Category: Mobile & Apps

Facebook has introduced a new program, called ‘Creator Fast Track,’ aimed at assisting creators in expanding their presence on the platform. The initiative offers guaranteed pay and broader content reach to creators with established audiences on other platforms like Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube.

The program seeks to address creators’ concerns about transitioning to Facebook and building a new audience from scratch. Eligible creators can earn up to $3,000 per month by participating, and they also gain immediate access to Facebook’s content monetization tools, bypassing the regular criteria.

Yair Livne, VP of Creator Product at Facebook, highlighted the program’s goal to enhance creators’ visibility on the platform until they establish a robust presence. Facebook reports a significant increase in payouts to creators, totaling nearly $3 billion in 2025, marking a 35% surge from the previous year.

Source: TechCrunch

Palo Alto-based search engine Kagi is introducing its curated collection of human-authored websites, known as the ‘Small Web,’ to mobile devices via new apps for iOS and Android. This initiative aims to showcase over 30,000 non-commercial websites, including personal blogs, webcomics, and independent videos, offering an alternative to AI-dominated online content.

The ‘Small Web’ concept emphasizes individual creativity over corporate influence, harking back to the early days of the internet. Kagi’s efforts to highlight these unique websites began in 2023, with a focus on promoting such content in search results and through a dedicated platform. The recent expansion includes browser extensions, mobile apps, and category-based search filters, enhancing the user experience.

With features reminiscent of StumbleUpon, the ‘Small Web’ website presents users with a random selection of sites for serendipitous discovery, allowing them to navigate through different content categories. The new mobile apps and browser extensions enable users to personalize their browsing experience by selecting preferred content types and accessing distraction-free reading modes.

This move by Kagi aims to make lesser-known parts of the internet more visible and accessible, particularly in an era dominated by AI-generated content. By providing a platform for human creativity and expression, Kagi’s ‘Small Web’ apps offer users a unique and enriching browsing experience.

Source: TechCrunch

In a world where short video platforms like TikTok have reshaped streaming habits, Vurt emerges as a mobile-first vertical streaming platform catering to independent filmmakers. The platform, recently introduced, provides a space for indie filmmakers to showcase their micro-series and feature films in a format optimized for mobile viewing.

Vurt’s launch unveiled over 100 episodes of original micro-series, full-length films, and TV shows covering diverse genres, including works featuring renowned figures like Kevin Hart and Vivica A. Fox. With a commitment to weekly releases of fresh original content, Vurt aims to capture the growing audience preference for mobile-oriented storytelling.

Driven by the success of micro-drama platforms such as ReelShort and DramaBox, which have transitioned from niche to billion-dollar enterprises, Vurt enters a competitive space where bite-sized, engaging content thrives. The market’s appetite for tailored mobile content has also attracted major players like TikTok, further intensifying the competition. Vurt’s unique content distribution model, allowing creators to directly submit their work, sets it apart from traditional streaming services, streamlining the process for filmmakers.

Source: TechCrunch

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, has introduced new tools to combat impersonation and improve content authenticity on the platform. Following concerns about Facebook’s content quality, Meta aims to empower creators by enhancing reporting capabilities for impersonators and tightening guidelines on original content.

Last year, Meta initiated efforts to curb spammy and unoriginal content, focusing on elevating original creator content and reducing AI-generated posts. These measures have led to a significant increase in views and engagement with original content on Facebook.

With the removal of 20 million accounts impersonating creators last year and a 33% decrease in impersonation reports targeting prominent creators, Meta is demonstrating its commitment to creator protection.

Meta is now testing improved content protection tools that enable creators to report unauthorized reposts more efficiently. While the current tool primarily detects duplicate content, Meta acknowledges the need to address unauthorized use of creators’ likeness in the future.

Facebook’s approach to content authenticity aligns with industry trends, as platforms like YouTube also bolster their defenses against AI-driven deepfakes. By prioritizing original creator content and combatting impersonation, Meta seeks to maintain Facebook’s appeal as a creator-friendly platform.

