WhatsApp has announced that it's going to support usernames, so you don't have to give out your phone number to people you've just met.

The company explains that you might not want to hand over your number to a new group you're joining, so suggests that the usernames will allow for more privacy. People won't know your number, just that username you decided to pick.

That means they can't lift your number out of WhatsApp and start calling you, or sending your messages though another service that uses the same number. Equally, malicious users won't be able to add your phone number to a database, saving you from a stream of spam calls.

While the feature won't go live for some time, WhatsApp is instead pushing the idea that you can reserve your username now, ready for later in the year. It has even teamed up with Anthony Joshua to make a fun video, focusing on choosing that perfect name.

Therein lies the problem. Brands, organisation and "creators" will be able to claim their username from Instagram or Facebook, so that people can't claim that name and use it for their own purposes, which makes sense.

On the flip side, those creators whose number you'd never know, will then be contactable via that name, which should be easy to figure out. So to further protect users, you'll need to know their PIN – or username key – to contact that person.

There will be no directory or listing according to WhatsApp – you'll have to know that person's username, but equally, it's going to be fairly easy to share or guess usernames and I'm sure those not using the PIN function will be targeted by bot spam.

While existing brands and high profile individuals will be able to claim their name, there are sure to be plenty of impersonations, for example, swapping letters for numbers so that at first glance a username looks safe. In this instance, there's no number to fall back on, giving spammers additional anonymity.

Then we have to consider that WhatsApp has 3.3 billion monthly active users, all of whom will be scrabbling to get their perfect username. With this being a gradual roll-out, some users are already doing so while others wait. Just like trying to get your name on Gmail, only a few will be lucky.

So don't delay: if you're an active WhatsApp user you'll have to move fast to get the username you want.

How to reserve your WhatsApp username

The process is simple:

1. Open WhatsApp and tap on Settings
2. Then tap Account
3. Here you'll find Username

Because it's a phased roll-out, you'll get a notification in WhatsApp when it's available in your country.

Amazon has released a new Kindle app for Windows 11, allowing Kindle users to keep reading Kindle ebooks on their PC.

There has been a Kindle desktop app for a number of years, but this older version is being discontinued with the new Windows 11 version taking its place. According to Good Ereader, it's compatible with both Windows 11 and Windows 10.

It will allow for the customisation of the page, so you can adjust the font, colour, margins and so on to get comfortable text on the screen, just like on your Kindle.

You can use lookup functions to explore characters, words or places, with Wikipedia integration and a built-in dictionary.

You'll be able to keep track of reading progress and sync that across all of your devices, one of the advantages of reading on the Kindle platform. It also allows you to drag and drop other documents, with syncing to other devices too.

The new app supports Kindle ebooks, as well as graphic novels, with support for Comixology Guided View.

It is supposed to be available in the US and UK first, but I found that it was listed as unavailable in the UK, suggesting it needs a little longer to come online. The old Kindle app will stop working on 30 June.

What's next for Kindle?

Amazon's Kindle family has widened its scope in recent years. While ebooks are still very much the focus for the normal Kindle and Paperwhite editions, the advent of Colorsoft has opened the door to more content types, especially those with illustrations that benefit from colour.

The latest addition to the family is the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft, which offers a larger display with support for writing, while also being able to display colour content from things like graphic novels.

For many, Kindle remains about the original experience where I think that the Paperwhite is the best overall option, while the reception for colour devices has been somewhat muted, thanks to the original high cost and the drop in performance when viewing colour content.

While Amazon seems fairly settled with its current line of Kindle devices, there could be a change to support user-replaceable batteries, although this model might only be available in Europe.

Otherwise, many Kindle fans are still mourning the sad demise of the Kindle Oasis, with the current Kindle line-up lacking any models with page turn buttons.

Apple will hold its WWDC 2026 keynote address at 10am PDT (6pm BST) on Monday 8 June, and while the company is holding its cards to its chest on what we can expect, a couple of invites and images have been posted to give us a clue or two.

The main press and developer invite shows a couple of glowing rings around the WWDC26 logo, while another logo for the keynote is animated – giving us a glimpse of a swift with a glowing, Liquid Glass-like effect. That one is accompanied by the tagline "coming bright up".

Apple never chooses its event imagery by accident – it almost always gives us a hint on what it plans to announce. But figuring out the clues is often tricky.

Looking at the glowing circles first, there is some that think it refers to the new-look for Siri.

Apple's assistant will be undergoing a major facelift this year, with a new Gemini-powered AI engine driving it, and there is thought that it will be primarily housed in the Dynamic Island on iPhones.

The circles could therefore appear on the left-hand side of the Island – offsetting the camera lens on the right.

As for the second invite, it shows a swift (not a dove, as some have incorrectly reported) that also glows and looks very much like a Liquid Glass element.

Apple has used the swift logo before – for the WWDC 24 invite – and it directly refers to the company's universal Swift programming language for iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS and watchOS. This is a developer conference, after all.

The swift also appears on the dedicated app icon.

More intriguing is the tagline. When combined with the glowing circles, "coming bright up" certainly points to some kind of glow or lighting enhancement. Or it could just refer to a brighter future for Siri and Apple Intelligence.

Either way, we'll find out for sure in just a couple of weeks, when the keynote kicks off.

And we'll undoubtedly have more speculation on what to expect before then, anyway.

The stage is set for Google's annual I/O keynote, following on from last week's Android Show, when the tech giant revealed more about its Googlebook – set to rival Apple's MacBook Neo.

We'll be covering the keynote live – it starts at 10:00 PDT, so 13:00 EDT and 18:00 BST in the UK – but ahead of all the biggest Android 17 announcements, we'll be trawling through the rumours and Google's latest events to shape up a fuller picture of expectations.

Android 17 is the biggie, of course, with detailed information expected to be revealed regarding what's coming for 2026's best Android phones. But there'll be plenty more, with Gemini no doubt centre stage, and Android XR advancements are also a hot topic.

So strap in, follow along, as we bring you all the Google I/O latest live throughout the day. It's a must for Android fans, but surely there'll be "and another thing" as further icing on the Android cake. Google's official I/O YouTube is embedded below:

The biggest Google I/O headlines so far

• Google I/O: The 3 biggest announcements we expect
• Your Samsung Galaxy S26 just got Android 17 already – how to get it

Setting expectations

Last week we wrote about Google I/O incoming – and the 3 biggest announcements we're expecting to see come out of the keynote.

"Gemini, Gemini, Gemini," could count for all three, but, no, there'll be more too. Android XR is due extra time, given the expectation of new Samsung Galaxy Glasses. Aluminium OS surely will get featured, too, given the recent reveal of Googlebook.

Android is still all about widgets

Android is 18 years old and widgets are still very much the focus. As Dieter Bohn announced at The Android Show last week, Gemini Intelligence will be able to create custom widgets.

I remember the launch of early Android phones. One groundbreaking device I reviewed at the time was the HTC Hero. That really made Android feel usable - and that phone was famous for its widgets.

Nearly two decades have passed, but simple widgets are still really useful.

Google I/O is 18 years old

While we're talking about history, let's talk about the history of Google I/O. The first I/O event was held in 2008. What does I/O mean? You'll think that it just means "input / output" from the I/O that's common in computing. Well, it's more complicated than that. I/O also means "innovation in the open", which is a bit of corporate marketing spiel - but the actual origins are a lot geekier.

Google has previously explained that I/O actually comes from the origins of Google's name - googol. "A googol is a one, followed by 100 zeroes, so that's where the I/O name and logo came from. We just took the first one and zero, and we left off all the other zeroes. It all goes back to Google," explained Lorin Platto, director of events at Google.

Are we going to hear more about Android 17?

Android 17 is well in development and even brands like Samsung are now running the Android 17 beta. While the software itself might not bring many changes - Material 3 Expressive was a huge redesign just recently - it's the features that might come with it that we're more interested in.

The Android Show has already talked about Gemini Intelligence and the huge change that's going to bring, while also confirming easier sharing between Android and iPhone, easier device switching and encryption in RCS messaging between platforms.

That means that Google has got some of the news out of the way - perhaps we'll get to hear when Android 17 will arrive for Pixel devices later today.

It's always good to take a break

I'm not suggesting you take a break from our Google I/O live coverage, but Google recently made an announcement to help you stop doomscrolling. It's called Pause Point.

This is an intervention from your phone to ask why you're opening a distracting app and give you time to reconsider, rather than just letting you doomscroll for hours. We're living in an attention economy where apps want to grab and hold your attention and this feature could be a useful intervention.

Let's recap on Android XR

Google, Samsung and Qualcomm were really public about their collaboration on Android XR, Google's latest attempt to crack face computing. You'll remember Google Glass skydived into Google I/O in 2012 as the company's first attempt at smart glasses, before Google Cardboard appeared in 2014 as a crack at affordable VR.

Now we're in the era of Galaxy XR running on the Android XR platform - with the expectation that we'll see real products at Google I/O in the smart glasses format. Meta has held the lead for too long with Ray-Ban and we're expecting to hear from Xreal with Project Aura and the partnerships with Gentle Monster and Warby Parker driven by Samsung. Android XR could be about to hit the mainstream.

It might be that Samsung's own brand Galaxy Glasses follow later in the year.

How is Google going to deliver agentic AI?

Agentic AI is the talk if the AI world. This is what takes the current question and answer chatbots that we all know - like Gemini - and makes them more useful as a personal assistant by giving them agentic powers. What is agentic AI? It's the ability of the AI to act as an "agent" on your behalf to get things done.

Currently Gemini can do things like create appointments from a list and add them to a calendar, but Google has broader ambitions for agentic AI. While Gemini Intelligence sounds great, we've also heard about something called Remy.

Think of Remy like a really, really, advanced version of Microsoft Clippy, using Gemini powers to become a proper personal AI assistant. Remy is all about getting things done for you, with task lists you can monitor to check progress. There's going to be a lot to consider around trust, privacy and control here.

What are you looking out for most during Google I/O?

There are plenty of rumours on what we can expect later – plus a few confirmations – but what are you hoping to find out more on the most?

We'd like to know your thoughts on the possible keynote announcements. Just choose the option below that most piques your interest. The answers will be revealed shortly before the event starts.

The Google I/O Keynote is just the start

We're going to be covering the Google I/O Keynote and tracking the biggest announcements right here, but that's just the start - a lot more detail emerges during the sessions of the actual I/O conference over the coming days.

That's where learn more about some of those big announcements, with sessions dedicated to Android, Chrome, Google AI and more. We're going to be follow Google I/O beyond the Keynote, to learn as much about what Google has in store for its users in the future.

