an easy to use app that allows you to keep track of your favorite restaurants in your area. You can easily log all of your favorites, categorize them as...

While there may be debate about whether iOS 19 will be a UI revolution or evolution, there does seem to be a consensus view on app icons. Namely, that they are likely to switch from squircles – squares with rounded corners – to circles. Whether one looks better than the other is of course a matter of subjective judgement. But there is a small...

There’s no shortage of music-focused apps on the App Store, but one that’s long stood out among my favorites is MusicHarbor. Now, as part of a big version 5.0 update, the app supports a feature that Apple Music should have added years ago: news integration. Here’s why I think Apple News integration would be a perfect addition to not only the Music app but...

Welcome to Indie App Spotlight. This is a weekly 9to5Mac series where we showcase the latest apps in the indie app world. If you’re a developer and would like your app featured, get in contact. Queue aims to be the simplest podcasts app out there. It offers a clean interface, and all of your podcasts are kept in one neat vertical list. From that list, you...

I wrote last year about MagicMiles, a new app that helps users create entire travel itineraries using AI. With its latest update, MagicMiles is getting a much-requested feature: the ability to add transportation and lodging to the travel itinerary. more…

Gentler Streak, the Apple Design Awards-winning fitness and wellness app, is getting another update – this time to make the app even easier and more intuitive to use. After adding new Home Screen widgets with health metrics, Gentler Streak is now introducing a new For You tab that combines the user’s Streak with health information from the wellness section. more…

Foodnoms is a powerful nutrition tracking app that I’ve written about before. It’s designed to be fast and easy to use with a design that’s optimized perfectly for Apple platforms, including iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch. This week, Foodnoms is getting a big update with completely revamped Shortcuts integration. more…

Welcome to Indie App Spotlight. This is a weekly 9to5Mac series where we showcase the latest apps in the indie app world. If you’re a developer and would like your app featured, get in contact. Remind Me Faster is a nice companion app for Apple Reminders, helping you transcribe your thoughts into reminders as quickly as possible. It doesn’t replace Reminders, but instead makes it more...

The CEO of Roblox has responded to parental concerns about harmful content in the app by telling them they shouldn’t let their kids use it if they are worried … more…

A new WhatsApp message threads feature appears to be on the way, after it was discovered in an app beta. It follows a flurry of new features launched last month, comprising colorful chat themes, linked social media accounts, and ChatGPT support extending to images and voice messages … more…

Welcome to Indie App Spotlight. This is a weekly 9to5Mac series where we showcase the latest apps in the indie app world. If you’re a developer and would like your app featured, get in contact. Rovelist is a simple habit tracker app with a clean design, home screen widgets, and an intuitive interface. It’s available on iPhone, and provides everything you’d need to stay motivated and...

If you’re a heavy Mastodon user (or were a Twitter user back in the good old days), you’re probably familiar with Tapbots – the company behind the popular Ivory and Tweetbot apps. The developers now have some good news to share with Bluesky users, as they announced this week that they’ve been working on a new app for the platform. more…

Reddit posts will be less likely to break the rules of a given subreddit, thanks to a number of changes the company is introducing to its apps. These include the ability to ask an AI to check your post before you submit it … more…

Update: CNBC reports that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has dismissed its lawsuit against the three lead banks, as the White House downsizes the consumer rights agency. A high rate of Zelle scams originating from social media contacts has led JPMorgan Chase Bank to block payments made through social media networks and messaging apps. Chase said that Zelle was intended as a method of...

Digg – once known as “the homepage of the internet” – is making a come-back, after being bought by its co-founder Kevin Rose in partnership with Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian. It’s an interesting move given that Reddit was a competitor who pretty much inherited that “homepage of the web” accolade. Also ‘interesting’ is the pair’s belief that most moderation can be done by AI...

The UK’s privacy watchdog has announced a “major investigation” into the child protection measures of three popular apps: TikTok, Reddit, and Imgur. The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) said that it has previously succeeded in bringing about child protection changes on X, Sendit, BeReal, Daily Motion, and Viber … more…

Welcome to Indie App Spotlight. This is a weekly 9to5Mac series where we showcase the latest apps in the indie app world. If you’re a developer and would like your app featured, get in contact. Fluro provides a delightful recap of everything you’d need to know in a day, all in a neat Mac interface with a special LED scroller. It delivers the weather, your calendar...

Welcome to Indie App Spotlight. This is a weekly 9to5Mac series where we showcase the latest apps in the indie app world. If you’re a developer and would like your app featured, get in contact. Finma is a financial management app for your iPhone. It has a focus on user privacy and doesn’t require a connection to your bank account. It also features beautiful charts and...

Tripsy, a popular app to help users plan and organize their trips, has just received another major update with some useful new features. The new version of the app makes it easier for users to check their expenses in different currencies and also to see nearby places on a map. more…

A high rate of Zelle scams originating from social media contacts has led JPMorgan Chase Bank to block payments made through social media networks and messaging apps. Chase said that Zelle was intended as a method of transferring money to family, friends, and other trusted contacts, and should never be used to make online purchases … more…

Plans for a Reddit paywall of some kind have now been confirmed by CEO Steve Huffman, after hints about it last summer. Huffman confirmed the plan for paid subreddits during a pre-recorded Ask Me Anything video shown during the company’s earnings call … more…

Welcome to Indie App Spotlight. This is a weekly 9to5Mac series where we showcase the latest apps in the indie app world. If you’re a developer and would like your app featured, get in contact. Due Tomorrow is a students ultimate homework companion. It helps you manage your assignments, keep track of everything with reminders and calendar integration, and includes a neat little AI chatbot that...

Gentler Streak, one of the most popular fitness and wellness apps for Apple devices, has just been updated again. This time, the latest version of the app adds multiple new widgets with different health metrics, so that users can get an overview of their health right from their Home Screen. more…

My colleague Zac Hall yesterday shared the Mac apps he currently uses, and it got me thinking about the Mac apps and utilities I couldn’t live without. Some are major apps, like Final Cut Pro, but there are a bunch of utilities I use on a regular basis that I’d really miss if I didn’t have them … more…

It was discovered last year that location data for US military and intelligence personnel serving overseas was being sold by a Florida-based data broker, but the source of that sensitive data was unclear at the time. It’s now been revealed that the data was captured by a variety of mobile apps with revenue-sharing agreements with a Lithuanian ad-tech company, and then resold by an...