Source: TechCrunch

At the recent SXSW conference, Spotify co-CEO Gustav Söderström announced a new beta feature that allows users to review and modify their Taste Profile, a data-driven representation of their music preferences. This update marks the first time Spotify listeners can directly influence their personalized playlists, such as Discover Weekly, Made For You recommendations, and Spotify Wrapped.

Initially launching in New Zealand for Premium subscribers, the new tool enables users to access and adjust their listening data within the app, covering music, podcasts, and audiobooks. By fine-tuning their Taste Profile, individuals can tailor their music suggestions by indicating preferences for specific vibes or genres. The app’s home page will subsequently reflect these personalized changes, offering a refreshed array of recommendations.

Previously, Spotify provided limited options for users to modify their Taste Profile, restricting alterations to excluding certain tracks or playlists. This enhanced feature now grants more comprehensive control over customization, addressing past user feedback about recommendation accuracy. By empowering users to curate their music preferences, Spotify aims to deliver a more tailored and enjoyable listening experience.

Source: TechCrunch

Peacock, the streaming platform, is set to enhance mobile entertainment with a blend of AI-driven experiences, casual gaming, and vertical video content. The recent unveiling showcased a diverse range of features aimed at engaging audiences on their smartphones.

One notable addition is the ‘Your Bravoverse’ feature, tailored for Bravo fans. By curating short clips from over 5,000 hours of Bravo content into personalized playlists, viewers are immersed in a unique viewing experience. This feature integrates a generative AI avatar of Andy Cohen, adding a personalized touch to the content narration.

Peacock leverages computer vision and AI algorithms to identify pivotal moments and storylines within its library, offering viewers over 600 billion potential viewing combinations. This strategic use of AI storytelling on Bravo’s dedicated fanbase demonstrates Peacock’s approach to enhancing user engagement.

This move signifies Peacock’s commitment to leveraging technology to redefine the landscape of mobile entertainment, catering to evolving consumer preferences and behaviors. By integrating AI, gaming elements, and vertical video content, Peacock aims to establish itself as a leader in the streaming industry.

Source: TechCrunch

A new web app called Channel Surfer is offering a nostalgic experience for YouTube viewers, reminiscent of cable TV in the ’90s. Developed by London-based creator Steven Irby, Channel Surfer allows users to browse through various channels presenting engaging YouTube videos in a retro TV guide interface.

The app features 40 custom-built channels at launch, covering a range of topics including news, politics, sports, lifestyle, music, and tech-focused content like AI & ML, Code & Dev, Space, Retro Tech, Tech & Gadgets, and Gaming.

By emulating the channel surfing feature, users can seamlessly transition between videos mid-stream, similar to flipping channels on traditional television. The guide also previews upcoming content across all channels and schedules programming for the next 24 hours, providing a unique blend of live TV familiarity and on-demand video selection.

This approach to YouTube viewing aims to address the challenge of decision fatigue caused by algorithm-driven recommendations. According to Steven Irby, the inspiration behind Channel Surfer stemmed from a desire to recreate the serendipitous discovery of content without the burden of choice, reminiscent of the carefree channel surfing experience.

Channel Surfer taps into the growing trend of curated linear streaming services like Plex, Pluto TV, and Tubi, offering viewers a curated lineup of live channels for continuous entertainment. As YouTube continues to dominate the streaming landscape, Channel Surfer provides an alternative for users seeking a more traditional viewing experience.

Source: TechCrunch

Tinder has announced a series of tech-driven updates aimed at improving its platform and attracting a younger user base. Backed by Match Group’s investment in product development, Tinder’s latest enhancements include in-person events, AI advancements, and a virtual speed dating feature.

The Events tab, set to launch in Los Angeles, will enable users to discover local activities like speakeasies, bowling, and pottery classes to connect with matches offline. This move caters to Gen Z’s preference for authentic real-world interactions, aligning with the broader trend of dating apps exploring in-person experiences.