Apple sends invites to WWDC on Google's big day, but these are different times

Hi, news editor Rik Henderson here for a while with additional pre-show thoughts and rumours.

First up, it's not exactly coincidental that Apple chose today to send out invites to its own developer conference starting on 8 June. Its keynote address will kick off at a similar time too – 10am PDT (6pm BST).

However, we might actually get a brief tease on at least one thing it's set to detail – the new Siri. That's because at the start of the year, Apple and Google penned a partnership for Gemini and Google servers to help bolster Apple's own AI services. Maybe there'll be a mention at I/O.

It might be time to upgrade your Android phone

We've seen a lot of rumours around Google's new systems and software, but one is more worrying than others.

It has been reported that some of the Gemini Intelligence features we'll learn more about during I/O might be restricted to certain handsets – those that are powerful enough to run them. And that could rule out the phone you own right now.

It is even being claimed that the more intensive capabilities will be locked to the most recent phones only, with some devices just a year old missing out. We'll hopefully find out more in just a few hours.

Google Home Display on its way?

As well as the likes of Android 17, Gemini Intelligence and Android XR, it has been rumoured recently that Google could debut a new "Google Home Display".

Potentially replacing the Nest Hub, the new smart device is said to be designed around Gemini (of course) and be the central controller for your entire smart home.

It's rare for Google to unveil new hardware during an I/O keynote, but we would be surprised if it wasn't mentioned, at least.

A veritable AI-fest

Let's face it, this year's Google I/O keynote is likely to be jam-packed with mentions of both "AI" and "Gemini". So much so, in fact, that you'd likely be rushed to hospital if you played a drinking game during it.

But rather than neck a tequila shot every time, as a bit of fun just let us know how many times you think Google will mention either "AI" or "Gemini" during its presentation on the slider below.

We're an hour out and excitement is building

The Google I/O 2025 Keynote kicks off at 10am PST / 6pm BST, so there's only an hour to go until showtime. So what's happened in the last hour? We're starting to see pictures from inside the auditorium as attendees start to file in. But online, we're also seeing people sharing the newly-updated Gemini app that some are getting access to. The reception seems positive so far.

What are we expecting from Google I/O?

Just recently I talked about the three announcements I was expecting from Google I/O. As we tick down to kick off - can we call it that? It's a World Cup year after all - here's what I'm expecting.

Gemini across everything. Not only a more powerful Gemini with a redesigned UI, but integrated everywhere and pulling everything together - Android, Android XR, desktop app, iOS, Googlebook, Android Auto and home devices.

New hardware is rare at Google I/O so I don't think we'll see the Pixel 11, but we've had hardware teased at I/O in the past, like Pixel Tablet. What we're all waiting for is a Google Googlebook, new Home hardware to bring Gemini in to rival Alexa, and advancements on the Nest front.

I think the hardware will appear with a detailed dive into Android XR: we know it's coming in 2026, it's a relatively new platform with big partners, so smart glasses without a screen would be my guess, with a tease of what can be done in Android XR with display glasses too.

AI tools will have some focus with the enhanced powers of Veo Omni already leaking out, but there's also Google Search and the advance in AI there, Google's Workspace apps and other Google properties.

But above all, I think we're going to be shown what Google continues to do with AI and the opportunities it represents for problem solving and productivity.

Just a few minutes to go

Hopefully you've taken a comfort break and refilled your giant Stanley cup to keep you hydrated through the Keynote, which you can watch on YouTube embed above. The Keynote is expected to last about 1 hour and 45 minutes.

Hopefully you also have your Google I/O Bingo card at the ready. I just asked Gemini what it should include, and shared it above.

And we're off with the Google I/O 2026 Keynote

As we get going it's Chris Hall on the live blog here, bringing you all the details as Sundar Pichai takes to the stage to open up the show.

We've just seen an inspirational video about Gemini, showing how Gemini can help everyone out in a huge range of different ways.

We open straight into talking about AI

Sundar Pichai opens the show, reminding us that it's 10 years since the company made the pivot to be AI first. The uptake of AI has been huge over the last year, with over 19 billion tokens processed each minute. It's mostly numbers at the moment.

Pichai tells us that AI Mode in Search is growing fast and that over 900 million people are using the Gemini app each month.

The first real announcement drops with Ask YouTube so you can use natural language to search YouTube, with roll-out expected in the US in summer.

Google wants to speed up document creation

We've been treated to a live demo though Gemini Live, showing that it's a much faster experience and making real-time changes to created Docs. It does look super fast, drawing from a number of documents to show off Gemini's multi-model skills, while removing the need to copy and paste the content into a Google Doc. You say what you want, you get a Doc at the end of it, perfect for drafting things.

Gemini Omni is official

Omni leaked recently as Google's next-gen video creation tool and Google says that it understand physics much better to create much better videos. Omni allows you use your own videos and edit them - using voice commands - the demo looks really powerful and easy.

It means you don't need all those graphical effects from editing software - Omni will be able to do it. Omni Flash is coming to the Gemini app straight away - with Omni Pro coming in the future.

Deepfake detection in the spotlight

Google is expanding its SynthID tool to detect AI created content. That will allow users to easily check if an image has been created or manipulated with AI. Content needs to be tagged, but Google has confirmed that Nvidia and OpenAI have both signed up, which should lead to greater transparency with images online.

If you've used Google Lens to examine images in the past, you'll be able to get an AI check in the same way.

Agentic AI comes to life in Gemini Spark

This is what we've been waiting for - Gemini Spark. This is a personal AI agent that will carry out tasks for you - probably what was called Remy in earlier leaks. It's powered by Gemini 3.5 and it runs on private Google Cloud servers in the background, so it will keep working even when you're not.

It's divided into tasks and allows you to manage what Spark is doing for you. Spark will carry out complex tasks, the example is planning a block party. It can create a spreadsheet to track replies, it can auto-update Docs and it can be tasked to do things like track the RSVPs and email reminders - while also compiling who is bringing what.

Spark works in desktop and mobile so everything is synced. Spark can act like a second brain - you can just talk to it, a bit like telling a personal assistant what you want. It's coming next week to Google AI Ultra subscribers first.

It will also come to Chrome to act as an agentic assistant directly from your browser.

Search expanding with new AI Search box

AI Mode is controversial for those who depend on traditional search results - and AI Mode is now getting an update. Use is doubling every quarter according to Google, probably because it's hard to avoid.

There's a new intelligent Search box, including AI suggestions for what you want to search for. You can search with images, files and voice, with the new Search experience rolling out today.

By combining with Gemini Spark, questions you ask can be agentic, so instead of just getting a snapshot at that moment, you can have updates in the future too. Basically, searching is now an AI function, it's not just a text input.

We haven't got there yet, but Samsung has confirmed Intelligent Eyewear

The Keynote hasn't reached Android XR yet, but Samsung has confirmed what's coming. You can find all the details right here if you can't wait.

Let's talk about shopping

Google has announced a universal shopping cart meaning you can add things to your cart from multiple places. AI will track the price history of things in your cart, while also using AI to suggest alternatives if it thinks you've picked incompatible products.

The universal cart can also suggest buying with different payment cards to make sure you get the best offers and once ready to check out, Gemini can do it all for you.

Google has confirmed a universal profile for different stores to power the new shopping experience. It looks like Google wants to own the online shopping experience to save you visiting all those different websites. Is that a good thing?

Gemini app gets loaded with Spark, Omni, Daily Brief and 3.5 Flash

Core to Google's AI experience for many is the Gemini app. Gemini 3.5 Flash is going to boost what Gemini can do, but before we get there, there's a new design to the Gemini app, called Neural Expressive, with a new Gemini Live experience - including regional dialects.

Gemini is going to be better at creating exciting layouts, including images and video so it's not just text. This will scare those with websites, as Gemini will basically create it all on demand.

Gemini Omni is also coming into Gemini as expected, meaning much more powerful video creation. It's also coming today for subscribers, so it's getting straight to work.

Gemini also gets something called Daily Brief. It's designed to be your first port of call in the morning so you know exactly what's going on. Add that to Gemini Spark and Gemini is suddenly a much more involved experience.

I think we're getting a glimpse at what your phone will be like once Gemini is the entire OS.

AI for creativity: Google Pics, Stitch, Tools, Music

Google has shown off new creative tools. Google Pics is a new image creation tool in Google Flow to allow image creation on the fly with AI - all marked with SynthID of course. Stitch will allow people to create webpages, meaning a faster route to getting that site live using AI - with simple voice inputs to make changes.

Google Flow gets Gemini Omni for advanced video creation, a new agent to add extra powers, more tools and music features. All this is coming to Google Flow for creatives.

Google's Android XR glasses are now official

We finally have confirmation (that we already knew) about the Android XR smart glasses. Calling them "audio glasses", it's official that they are coming from Gentle Monster and Warby Parker, with Samsung, and they will work with both Android and iOS.

We get a live demo of Gemini on Android XR, which is great for those who love using voice. Of course, the agentic skills will work here to do things for you - like place your coffee order without having to open the app and do it manually.

Anyone who has used Gemini on headphones might not have such faith in Gemini on glasses.

Google has also confirmed that glasses with a display will get Create my Widget functions for on-the-fly customisation - but those are coming sometime in the future.

That's all folks!

And that, as they say, is that. Let's just recap quickly: we've had talk about Gemini at every level, with new Gemini Spark agentic assistant that's going to be basically everywhere. We've seen Gemini getting a redesign, with more powerful video tools through Omni, and Live Doc creation in Gemini Live.

Google Search is also going agentic, with a new Search box that's also an AI tool, so we're well beyond just straight text searches now. Shopping gets super-charged with a universal cart and new protocols to help online stores all work with Google.

Finally, we're in the era of Android XR glasses, with the audio models, developed by Samsung with partners, now going live.

What we didn't get was more information about Google hardware, no Home or Nest products, no mention of future Pixels, nothing additional about Android 17 and not even a mention of Googlebook.

But, outside of the Keynote, we did get confirmation of new Gemini skills coming to Volvo and Xreal's Project Aura - so there's definitely more to catch-up on.

Amazon announced Alexa Plus back in February 2025, although the AI-powered assistant has only recently arrived in the UK. Now, for those on the other side of the pond, it’s expanding to amazon.com, with a new service called Alexa for Shopping.

According to The Verge, US users that type a query into the search bar at the top of the Amazon website and app will get an answer from Alexa depending on the query.

If you simply type "Apple iPhone 17", you will get the same list of products as usual, but if you type something like “What’s a good skincare routine for men?”, you’ll get a more helpful answer that uses Alexa’s AI expertise.

What is Alexa for Shopping and what can it do?

Alexa for Shopping combines the product smarts of Amazon's previous assistant, Rufus, with the personalised knowledge of Alexa+. It pulls together your purchase history, browsing habits, and even conversations you've had with Alexa on your Echo devices to deliver relevant recommendations and assistance.

According to Amazon's announcement: "By bringing together Rufus's product expertise and Amazon shopping history with the personalised knowledge and context of Alexa+, Alexa for Shopping delivers a more personal, helpful shopping experience across a wide range of surfaces and devices."

It will help you compare products, give personalised recommendations, help you track prices, reorder essentials, and even buy products at your target price using a Scheduled Actions feature.

For example, you can set a condition like “add this sunscreen to my basket if the price drops to £10 and I haven't bought it in the last two months”. Alexa for Shopping will then handle the legwork and will either notify you or add items to your basket automatically.

“Alexa for Shopping is like having an expert personal shopper who already knows you and remembers your preferences, your past purchases, and your conversations, and carries that knowledge and understanding of you across your phone, laptop, and Echo devices,” said Rajiv Mehta, vice president of conversational shopping at Amazon.

“Whether you're comparing products, tracking a price drop, or continuing research you started yesterday, you don’t have to start over.”

Alexa for Shopping is rolling out to US customers on the Amazon app and website over the coming weeks. No Prime membership or Echo device is required – you can just sign into your Amazon account, and you’ll be good to go.

There’s currently no word on when it might come to the UK.

WhatsApp regularly updates with new features, but many of them are minor tweaks or cosmetic. The next major release will be much more useful however, and potentially groundbreaking for AI interactions.

Incognito Chat with Meta AI is a new extension of the app's commitment to privacy. Not only are your everyday chats encrypted, making it harder to snoop on, you can now have contextual conversations with Meta AI without another soul knowing what you're talking about.

That includes Meta and WhatsApp themselves. Nobody can read or spy on your private chats with the AI, they will remain completely invisible to everyone but yourself.

Conversations will be temporary too, so will disappear after a set period. That way you can ask Meta AI personal or delicate questions, or get it to help you with tasks you would otherwise be embarrassed to ask about.

WhatsApp owner Meta has announced that Side Chat with Meta AI is coming soon too, which will also be protected by the brand's Private Processing technology.

This will give you real-time help with regular chats, using the context of what's being discussed. Your friends, colleagues or family won't see the guidance you are getting.

Both features will be rolled out to WhatsApp across platforms, including iOS and Android, in the "coming months".

Other ways to talk to Meta AI

Of course, WhatsApp isn't the only way you can communicate with Meta's own AI service. Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses have included the ability to talk to the Meta AI assistant and ask it questions for years.

You can even change its voice to mimic celebrities, including Dame Judi Dench and John Cena (the one I have on my own glasses).

The Meta AI chatbot is also available through a browser via a dedicated web page.

Google has updated one of its photo apps, bringing new powers to Android phones – and this isn't a Pixel exclusive, because everything is accessed through an app.

The update has come to Snapseed, one of the best photo editors of yesteryear that's now been fully updated for Android.

The move comes after iOS got Snapseed 4 earlier in the year – and now Android phone owners can benefit from the same features.

Snapseed was one of the standout apps of the last decade, offering multiple editing controls well in advance of them being offered natively by apps like Google Photos.

That relationship flipped in latter years, with Google pouring AI into Google Photos to make it a one-stop shop for all things photo editing, while Snapseed fell by the wayside.

Arguably Google Photos in now more confusing than it's ever been, and so Snapseed has made a surprising return – and it doesn't matter what brand of Android phone you use, because it's available to download from Google Play.

Snapseed now offers both a camera with lots of filters – based broadly around vintage film types – but it's the editing that's always been the most fun in Snapseed.

The app allows easy core image tuning by scrolling up or down through various settings, while swiping left or right to change the values. That's a great starting point, but there's a lot more that's offered.

There's a full selection of tools to comprehensively edit your images, changing just about everything imaginable. There's also the option to apply those filter options after the fact – and in reality, you don't need to use the Snapseed camera, you can use any image on your device.

For portrait fans, there are lots of settings to make yourself look "better", easy options to crop and flip images, and loads of other effects you can apply, either to correct the image to make it more realistic, or to make it more dramatic.

Google highlights that there's a new user interface, non-destructive and batch editing is offered, there are pro features like smart masking, while new tools include Bloom and Halation.

Best of all, there's something decidedly manual to Snapseed. While the last few years have felt like AI is making all the decisions, Snapseed is a good reminder that doing it manually can be a lot more fun. It's smooth and fast to use and best of all, it's free.

WhatsApp is planning to introduce a paid-for tier which could be called WhatsApp Plus. For a small fee – said to around €2.49 a month in Europe – subscribers will get access to additional functions.

It's part of a drive by Meta to increase revenues from its users, with paid tiers in Instagram also expected.

The details have been unearthed in the beta version of WhatsApp (via WABetaInfo), revealing what you'll get for your money and what it will look like.

Before diving into what the WhatsApp Plus subscription will bring, it's worth pointing out that it's expected that the core functionality of WhatsApp will continue as normal, so those who don't subscribe won't find that anything is taken away from them.

It's also going to be a low-cost option, with WhatsApp looking to make a little more without it being a major burden for subscribers.

What features will WhatsApp Plus offer?

The following features have been uncovered in the WhatsApp beta, detailing that the subscription will contain:

• Premium Stickers
• App theme
• Custom WhatsApp app icon
• Pin up to 20 chats
• Premium ringtones
• Upgrade chat lists

These are minor additions, aimed at heavy WhatsApp users, but this isn't available for WhatsApp Business.

Stickers will allow for more customisation, downloading exclusive stickers from the store, with the recipient benefitting from expanded animations, even if they aren't a subscriber. For those who use stickers a lot, if someone sends you a premium sticker it might convince you to subscribe.

WhatsApp already provides customisation, but the option to change the theme brings 18 new colour choices to apply across the app. Likewise, customising the app means you can move from WhatsApp's traditional green to something else, just so it looks more distinctive or unique.

Pinning is a great tool for keeping track of your important chats but the regular option is limited to three. This might be the thing that convinces some power users to upgrade, because it will make finding some groups so much faster and easier than scrolling or searching.

Exclusive ringtones will expand the options for subscribers, with additional upgrades available for chat lists, allowing bulk settings changes for groups and chats in a list. That will apply to new chats that get added to the list.

Whether that's enough to convince users to pay the subscription remains to be seen, but with over three billion monthly active users, it only takes a small percentage to take the subscription for Meta to start raking in the cash.

YouTube's made a tweak to its mobile apps that I've been waiting for over what feels like years. The update's live on iOS and seems to be rolling out on Android, too, bringing a crucial control to how Shorts appear in your app, and letting you effectively disable the vertical video feed.

For a while now, if you went to the Settings cog in the YouTube app, you'd see a Time Management section, and the option to set up a time limit on how much time you could spend scrolling the Shorts feed in a day.

Frustratingly, though, the lowest setting available in this app was 15 minutes, suggesting that Google knew people might want to disable the arguably addictive feed, but didn't want to offer that option. Now, though, there's a new option: 0 minutes.

Selecting it removes Shorts from your homepage entirely, making it far less likely that you'll fall into a scrolling pit the moment you open the app. You can still view individual Shorts, whether through a search or via a channel, but if you try to scroll to a new video, you'll be greeted by a message about your time limit being full.

To speak my truth, this is massive for me. After years of successfully resisting the lure of Instagram's Reels and the whole of TikTok, the last 18 months have seen YouTube Shorts get their hooks into me against my will. I probably watch more YouTube than any other streaming service, and while short-form video doesn't hold interest for me in an intellectual sense, the addictiveness is hard to ignore.

Being able to disable Shorts is something I've wanted for ages, and as a paid-up YouTube Premium subscriber, I'm disappointed it's taken this long, and that it's disguised behind time management settings like this. Then again, I'll take what I can get, and I'm hoping this helps me (and others) to get a clean break from the whole short-form ecosystem.

One other disappointment is that this doesn't appear to be coming to the browser or desktop version of YouTube, and seems to be per-device rather than attached to your account. That means you might need to set it up on whatever devices you use YouTube's app on to get it working.

I'll see in the next month or so whether this helps me kick the video junk food that is the Shorts Feed entirely, but I'm hopeful it'll be banished at least when I'm using my phone, which is a small victory but a victory nonetheless.

It’s usually good news when a new software update arrives. Typically, whether you’re talking about an iPhone or an Android phone, it means you’re about to get a few new features come to your device. These could be anything from new emojis to camera functions, but the idea of software updates is to usually to enhance your experience, rather than hinder it.

Occasionally however, software updates also bring features that not everyone is thrilled about. That's likely to be the case with iOS 26.5 when it arrives. This update is currently in beta after iOS 26.4 landed on 24 March, and the latest update makes way for ads in Apple Maps.

What's the latest on ads in Apple Maps?

Apple announced back in March that users of Maps in the US and Canada would start to see ads sometime this summer. A definitive launch window wasn’t provided but according to 9to5Mac, the iOS 26.5 beta 2 software has a new pop up alerting users to the possibility of ads appearing.

The pop up says: “Maps may show local ads based on your approximate location, current search terms, or view of the map while you search. For your privacy, advertising information is not linked to your Apple Account.”

You won’t be able to opt out neither, but as 9to5Mac points out, the pop up in the beta software at least explains what the ads will be based on: location, search terms and current map view.

When ads on Apple Maps launches, they will appear at the top of search results, as well as the new ‘Suggested Places’ feature, which appeared with the iOS 26.5 beta 1 software. Suggested Places will deliver recommendations for places you might be interested in when you tap on the search bar.

It’s important to note that the pop up in the latest beta software doesn’t necessarily confirm that ads will appear in Apple Maps with iOS 26.5, but it does remind us that they are on the way.

At last WhatsApp is coming to cars in a way that means proper user controls.

This new update, which has gone out to beta testers as was spotted by WABetaInfo, offers a serious overhaul to the messaging service.

The new app is a dedicated WhatsApp offering for CarPlay specifically. Until now you've had to use Siri integration to use WhatsApp via voice, and in a very limited way.

What's new in WhatsApp CarPlay?

The new app allows you to browse your recent chats on the screen which was previously inaccessible. You can also view contact details and even initiate messages or calls from scratch. Unlike the current setup, which only lets you reply.