Hillary Paine, Tinder’s senior vice president of product, emphasized the company’s focus on merging social and dating aspects to create a more community-oriented user experience. By integrating events into the platform, Tinder aims to meet younger users where they already spend time, blending dating and socializing.

Tinder is also introducing AI enhancements to refine the matching algorithm and enhance user safety, striving to offer a more engaging and secure environment for its community. These updates represent the platform’s commitment to innovation and adapting to evolving user preferences in the competitive online dating landscape.

Source: TechCrunch

Substack, the popular publishing platform known for newsletters, has expanded its offerings with the launch of the Substack Recording Studio. This new feature allows creators to pre-record and publish videos directly on the platform, enhancing the multimedia experience for both creators and audiences.

The Substack Recording Studio, currently available on desktop only, enables creators to produce solo videos or engage in conversations with up to two guests. Additional features include the ability to add custom watermarks, share screens with co-hosts, and automatically generate clips and thumbnails for easy sharing.

In a recent blog post, Substack highlighted the convenience of the Recording Studio, consolidating various video creation tools into a single platform. The company noted that creators who incorporated audio or video content on Substack in the past 90 days experienced a 50% faster revenue growth compared to those who didn’t.

While Substack has traditionally been associated with newsletters, its focus on video content has been steadily increasing. With the introduction of features like livestreaming, monetization options for videos, and now the Recording Studio, Substack is positioning itself as a comprehensive platform for creators looking to explore multimedia content.

Furthermore, Substack’s recent launch of a TV app reflects the growing trend of consuming longer-form video content on television screens. By expanding its reach to platforms like Apple TV and Google TV, Substack aims to provide viewers with a seamless video experience across different devices.

As the digital landscape continues to evolve, Substack’s investments in video capabilities demonstrate its commitment to empowering creators with diverse multimedia tools and opportunities for audience engagement.

Source: TechCrunch

AltStore PAL, an alternative app store for iOS, has integrated with the fediverse, an open social web platform enabled by ActivityPub, as reported by TechCrunch. This integration allows iOS developers to share app updates and alerts across platforms like Mastodon, Threads, and other apps that support the fediverse.

The fediverse is a network where users on independent servers can communicate across various social platforms. AltStore PAL has become the first federated app marketplace by launching its own Mastodon server. This provides developers with a unique channel to share news, updates, and alerts about their apps. These posts are federated, enabling interactions from users on platforms like Mastodon, Threads, and Bluesky.

AltStore PAL’s co-founder, Riley Testut, explained that users with Mastodon or Bluesky accounts can now follow app updates directly from the Mastodon server, enhancing the discoverability of new releases. The platform aims to create a seamless experience where interactions on these posts reflect on the AltStore PAL app, allowing users to engage with app updates within the marketplace.

Initial participants include apps like Loops, PeerTube, and iPhanpy, showcasing the diverse range of federated apps already involved in this approach.

Source: TechCrunch

WhatsApp has unveiled a new feature offering parent-supervised accounts for users under 13 years old. These accounts are restricted to messaging and calling functionalities, with no ads directed towards them. Despite WhatsApp’s age rating of 13+ on app stores, the platform recognized the use of its service by pre-teens and responded to parental feedback by implementing this safeguard.

Setting up a pre-teen account requires the parent or guardian to authenticate via QR code using both their own and the child’s device. Parents can customize alerts for the managed account’s actions, such as adding or blocking contacts, with default alerts for such activities. Additionally, optional activity alerts can be enabled for actions like profile changes, group interactions, and message deletions, all secured with a six-digit PIN.

WhatsApp clarified that these managed accounts will not access advanced features like Meta AI, Channels, or Status updates, and are unable to activate disappearing messages for individual chats. The platform assured users that all communications remain end-to-end encrypted and private, emphasizing the protection of pre-teen users.

Pre-teens will be notified via context cards about messages from unknown contacts, providing details on the sender’s association with existing contacts for added security.