Chats are limited when driving, for safety, but when stopped it's possible to dive into the complete chat history on the connected smartphone where you left off.

The contact info interface lets users view profile information in detail for every contact. There's even a call history shown including recent calls split by incoming, outgoing and missed.

Favourites are also supported, allowing you to quickly access those you want to contact regularly with a dedicated tab. That's going to be especially handy in the car, giving quick access to those you communicate with most.

When does the CarPlay WhatsApp update arrive?

The WhatsApp CarPlay app is currently being tested in beta by users who are accessing it through TestFlight.

Whether those features all make it to the final version, and when that gets released, is still unclear. Although usually it reaching beta means we can expect it to arrive in the coming months.

A new update has begun rolling out for WhatsApp that add a new host of helpful features, all at once.

The update aims to make the platform easier to use and more device friendly than ever.

As an overview, the big four updates free up space, make cross-platform use easier, let you use multiple accounts and add mood stickers. Let's explore these in a bit more detail.

Free space in WhatsApp

First up, freeing space. Currently you may find that chats can fill up with media, fast. Now it's possible to find and delete large files in a chat, directly, without needing to delete the whole conversation.

Tap the chat name, then select Manage Storage, allowing you to clear just media files from a chat, keeping the history of the chat intact.

Multiple accounts in WhatsApp

Now you can access not just one but two accounts in one app, on iOS - joining the feature that Android already offered.

If you have two WhatsApp accounts, like work and personal, it's possible to pull them both into the one app on your device. You can see the profile picture of the account you're using, and switch as needed.

Cross-platform chats

The already helpful chat transfer feature, that lets you move chats from one device to another, is now supported across operating systems.

Now you can move chats between iOS and Android, and vice versa. That should mean changing phones is consistent with only a few taps to transfer conversations, photos and videos.

Mood stickers in WhatsApp

WhatsApp will help to bring emotionally expressive stickers into your chats effortlessly. This is done by making sticker suggestions as you type – much the same as how emojis are offered now.

Use a simple tap and you can swap an emoji for a sticker to express emotion more visually with ease.

When does the WhatsApp update arrive?

WhatsApp has begun rolling out the new update already with this available for all devices. Simply go to update the app and it should be ready and waiting for you to get a refresh on your device for all the new features.

Google has announced an update to its Maps service which uses Gemini AI to offer a more intelligent and helpful service when it comes to navigation.

The new Ask Maps feature means you can talk to your Maps app as you would Gemini to receive specified answers that lead to real-world directions.

The new conversational experience, as Google describes it, allows you to ask complex questions and get helpful answers. For example, you might ask: “My phone is dying, where can I charge it without having to wait in a long line for coffee?"

Now you can hit the Ask Maps button and the answers will come back in a similar conversational style, along with a customised map that shows the options available to you.

What's new in Google Maps?

Usefully, if you're planning a trip, you can just say where to and ask about stops along the way and it will tailor the options to you – based on your Maps searches – specifically. This is done using information from over 300 million places and the reviews of over 500 million contributors.

Ask Maps goes beyond just directions though. It will also help you plan the trip. So if you're going to meet friends for dinner it will suggests places – based on your dietary needs – and even help you make reservations at the restaurant, for example.

Google has begun rolling out the Ask Maps service now in the US and India across Android and iOS, with desktop coming soon. When this is planned to roll out to more countries has yet to be announced.

What's Google Maps Immersive Navigation?

In addition to Ask Maps, Google has also announced the app will offer a more detailed 3D view in its navigation when driving, called Immersive Navigation.

This means you can now see buildings, overpasses and terrain with useful road details like likes, crossings and traffic lights. This, Google says, is all thanks to Gemini analysing street view photos and recreating that in the maps.

Immersive Navigation is beginning to roll out across the US on iOS, Android, CarPlay, Android Auto and cars with Google built-in.

Spotify recently updated its app with Prompted Playlist, allowing you to use AI to ask for suitable new playlists based on your listening habits. Now it's taken automation further with the new Smart Reorder feature that should give you a DJ like output.

The latest feature was created to help get a more flowing listening experience where one song naturally mixes into the next. The idea here is that you can create a playlist and the app will intelligently take all the tracks in there and reorder them to give the best flow.

This is done using BPM as a way to transition, as if the playlist were being delivered by your very own DJ that mixes the songs naturally.

How does Spotify Smart Reorder work?

Now, rather than manually adjusting track order, you can simply tap the Smart Reorder button with the Mix feature, and it will all be done for you.

To get here, first tap the Edit button, scroll down, then select the Smart Reorder option. When on, this will analyse the BPM of tracks in the list and reshuffle to give a smoother listening result.

Usefully, this isn't permanent and you can simply toggle the feature off again to go back to your original playlist order if you prefer. The option to toggle this on and off as needed gives full control over your order of choice, only also allowing you to get a more cohesive play-through if that's the mood you're in at the time.

Smart Reorder is being rolled out globally by Spotify now to Spotify Premium subscribers. Expect this feature to appear on your app in a future update soon.

A new highly requested feature has been rolled out on WhatsApp which should help to make group chats much more welcoming.

Meta says this new feature is one of the most requested its had so far. Group message history, as it's aptly named, means you can now scroll back through a newly joined chat.

Previously if you were added to a new group, which already existed for some time, you couldn't see what had been said before you joined. This new update will mean you can now access previously sent messages, so you're all caught up on whats going on in the group.

How does Group message history work?

The new group message history feature lets you send previous group messages to new members. Select from between 25 and 100 messages and send them to the new members so they have access and can get caught up - without disrupting the conversation.

So, to be clear, this doens't mean new members can just scroll up and see everything that's been said. Rather, this lets admins share crucial moments from the chat so new members can get caught up efficiently.

It also means, of course, that the admin can ensure new members only see the messages that are relevant to them.

WhatsApp's parent company Meta says: "It’s a simple way to keep everyone in the loop, with privacy and transparency built in: everyone is notified when message history is sent, and all messages remain end-to-end encrypted."

The feature has begun rolling out already but as is typical with these updates, it won't arrive for everyone at the same time. So ensure your WhatsApp and smartphone OS are regularly updated to make sure you get access to the new feature as soon as possible.

If you're looking to get more out of your iPhone camera then Google may have the answer. No, it's not the image editing tools in Google Photos, but another app that you probably thought was long forgotten.

Apple's iOS has surprisingly become the beneficiary of an updated Snapseed app. The software has a history that runs back well over a decade and at one point was one of the top photo editors you could get for mobile devices. However, it seemed to be in decline over the last five years.

Now it's suddenly reappeared again – and Apple devices get the new version first.

The most recent update to Snapseed takes this photo editor and turns it into a full-fledged retro camera. That means it's now about image capture, as well as image editing. The updated iOS app now has a camera icon in the top right-hand corner to go straight to taking your own snaps.

There are a range of styles – or filters – to change the look of the photos you are taking, based on classic Kodak film stock. That means you can choose the look and start snapping, with nice retro graphics to make everything feel just so.

There are image editing options too, so Snapseed has now become a much more useful tool – with the camera side of things reminiscent of rivals like Hipstamatic.

What's so surprising about this is that Snapseed for Android is just the basic image editing app and it feels like it has been ignored. Perhaps that's because Google wants the software to be a viral hit on social media and it knows that going down the iOS route is probably the way to make that happen.

Back to the iPhone app and you'll get manual adjustments for exposure and focus, with a range of pro settings for ISO, shutter speed a focus with a dial for adjustment. That's going to give something of a realistic feel as you change the settings manually.

The irony of the whole situation is that Snapseed originally launched on iPad in 2011, before being bought by Google in 2012. Since its inception, many of the options that it offers are found in native image editing apps from phone manufacturers.

Is it time for the retro camera to make a comeback? Even if it isn't, it's a fun little app that's loaded with features to try out. And it's free.

Deezer has pushed a new feature update to get you to consider the music streaming app over the likes of Spotify and Apple Music.

It has announced Flow Tuner, which gives listeners control over the algorithm used by the Flow automated streaming feature. This should lead to even more personalised playlists than before.

Deezer's Flow feature has been a main aspect of the app for more than a decade. It essentially creates a never-ending playlist based on a user's favourite tracks, artists and genres. It has been possible to tweak the mood and genre to focus on different categories, but the new Flow Tuner can personalise the experience further.

You can now activate or deactivate different musical genres or subgenres, which will change the type of tracks you'll hear. This effectively gives you control over the algorithm in a more direct way to before.

It means you can simply listen to the musical genres that specifically suit your taste, or you can add genres you might not normally consider. That way you can discover new music you might fancy continuing with later.

"Flow Tuner is based on a simple idea: recommendations should not be a black box," said Deezer's head of product, Marin Lorant.

"Our users want to find the right music for the right moment, and have the control to impact how this happens. By allowing them to activate, remove or explore genres with a single gesture, the algorithm becomes a tool that they can shape themselves.

"It's more accurate, more personal, and it opens the door to more discovery."

Deezer also has a built-in AI detection tool, which will prevent AI-generated music reaching your Flow listening experience. And there's a simple set up tool on the app to help you switch from your last music streaming service.

The Tune My Music option enables new users to transfer musical tastes from one app – such as Spotify – to Deezer. It can also transfer your playlists, albums, artists and songs from another service.

Back in November, Google Maps got an upgrade we'd been waiting a long time for. That saw the powerful Gemini AI integrated into the platform, with a view to making on-the-go assistance even more seamless.

That was great for drivers, meaning they could engage in a natural conversation to gain information and keep their attention focused on the road. Now, that functionality is rolling out to even more users, with functionality to help those who are walking and cycling.

The idea for cyclists appears to be much the same as for drivers – offer a solution which is as seamless as possible, ensuring you can keep your focus on the road, rather than on your phone. You'll be able to ask it all of the usual questions, like "What's my ETA?", "When is my next meeting?", or "What is the meaning of life?", all while keeping two hands on your handlebars.

For me, though, the implementation of the feature while walking could be really handy. I travel a lot, and often find myself getting lost in the middle of a city I've never been to before – it's all part of the fun, right?

With this new feature, I would be able to ask Gemini where I was, what there is to do in the local area, a good spot to get lunch and even find a good spot for a photo opportunity nearby. The possibilities are endless, really, and that could make it an invaluable tool for frequent flyers, or just those who get lost easily.

There's good news for iPhone users, too. The feature is live now around the world for those using Google Maps on iOS – as long as you're in a location where Gemini is supported, of course.

Those on an Android phones may have a little more of a wait, as the feature is rolling out for those handsets as we speak.

When you think of image manipulation, there is a very good chance Adobe’s Photoshop springs to mind. Even if you don’t use it yourself, you only have to have seen Crazy Stupid Love to understand the software’s influence when it comes to creating "perfect" images.

“Seriously? It’s like you’re Photoshopped,” is the classic line said by Emma Stone to Ryan Gosling when he removes his shirt – and to be fair, he does.

But that film came out in 2011 and 15 years later Adobe thankfully hasn’t rested on its laurels. The company has just dropped an update that promises to make editing workflows smoother, sharper, and, a little bit like magic (as if it wasn’t already).

If you thought the Generative Fill feature was impressive before, this latest update takes things to a whole new level.

What’s new for Photoshop in 2026?

There’s been a huge boost to the Firefly-powered tools, for starters.

Generative Fill and Generative Expand now support 2K resolution output, meaning AI-generated additions will look crisper and blend more seamlessly.

Adobe has also refined the lighting and depth algorithms, so those awkward seams and AI-looking artefacts will start to become a thing of the past.

There is also an upgraded Reference Image feature. It’s now what Adobe is calling “geometry-aware", so if you drop a reference object into a scene, Photoshop automatically calculates the correct scale, rotation, colour and perspective.

The update introduces a few new adjustment layers, too.

Clarity, Dehaze, and Grain can now be applied as maskable layers, allowing for precise, reversible edits that were previously much more fiddly to manage.

Last but certainly not least (I think this one might be my favourite), the new Dynamic Text (in beta) allows you to warp text inputs into circular or arched shapes with a single click, automatically resizing to fit paths without the usual workarounds.

The Photoshop update is rolling out now to all Creative Cloud subscribers. You should see the new features appear imminently.

If you're a TikTok user in the USA, things could soon start to look very different indeed. That's because the app has been taken over by a new entity, and it looks set to make some adjustments to how the app operates.

If you cast your mind back a little over a year ago, you may remember the time when the app disappeared from the App Store in the country. Since then, a deal has been brokered to change the ownership structure in the region, with a slew of investors joining the ownership.

According to a report on The Verge, that includes a trio of managing investors – Silver Lake, Oracle and MGX – who have taken a 15% stake each. Other smaller investors including the family investment fund of computing mogul, Michael Dell, make up the 80.1% stake held by the new consortium. The remaining 19.9% stake is held by original owners, ByteDance.

Just what is changing, though, is still up for debate. Some have rumoured a different app for the service in that region, which seems unlikely. However, the report does suggest that the firm will be making some changes to the algorithm, which will favour US creators.

A press release from TikTok USDS says it will be, "ensuring U.S. creators can be discovered and businesses can operate on a global scale. TikTok global’s U.S. entities will manage global product interoperability and certain commercial activities, including e-commerce, advertising, and marketing."

It goes on to detail how the security side will work, with data protection and other back-end processes handled by the companies involved. To sum it up very succinctly, user data, algorithm data and software assurance will now be handled by what is called the "Joint Venture".

There's nothing too concrete to draw on at this moment, then. But one thing is for sure – if you use TikTok in the USA, things may start to feel very different in the coming days.

Who doesn’t love a meme? They are perfect for a chuckle, whether you come across them on whatever social media platform you might be doomscrolling at the time, or a friend sends you one knowing it will make you laugh. More often than not, they're guaranteed to brighten someone’s day.

Well, now you don’t have to wait for the perfect meme to appear – you can turn yourself into one. Google has announced a new feature on a Google Photos support page (via 9to5Google) called Me Meme.

It will allow you to use generative AI to “help you create funny, personalised images” – according to the Google support page.

“It's a simple way to explore with your photos and create content that's ready to share with friends and family,” it adds.

How to create a Me Meme with Google Photos

So, how do you create one? Well that part is actually pretty simple, as long as you live in the right place.

It’s worth noting before we go too much further that the Me Meme feature is currently only available to those in the US, though hopefully it will roll out to other regions soon.

If you are in the US, you will need two things. First, you'll need a template.

You will be able to choose different options from those available, or you can upload your own funny picture to use.

And second, unsurprisingly, is a photo of you – you just need to select the image you want to use from Google Photos.

To create your meme, you then need to follow these steps:

1. On your Android device, open the Google Photos app
2. At the bottom, tap Create
3. Then tap Me Meme. Note, if it’s your first time, you can follow the on-screen instructions after the intro screen
4. Select a template
5. Tap Add photo
6. Select the photo you want to upload. Google suggests “for potentially better results, try to upload a well-lit, focused, and front-facing portrait photo”
7. Tap Generate

After the meme is generated, there are a couple of extra steps to follow:

1. To save the meme: Tap Save
2. To generate again: Tap Regenerate
3. To share on the other platforms: Tap Share

That’s it! Maybe you’ll even go viral and bring a smile to multiple people.

Spotify is reportedly working on a technology to allow you to continue an audiobook from where you left off, even if you were previously reading a physical edition.

It should also work if you were enjoying an eBook version, as the tech will use your phone's camera to recognise the page you are on and automatically cue the audiobook to that point.

According to Android Authority, the new feature will be called Page Match and has been discovered in code amongst Spotify's own "onboarding strings". There are multiple references and it is alleged to use OCR (optical character recognition) to scan the text of a page to figure out where you are in the book.

There's also potential for the audio streaming service to work in reverse – by telling you what page you've got to when listening, so you can immediately jump to the relevant page number in the physical or electronic edition.

The site also says that you will have to unlock the audiobook in the app first, either through a purchase or via Premium membership, before it will recognise the physical version. However, it's claimed to be coming to the US, UK, Canada, Europe and Australia, among other countries that support the brand's audiobook service.

Hasn't Amazon already got a version of this already?

The idea of being able to listen to an audiobook from where you left off is not new for eBooks – Amazon does it already, with Audible linking with Kindle versions. However, the Spotify system looks to be the first to allow physical book owners to enjoy similar functionality.

It's worth noting though that this is an unannounced feature – with the code seemingly only in beta for now. It could even be a test that fails to release, although considering how useful it could be, it'd be massively surprising if we don't see it added to Spotify somewhere down the line.

I still remember my first email address. It was Hotmail rather than Gmail, but was certainly not one I could be using now, even personally, let alone professionally.

I’m too embarrassed to admit what it actually was, but I was around 13. I liked the Spice Girls, but anything to do with them was already taken so I had to mix it up. I’ll just say that both spice and guy were in the address, and as you might gather from my name, I’m not a guy and well, I’m not sure I have any spice either.

If you made the same mistake as me but for a Gmail account, the only way you could alter an address previously was to delete your account and make a new one, which frankly, is a pain. Thankfully, that is set to change.

According to a report on 9to5Google, Google is finally giving you the option to change an existing Gmail account address. The rollout started last year but it has been accelerated more recently, with more languages added to the official support page, including English.

Now there are a couple of things to note before you get too carried away. First, you can only make a change once a year, and you can only do it three times in total. So basically, if you’re thinking of putting spice and guy into a new address, make sure you’ll be ok with it in a year.

Second, both email addresses will continue to exist with the new email address you set up acting as an alias. It means that emails that are sent to your old address will still come through. Whether that is a good or bad thing will depend on why you're changing your address in the first place.

Finally, the 9to5Google report suggests the ability to change your email address is currently live in India, but it is not clear how widely it will roll out so you may not see it yet.

How to change a Gmail email address

When you do get the chance, these are the steps you’ll need to follow to change a Gmail address. Remember, it's only once every 12 months and three times in total – so don’t mess it up.

1. Head to myaccount.google.com/google-account-email
2. Tap on ‘Personal info’ on the left menu bar
3. Tap on 'Email'
4. If the option is available to you, you’ll see ‘Change your Google Account email address’ under Google Account email
5. Type in a new email address
6. Select 'Change email address'
7. Press 'Confirm'
8. Follow the remaining steps

Google is certainly in the lead when it comes to consumer-facing AI. Not only has it recently announced a ground-breaking deal with Apple for Gemini to prop up the next generation of Siri and Apple Intelligence in general, it has unveiled an upgrade coming to its own services that could change the way we use them forever.

Personal Intelligence is an overarching system that can link the Google apps and services you use daily, to provide better assistance in each. It'll initially be available to US users in the Gemini app and in beta form, and will work with Gmail, Photos, Search and YouTube for more natural responses to your requests.

This includes proactive problem solving. One example Google gives is if you're searching for new car tyres, the Personal Intelligence engine could suggest specific types based on your actual car model, taken from insurance documents it finds in Gmail.

Alternatively, you might get more tailored travel recommendations based on recent bookings you've made and interests gleaned from your Photos library.

Now, this might all seem intrusive – and it's hard to argue otherwise. But Google is keen to stress that this is an opt-in service. It is switched off by default. It will also be initially restricted to subscribers of Google AI Pro and AI Ultra.

It's not restricted to Android though – once activated, it'll work across Android devices, but also iOS and the web.

Users of the free tier and in other regions will be able to access it "soon".

"The best assistants don't just know the world; they know you and help you navigate it," wrote Google vice president Josh Woodward for the company's official blog.

"Today, we’re answering a top user request: you can now personalise Gemini by connecting Google apps with a single tap."

How to turn on Gemini Personal Intelligence

To opt into Personal Intelligence, you need to subscribe to Google AI Pro or AI Ultra and be in the US.

If so, just head to the latest version of the Gemini app, tap Settings, tap Personal Intelligence and select the apps you are happy for it to use (ie. Gmail and/or Photos).

The service will then consider content within those apps when personalising responses to your Gemini requests.

Apple has offered premium applications for creators for many years, but this is the first time it has packaged them up under one subscription. Now, creatives can access some of the best video, audio and illustration tools in one simple package called Apple Creator Studio.

It's available for Mac, iPad and iPhone and features nine well-known Apple apps, including Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, Pixelmator Pro, Keynote, Pages, Numbers, Motion, Compressor and MainStage. A tenth app, Freeform, will be added later.

If this all sounds familiar, it's because one of the biggest rivals to Apple's Pro-end software, Adobe, offers a similar package with its Creative Cloud. This combines Photoshop, Adobe Premiere, Illustrator, InDesign and more.

The packages don't line up completely but there's certainly some crossover. The advantage to Apple's Creator Studio is that it all runs across iPad and iPhone, and is significantly cheaper, costing $12.99 / AU$19.99 per month or $129 / AU$199 per year (other international prices still to be confirmed).