Source: TechCrunch

TikTok has announced a new feature in collaboration with Apple Music that allows Apple Music subscribers to play full songs without leaving the TikTok app. This partnership enables users who discover a track they enjoy on TikTok to simply tap a ‘Play Full Song’ button and seamlessly listen to the complete song via Apple Music.

Recognized for its influence on music trends and viral hits, TikTok aims to streamline the transition from discovering music to engaging in a deeper listening experience. Notably, this integration is exclusive to Apple Music, as TikTok does not support full song playback from other streaming platforms like Spotify.

The functionality is powered by Apple’s MusicKit, ensuring that users access full-length songs directly through Apple Music, thereby compensating artists for their streams. Additionally, TikTok and Apple Music are introducing a ‘Listening Party’ feature, enabling fans to enjoy real-time listening sessions with their favorite artists while engaging in social interactions.

These new features are set to roll out globally in the following weeks, enhancing TikTok’s position as a hub for music discovery and engagement. This development underscores TikTok’s significant impact on the music industry, prompting innovations that foster immersive and interactive music experiences.

Source: TechCrunch

Kalshi, a prediction market platform, has introduced a new sharing feature that enables users to seamlessly integrate prediction market charts into Meta’s social network, Threads. This integration aims to facilitate discussions around various topics, from entertainment predictions to real-time events, allowing users to engage with the forecasts provided by Kalshi.

The addition of the share button reflects Kalshi’s strategic approach to enhance user engagement and social connectivity on its platform. This feature aligns with the industry trend of leveraging social media integration to reach a broader audience and foster active discussions among prediction market users.

Despite recent challenges faced by Kalshi, including the loss of its affiliate status on a major platform, the introduction of the sharing feature signifies a positive development for the platform’s user interaction capabilities. This enhancement not only simplifies the sharing process but also reinforces Kalshi’s position as a competitive player in the prediction market arena.

As Kalshi continues to adapt to evolving trends in social networking and prediction markets, the integration of the share option underscores the platform’s commitment to providing a seamless user experience and facilitating active discussions among its community.

Source: TechCrunch

Google has responded to user feedback by introducing a new toggle feature in its Google Photos app. This feature allows users to switch back to the classic search experience instead of the AI-powered ‘Ask Photos’ option. The ‘Ask Photos’ feature, launched in the U.S. in 2024, enabled users to search their photos using natural language queries, but some users found it less accurate and slower than the traditional search method.

Following complaints about the AI-powered search, Google has made it easier for users to control their search experience. By adding a toggle button on the search screen, users can now disable the AI search and view results in the classic format. Despite this change, Google will still prioritize displaying the most relevant results for each query.

Google Photos lead Shimrit Ben-Yair acknowledged users’ desire for more control over search results and emphasized the company’s commitment to enhancing the search experience based on feedback. She mentioned that improvements have been made to popular searches to address user concerns.

Google’s decision to provide users with the option to switch between search experiences highlights the importance of user feedback in shaping technology products. This move aims to offer users a more personalized and satisfactory search experience within Google Photos.

Source: TechCrunch

An initiative led by a coalition of telecom operators, device manufacturers, and industry groups aims to introduce $40 smartphones into the market, gaining momentum. The objective is to make affordable smartphones more accessible, potentially bringing an additional 20 million people online, particularly in developing markets where internet-enabled devices remain prohibitively expensive.

At the recent Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, the GSMA, in partnership with major African mobile operators like Airtel, Ethio Telecom, and Orange, along with smartphone makers, announced plans to pilot ultra-low-cost 4G devices in six African markets: the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda.

Alix Jagueneau, the head of external affairs at GSMA, stated that the $30–$40 price range is a target based on affordability research. However, the initiative faces challenges due to rising component costs, particularly in memory, which are critical factors influencing the final pricing of the devices.

While the initiative is in its early stages, with ongoing commercial discussions between mobile operators and manufacturers, the focus remains on bridging the digital divide by making smartphones more affordable. The success of this endeavor could significantly impact connectivity and access to digital services for millions of individuals.

Source: TechCrunch