The Creator Studio does include apps that are currently available for free on the Mac store, such as Keynote, Pages and Numbers. However, the versions in this subscription will gain extra AI-based features to enhance the creation of slides, documents and spreadsheets.

Free versions of these programs will remain available on the Mac store. You will also still be able to purchase standalone versions of Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro for a one-time fee.

When Gmail first arrived over 20 years ago, it looked a lot different to what it looks like now. It was a lot quieter too. You weren't getting emails three times a day just asking if you got previous emails, so clearing your inbox was a much more manageable task than it is today.

As I sit here writing this news story, I have 500 emails I have to clear and I only cleared them three days ago – and two of those were at the weekend. However, Google has just pushed out an update that could take some of the heavy lifting.

What new features are coming to Gmail?

According to Google's own blog, the latest update will see AI Overviews introduced to Gmail. It will work in a similar way to the feature in Google Search, with Gemini offering a summary of key points for an email thread.

The update also allows you to use natural language to ask your inbox a question. The example Google gives is: “Who was the planner that gave me a quote for the bathroom renovation last year?”

Gemini will pull the answer from your emails, summarising the details you need.

Other features within the update include the addition of Help Me Write for polishing emails or drafting an email from scratch, while Proofread will allow you to check for grammar, tone and style.

There is also an update to Smart Replies in something called Suggested Replies. This will use the context of your conversation to come up with a relevant, on-tap response that matches how you write.

Last but not least, there is an AI Inbox coming that will help you filter out some of the clutter by highlighting to-dos and giving you a summary of what matters based on what has come through.

There’s a small catch with all these updates, though. AI Overviews will be available to everyone at no extra cost, as will Help Me Write and Suggested Replies. But, you will need a Google AI Pro or Ultra account to access the ability to ask your inbox questions and the Proofread features.

For AI Inbox meanwhile, this will be available to “trusted testers” in the US, before being rolled out across other languages and regions in the “coming months”.

Google Photos is going to add a feature it's calling "Touch Up", which will allow editing of facial features. The name appears to be derived from the use of makeup, rather than anything wholly inappropriate.

It's been a trend for many smartphone cameras – especially those coming out of China – to offer a wide range of "beatification" features, allowing for minor changes to facial appearance, not too dissimilar to applying makeup. This mild touching up ranges from minor alterations to the shape of the face or eyes, to skin smoothing.

It appears that Google is now going to add Touch Up options to Google Photos too, according to details dug up by Android Authority. The new feature will mean that users will be able to tweak their looks after the photo is taken, rather than it being a filter that's applied at the time the photo is taken.

The Touch Up feature will sit in the Actions tab of the edit section in Google Photos and it will offer Smooth, Under Eyes, Irises, Teeth, Eyebrows and Lips. Each will open with a slider, allowing users to make changes, similar to the rest of Google's editing options.

To be fair to Google, this is about tweaking rather than making yourself look entirely different. The eyes option for example changes the brightness of your eyes rather than the shape; the lips section changes the tone of the lips; the under eyes section removes dark circles – and let's be honest, we're all going to use that to hide the effects of overindulgence the night before.

The new Touch Up feature will allow editing of individual faces in a group, so if you've taken a photo next to someone flawless and you're an absolute mess, there's something you can do about it.

It also means that girls can smooth their face, leaving men with their mature wrinkles, rather than looking like they have the face of a baby. Group Touch Up will support up to six faces in a photo.

Google Photos remains one of the best uses of AI in a smartphone. While translation and summaries are everywhere, it's the editing power in photos that are really useful. That's moved from basic removal of unwanted objects in an image, to complete creative reimagining.

The addition of Touch Up will expand the feature set, but at the moment, this is still a work in progress. There's no word on when it might be released, but it's expected to be soon.

While just about every streaming service and game platform offers a retrospective round-up of your viewing, listening or playing practices for the year, the original and, arguably, the best is Spotify Wrapped. It's certainly the one that's most eagerly awaited.

Well now the 2025 edition is here, and it's brought a whole lot of new features. That includes some new modes that bring friends, family and even likeminded strangers into the mix.

As is traditional, Spotify Wrapped 2025 will give you a jazzed-up rundown of your listening stats for the past 12 months, including your top artists and songs, and a few refreshed favourite features. You can see your top genres, take part in the interactive quiz on your most popular track choices, and get a personalised playlist of all your favourites.

However, there are several new features too – with some of them designed for collaborative sharing and play.

Perhaps the biggest is the Wrapped Party – a custom game that allows you compare your listening habits with other Spotify subscribers, either in your household or amongst your friends. You can even choose to take part in a Wrapped Party with people you've just met.

It will come up with some fun categories, with participants reaching the top of the leaderboard in each, depending on their listening data.

Also new this year are Clubs. Your streaming habits will determine which Club you'll be part of, with six available in total. And you'll get to see the role you play in that community.

Audiobooks are part of Wrapped for the first time this year, and you might just hear an audio clip from your top author, if it's one of those participating. The same is true with podcasters.

Top Albums also debut as part of the Spotify Wrapped experience in 2025, and an AI-powered Listening Archive feature will deliver details on your daily listening.

Last but not least is Listening Age. You will be assigned a listening age depending on the music you prefer to stream. If you mainly listen to hits of the 1970s, you might be assigned a listening age in the 50s, for example.

It's a spot of fun, although we can see some getting a little prickly by the results. Certainly though, this year's Spotify Wrapped is a much bigger experience than ever before.

To get it, make sure your Spotify app is updated on iOS or Android and head to the Wrapped feed. You will need to have listened to a minimum amount of songs and minutes for some of the features to appear, so if they don't you'll need to step up your game next year.

Google has started the roll-out of Gemini to Google Maps, bringing a new way of interacting with Maps. Using the AI-powered Gemini, Maps users will be able to pose more sophisticated requests to help them get to where they need to go.

The introduction of Gemini to Google Maps was announced at the beginning of November, part of a wider integration of Gemini into other Google properties. The roll out to Google Maps has now started, according to 9to5Google, although at the time of writing there was no change to my Google Maps in the UK.

Gemini is best known as the voice assistant that's coming in to replace Google Assistant, most prominently on Android phones. However, Gemini's intelligence powers a browser version of the chatbot, while also creeping towards Google TV, Android Auto and Nest speakers.

Adding Gemini to Google Maps changes the voice experience to make it more sophisticated. Gemini is known for its understanding of natural language and it should help those navigating to break away from the formulaic approach to voice control that's been the mainstay of the past.

That will mean that you can use Gemini's search powers to get the exact location you want more easily – as well as interrogate the AI about that location. That should mean that you can say you're going to a place, find somewhere to eat based on food preferences, add the parking to your route, share your ETA with friends and find out what the best dishes are based on user reviews.

Importantly, this should move voice in Google Maps beyond direct control and providing search listings, which Google Assistant was happy to do already. Now you'll be able to have a discussion about the result, narrow things down and reach a decision.

Google Maps will have a Gemini icon rather than the Assistant microphone, so you'll know you're talking to the AI and it works across all navigation, including walking, cycling and public transport. It will be interesting to see how well it can figure out custom multi-model transport directions, which I often use to get around London making decisions about which Tube line or bus might be fastest.

The update is expected to arrive for both Android and iOS users – but it looks like it's going to be a phased rollout, most likely starting in the US.

YouTube Music has stolen a lead with its 2025 Recap, beating Spotify to the punch in summarising the past year's activity. In what's become a seasonal showdown, apps love to remind users of what they've done across the year – a trend that was started by Spotify Wrapped in 2016.

The viral success of Spotify Wrapped has given rise to many alternatives – YouTube Music Recap (2022) and Apple Music RePlay (2019) being notable – now a trend across many app types. Some services have extended things further, with easy access to the year's stats all the time.

There's a twist for YouTube this year, with the uncomfortable insertion of an AI twist.

That's right, in YouTube Music 2025 Recap you can use AI to "ask about your listening", with suggestions such as "hype my listening using GenZ slang" and "what animal matches my music tastes". This album slaps. The last one was mid, period.

The 2025 Recap can be found through the YouTube Music app, by tapping your profile in the top right corner and then selecting "Your Recap". You'll then be taken through the storyline, but you can skip sections and jump around if you prefer.

There's the option to save your playlist, a calendar view to show you the days you listened to your top artist, as well as nice summary of the whole experience.

Switching to the AI angle, this is designed to be sharable and fun, with the AI chatbot letting you basically do anything you like. According to 9to5Google, this includes requesting things like "describe my listening as a weather report" or to get suggestions of places to visit based on listening habits.

It's all good clean fun, with the sharable aspect where YouTube Music seems to be pinning its hope for a bit of viral social traction.

While YouTube Music 2025 Recap is out there, anticipation is building for Spotify Wrapped, which continues to be a highlight event that gets people most excited. That's perhaps a reflection of the user base, with Spotify reporting 713 million users (including 281 million subscribers) compared to YouTube Music's reported 125 million.

After Spotify Wrapped 2024 gave us an AI-powered playlist and a personalised AI-hosted podcast, fans are eagerly awaiting the 2025 results and to see how Spotify can maintain its cult status.

There are some areas where AI is unwelcome, but also many others where it makes perfect sense – and the latter is true in this case. Google has just announced an AI enhancement to weather forecasting.

Announcing WeatherNext2, it promises to deliver faster and more accurate weather predictions.

On a surface level, the boost that WeatherNext2 brings will power consumer-facing products that Google offers that include the weather, so Search, Gemini and Pixel Weather have all been upgraded for better weather predictions. Google Maps is also in line to be updated in the coming weeks.

That means more accurate weather information will be available on Pixel and Android devices – as well as iPhone.

But this isn't just about that surface level convenience. It's also available through Earth Engine and BigQuery, while Google Cloud's Vertex AI will allow customer interrogation of the model too. That means it's available to scientists, researchers and developers to take that data into their own forecasts and models.

Google says that it can generate forecasts eight times faster (although it's not clarified what it's faster than), but does say that it generates hundreds of predictions from the weather conditions, with each prediction taking a minute – whereas it would take hours on a supercomputer using "physics-based models".

This is where AI is having an impact, with predictions down to a single hour. Google says that it surpasses the previous weather model in 99.9% of variables – temperature, wind, humidity – and leading to more useful forecasts.

A traditional physics-based model will calculate what happens using equations and through that route will attempt to figure out what the weather will do. AI on the other hand learns from weather patterns and events, then predicts from that learnt behaviour what the likely result will be.

The enhancements enable the model to give accurate predictions for a localised region, so should be able to give the weather just for your town, while also feeding those marginals into the bigger picture of the forecast for the whole region.

Google says that now that WeatherNext2 is out of the lab as a working model, it's available for people to benefit from it right away.

Spotify is rolling out a couple of new features, with one in particular being so ingenious that I'm surprised it doesn't exist already.

I attended the launch of audiobooks on the streaming platform a couple of years ago and the section has grown significantly since. However, I often find myself distracted while partway through a book and only return a considerably amount of time later. The new feature is therefore directly aimed as those like myself.

Rolling out in beta form to iPhone owners (and iPad) is Recaps. This allows users to tap into a short audio summary of a book that is being continued after some time away. It means you won't have to rewind or re-listen to sections – you can find out what happened before you took your break.

All you need to do is tap the Recap button at the top of the audiobook page to hear a summary of what's happened so far. And it'll work even if you only listened to 15 to 20 minutes of a book.

As the recap will only contain information on the part of the book you've already listened to, it won't contain any spoilers either.

Also coming to Spotify

In addition to Recaps, Spotify has updated its Shuffle functionality. Starting today, Premium users can make benefit of fewer repeats in the auto-shuffled playlist, yet also switch back to the previous version if that one's preferred.

The new Shuffle experience is now switched on by default, but Standard shuffling can be activated in the settings. This could result in more repeats though, as it's more random in its song choices (from your library).

This latter feature is available to all Spotify Premium subscribers, not just those with iPhones.

We’ve heard a lot of rumours about Apple in the past week. There was some chatter about the new colours the iPhone 18 Pro might come in next year, followed by a report that the iPhone Air 2 might add a secondary ultra wide sensor.

But now we're hearing about possible changes to Apple Fitness+. And they come from a traditionally reliable source.

What’s happening to Apple Fitness+?

In his weekly Power On newsletter, Mark Gurman of Bloomberg said the Apple Fitness+ service will be undergoing a reorganisation in order to encourage growth. It launched in 2020, but there haven’t been a huge number of changes or improvements since then.

Apple added Strava integration at the beginning of this year, and the company also removed the need to have an Apple Watch to use Fitness+ back in 2022. But aside from those, the main changes have been new workouts and programmes.

Gurman claims that the service is one of Apple’s “weakest digital offerings”. But he also says that Apple isn’t giving up on Fitness+ despite the “high churn” and “little revenue upside”.

Instead, Apple is said to be putting Fitness+ under Apple’s VP of Health, Sumbul Desai, and is "under review".

It’s not yet clear what this change in leadership will entail or what new features it might bring in the future, but it's expected there will be some wide-ranging changes.

With Apple having added a heart rate sensor to the AirPods Pro 3 earlier this year, as well as the Powerbeats Pro 2, it's clear Apple has a focus on health.

For now, Fitness+ is still a comprehensive platform with 12 workout types from strength training to HIIT. New sessions are added weekly to the various types and sessions vary in length from five mines to 45 minutes.

It also offers personalised recommendations and custom plans, with real-time metrics appearing on screen if you use an Apple Watch, AirPods Pro 3 or any Bluetooth heart rate monitor.

Meditation is big right now and is often used as a way for people to reduce their stress and anxiety. We live in a busy world that expects a lot of us most of the time, not only in terms of working and family demands but also our senses. TV advertisements, billboards, city lights and social media – these are all things that can dysregulate our nervous system and require us to find a way to restore the balance. Meditation does just that.

Now you can meditate from home, while you’re commuting or even waiting in a queue, thanks to meditation apps that have made this ‘out-there’ practice accessible to the Western world. There are so many different ways to meditate and different traditions you can follow, which is why access to meditation apps can help bridge the gap and make this journey feel less overwhelming.

Here we break down five of the best meditation apps and what you can expect from each one to help you get started.

1. Headspace

Headspace is a meditation app that has been around for a long time and one that many people already know about. It might seem a bit boring to place it in this guide but this is one of the best meditation apps out there.

Focusing on a Buddhist approach to meditation, the app offers guided meditations that cover various aspects of life such as reducing stress and anxiety, managing conflict and mindful parenting among many options including walking and running meditations for those who find sitting meditations unenjoyable. There is a meditation for any circumstance you might find yourself in and for when you need help managing your emotions, plus a focus on mindfulness practices you can bring into your daily life.

For those new to meditation, there are plenty of beginner meditations and courses to help you develop your practice. It also offers guided meditations to improve sleep as well as soundscapes, sleepcasts and music to help you drift off calmly. All meditations are led by experts in the field, with the app being co-founded by previous Buddhist Monk, Andy Puddicombe.

Headspace offers free meditations to get you started under a 14-day trial period and then a paid subscription for those who want to explore the content further. At the time of writing, Headspace is offering 50% off their annual plan, making the subscription only $2.92 / £2.08 per month. This rings true to their mission in making mental health support accessible to everyone. If you don’t want to buy the annual plan, at the time of writing, the monthly subscription was reduced to £4.99 per month from £9.99.

2. Calm

Similarly to Headspace, the Calm app offers a range of things to help you ease stress and tension in your life. You can choose from thousands of meditations plus soundscapes and sleep stories, read by celebrities, to help you drift off. Unlike the Headspace app, Calm also offers movement exercises to help you unwind, allowing you to relieve any tension you may also feel in your body.

Some meditations are read by clinical professionals such as Dr Julie Smith, a UK-based clinical psychologist and author, whereas others are guided by meditation teachers. Plus, if you want to introduce your little ones to a world of calm, there is a special section for kids on this app where they can listen to excerpts of children stories or have a go at a mindfulness program designed with children in mind. These programs use popular characters such as Moana and PAW Patrol to guide the children through the various techniques.

In order to gain access to most of the app’s content, you will need to pay a subscription. At the time of writing, a yearly subscription is reduced from $203.88 to $79.99. For those wanting to only commit to a month at a time, it will cost you $16.99 per month. This is quite pricey for a meditation app but there are many features to enjoy.

3. Insight Timer

Unlike the previous two apps, the way Insight Timer works is a little different. It's a free app to download and lots of the content is entirely free. A huge range of people supply the content to this app including spiritual leaders, meditation and yoga teachers, psychologists and more.

One thing to note is that this process is rigorous and teachers must have the relevant qualifications to produce content for this app. However, this breadth means there is a never-ending amount of content for you to explore and the ability to find teachers that work for you. On top of this, you can also access nature sounds, ambient music and bedtime stories to help you get a good night’s sleep. As yoga teachers also use this app, you can access breathwork and yoga classes for free.

Another added feature of this app is the fact you can use it as a journal to reflect on your feelings and meditation journey. This is something that may prove useful if you want to see how meditation is affecting your general mood. Plus, for those wanting to develop their practice and do unguided meditations, there is a self timer bell you can use.

As mentioned, this app is free to download and free to use. You get a lot of content for absolutely nothing. However, there is the option of upgrading to the premium membership, known as MemberPlus, which would give you access to courses, offline listening, high-quality audio and a premium timer with sounds amongst other things. This upgrade costs $59.99 per year or $9.99 per month. By paying this, you are helping to keep the community going, and the content free for other users.

4. Meditopia

Meditopia offers you a personalized experience. On downloading the app, it asks you what you want to focus on and what you’d like to see appear on your app to help you gain the benefits you want to get. This is a lovely touch and allows you to feel in control of your meditation journey. However, in order to access the content to a good extent (there are a select few meditations and other features available for free), you need to pay for the subscription at $4.99 per month or $29.99 annually.

With this subscription, you can access over 1000 guided meditations as well as nature sounds, music, sleep sounds and more. Topics focus on stress, anxiety and improving sleep. This is a well-rounded app that targets your problems through various means such as meditations, articles that you can listen to or read and courses. You can see it as more of a coaching program that’s personalized to you, rather than an app you meditate with.

5. Plum Village

Plum Village is one for more serious meditators who would like a helping hand at home to continue their practice, or to surround themselves with spiritual teachings. Developed by the Buddhist Monk, Thich Nhat Hanh, and based on his teachings, this app has recordings of his teachings and guided meditations by him, as well as others. It’s not for the fainthearted and dives deep into Buddhist teachings so we’d recommend it for those familiar with some Buddhist teachings already.

However, saying that, the app is entirely free and has a huge amount of varied meditations available which is incredible. It’s offered to the world as a gift and based on donations which are completely optional. Having three main sections; Meditations, Talks and Resources, it’s easy to navigate around and select what you’re interested in. The meditation page has a ‘Start here’ section which is useful for those who may be new to meditation and want to learn more before starting.

For those more familiar with meditation, you can select from any of the other meditation sections, of which there are guided meditations, silent meditations, deep relaxation and walking and eating meditations plus many more. This app also provides a few stories for children but isn’t heavy on content for little ones. One area where this app excels is in terms of accessibility – it offers meditations for those who are less mobile or suffering with pain as well as a section called ‘Trauma-informed practice’ which uses neuroscientific practices for regulating the nervous system.

Google Maps leads the way in navigation, both for drivers and those on foot, including public transport or cycling too. Now Google's navigation app gets a big boost through the inclusion of Gemini, the company's smarter AI-powered voice assistant.

This means that you'll have – according to Google – a "conversational driving experience in Google Maps". The company goes on to say: "It's like having a knowledgeable friend in the passenger seat, who can confidently help you get where you're going."

The idea is that you can replace the straight search you used to do with Google Assistant – ie. "navigate to 53 Church Street in Crawley" – with multi-step conversational tasking. The example is asking for the restaurant and finding local parking – before continuing to ask about popular dishes you might like to order when you get there.

Gemini steps beyond the current voice functions that Google Maps offers. Under Google Assistant, searches were limited to mapping-related tasks, but now Google suggests that you'll be able to ask other questions and put appointments in the calendar.

Is this a huge change? From the Google Maps side it is, but from the Gemini side it isn't. You can already trigger Gemini, search for places, ask about local parking and so on and trigger navigation – but hopefully this move will help to join the dots and give a more seamless AI experience. That's because until now, it's been a mixture of Google apps that use Gemini and those that still use Google Assistant.

Fortunately, this feature is rolling out to all locations that offer Gemini, with Android and iOS getting it first, and Android Auto following shortly.

Another Google Maps feature that not everyone will get

There's another feature that will aid with navigation, but sadly it's not going to be available to everyone. Taking things deeper, Gemini is also going to be able to compare the route to Google Street View and provide better navigation.

That will allow it to name particular landmarks or notable navigation points to help you find the right turning. For example, it might say "turn right after the Thai Siam Restaurant", so instead of trying to spot a tiny street name or number, you can spot the landmarks instead.

The catch is that this feature is only slated for the US for now – but it will be available in navigation for both Android and iOS.

Another cool feature – again only in the US and this time only for Android – will be predictive traffic. If you're driving but don't have a route set, Gemini can alert you to traffic on your route. That means you can take action before you drive into a jam.

Exactly how this works remains to be seen – do you need to have Maps open or will it just work whenever you're driving? But as I said, it's only for US Android users.

Finally, Gemini is also making its way into Google Lens. Currently you can already get loads of information out of Lens and it's integrated into loads of searchable areas, both in Google Maps and Chrome. But now, instead of straight text, you'll be able to use Gemini to take that into a conversation.

Granted, you might not want to be standing on the street, waving your phone around, talking to an AI, so this is a feature that we'll really have to see working before deciding if it's actually good. Again, this update is only coming to the US on Android and iOS right now.

If you've ever been attempting to navigate somewhere and found the dreaded low battery warning on your phone, there's good news coming from Google. According to a new report, the brand could be bringing a new Power Saving mode to the Google Maps app.

That was uncovered by the folks over at Android Authority, and comes from a backend code teardown. The mode appears to work independently of any power saving mode on the device itself, which should allow users to drop the power output of the app without doing so for everything.

The user interface is substantially less cluttered, with a monochrome design that does away with just about all information. That may sound like a problem for navigating effectively, though we'd anticipate that audio prompts will help in that arena.

Still, it might be a step too far for some. The black background is only broken by an array of light, barely translucent grey bars, which represent the roads around you. Unless you're already pretty familiar with your surroundings, it could be a bit disconcerting.

The feature is said to support walking, driving and bike travel, though there's no word on support for travel using public transport. That could possibly require more power to draw on timetables and the like.

Bizarrely, the report also suggests that the feature only works in portrait orientation. That's an odd decision – maybe horizontal maps use more battery than vertical ones? Either way, it joins the list of slightly peculiar things which exist around this leak.

Still, it's a good update for the app. While I may have some reservations about the overall implementation, the idea is solid and something which I can see being loved by users.

Of course, it's worth noting that features found in this way aren't always guaranteed to see the light of day, so while we'll be keeping an eye out, we wouldn't pin all of our hopes on this too soon.

Apple TV owners get a major update today, with Spotify adding a new look and a whole lot of new features to its tvOS app.

The new Spotify app has been rebuilt from the ground up for a faster, more visual experience. This includes music videos available to find and play within the app itself, and your own personal queue where you can change numerous settings and factors.

Perhaps the biggest change you'll see from the off is the visual one. The app has an all--new look that makes it more at home on the Apple TV 4K box. It enables you to easily find the likes of podcasts and videos from the homescreen, while you can control the entire shenanigans through Connect.

There are now Spotify DJ recommendations (using the service's AI DJ assistant), plus the ability to adjust the speed to playback video and podcasts, if you're one of those who like to skip to the most interesting bits.

Lyrics can now be viewed more easily from within the app, so you can jump into a spot of karaoke whenever you fancy. And the whole experience just feels a bit cleaner and more like the general Spotify experience you find elsewhere.

How to get the new Spotify on your Apple TV 4K box

The new Spotify app is available to download from the Apple App Store on the Apple TV box – and that's a global release, too. However, if you are expecting it to arrive automatically (with auto updates enabled) you might have to wait a little longer (until mid-November).

Basically, if you head to the App Store and download and install it manually, you get it much sooner.

Messaging app WhatsApp is well-known for adding a wealth of features regularly. Rarely a few months go by without some neat new trick being added to the range of things you can do beyond messaging your friends. Sometimes, that's things like adding a chat theme, other times it is the ability to lock WhatsApp chats with a special code.

It's therefore not very often that we report on features that are being removed. Still, that's where we are today, folks.

How to save your ChatGPT WhatsApp chats

As reported by 9to5Mac, Chat GPT will no longer be supported on WhatsApp from January. According to the site, OpenAI, the company that owns ChatGPT, has said Meta is shutting down ChatGPT integration for 50 million WhatsApp users.

In a blog post on the transition, OpenAI said: "We’ve loved seeing more than 50 million of you chat, create, and learn with ChatGPT on WhatsApp. The simplicity and familiarity of messaging made it a natural home for everyday creativity and curiosity.

"Unfortunately, due to a policy and terms change from WhatsApp, ChatGPT will no longer be available on WhatsApp after January 15, 2026. While we would have much preferred to continue serving you on WhatsApp, we are focused on making the transition as easy for all of our users as possible."

As part of its commitment, OpenAI is ensuring that "you can keep your chats going in ChatGPT – available on iOS, Android, web, and ChatGPT Atlas on MacOS. They'll be elevated beyond the WhatsApp versions too, with additional features like voice conversations, deep research, and file uploads.

If you want to maintain your conversation history, OpenAI recommends you link your WhatsApp account with ChatGPT. Once done, your phone number will be associated with your ChatGPT account and your past WhatsApp conversations will apparently in your ChatGPT history.

OpenAI added: "You can link your ChatGPT account through 1-800-ChatGPT’s contact profile in WhatsApp and click the URL there."

You'll need to do it before 15 January, however. If you don't, WhatsApp conversations won’t transfer automatically after this date.

It's hard to imagine any phone in the modern age which doesn't use WhatsApp. The messaging giant – which is owned by Meta, these days – is a go-to application for messaging thanks to its encrypted platform.

Still, that privacy only goes so far. Right now, in order to liaise with someone on the app, you'll still need to share your phone number, which may be a piece of personal data too far for some.

Fortunately, a solution is coming. WhatsApp has reportedly been working on an update, which would allow users to select a username, allowing them to keep their number secure. The report comes from Android Police, which notes that the feature has been in development for around two years at this point.

According to that report, the feature would utilise a form of two-factor authentication. That would see users have both a username and a PIN code, both of which would be needed before users could send a message.

It also notes that users will have the opportunity to reserve their username of choice before the feature is fully rolled out. That's going to be especially pertinent for brands, and those who have worked hard to use the same usernames across other platforms.

Suggestions in the report point to an early reservation feature which will appear in the Profile tab, where a specific username section will be present. That will be around for a short while, before it rolls out to a larger audience.

It also gives us an idea of what the requirements for the usernames will be. It's nothing out of the ordinary, and includes the following:

• Can't begin with "www."
• Must contain at least one letter.
• Only certain characters are allowed: lowercase letters (a–z), numbers (0–9), periods, and underscores.
• Can not end with a domain like .com or .net.
• Can not start or end with a period.
• Character length must be between 3 and 30 characters.

Personally, I'm a fan of the change. While I've never been too concerned with sharing my number, that added layer of privacy will definitely help to keep out any unsolicited messages.

With no confirmed date for the feature to go live, we'll be keeping a close eye on further updates as this develops.

Apple's iPad is an exceptional tool for a number of things. It's great for watching movies, note taking. and if you're someone with a creative flare, it's fantastic for drawing and editing photos on once you find your flow.

There are a number of apps you can use to take advantage of the latter, such as Adobe Photoshop, which is optimised for the larger display and touchscreen. There's also the likes of the Canva-owned Affinity suite, which if you have ever considered buying but haven't quite taken the leap yet, now is your time.

Should you buy Affinity Photo 2, Publisher 2 and Designer 2?

As spotted by 9to5Google, Affinity Photo 2, Affinity Publisher 2 and Affinity Designer 2 are all currently free on iPad. Previously, you've been able to try them out for a 7-day trial, after which they cost $18.49 (or the local equivalent) per app to buy.

But once downloaded, the purchase price is now $0.00 (or £0.00, for example). You just have to sign up for the 7-day trial, then hit the "Buy Now" button in your account settings.

Unlike some apps, this is a full purchase not just a subscription fee.

It's worth noting however, that while the three apps are currently still available on the App Store for iPad, you can no longer get them on the Mac App Store so it's possible they might vanish soon for iPad too. Affinity is also promoting an event on its website for 30 October, where it's possible a new suite of apps could launch.

The website says: "Creative freedom is coming. Sign up to be the first to know. True creative freedom is just around the corner. 30 October. See the future first."

There's no mention of new apps here, but the wording does suggest they could be on their way.

The timing is also slightly suspicious. Apple hasn't announced an October event yet, but it was only yesterday we wrote about the possibility of new iPad Pro models and new MacBook Pro models launching this month, so there's a chance Affinity is planning to introduce new apps to coincide with those devices.

Still, with Affinity Photo 2, Affinity Publisher 2 and Affinity Designer 2 all free rather than just discounted, do you really have anything to lose by downloading them and giving them a go ahead of any new announcements? In our eyes you don't, but we would advise you do it quickly before they vanish.

Google Home is one of the more advanced smart home systems out there. It sits alongside Alexa in terms of support, but with so many features offered by the two platforms, both apps are what we would consider to be on the cluttered side.

Thankfully, that's all about to change for Google's service. As spotted by 9to5Google, the Google-owned smart home app is getting a redesign with a new "Ask Home" feature, while a report has revealed that it's starting to roll out to iPhone users first – ahead of Google's own Android. It's arriving on iOS early in fact, ahead of an expected 1 October announcement.

What version of Google Home has the new design?

According to 9to5Google, version 4.0.54 of Google Home for iOS sees a number of changes. There is an "Ask [Home name]" bar at the top of the app, with a colourful glow animation around it. This bar appears on all three of the main app pages.

That's something of note too, in that there are now only three main pages, consisting of Home, Activity and Automations. The previous version of Google Home on iPhone had five tabs, so the latest version brings with it a much more streamlined design.

Within the Ask [Home name] bar, there is a circle you can tap to set your Home or Away status, while a "+" to the right of the bar within a vertical pill allows you to add a Device, Speaker group, Automatic, Link app or service, Home member and Home.

Elsewhere, the account menu offers access to settings, as well as what's new, inbox, switch home, help and feedback.

If you tap on the "Ask Home" bar, you will need to "Acknowledge Gemini for Home disclosures", the 9to5Google report says.

It also says that you will then get a chat interface with a carousel of device tiles that allow you to control smart home products. More advanced prompts aren't live yet, though are expected when the full redesign launches on 1 October.

If you want to see the redesign for yourself, try updating the Google Home app through the App Store. If you don't see it, you may need to wait a couple of days.

There's been a lot of news around translation recently. We've had apps like Google Translate for years of course, but copying text, opening Google Translate (or similar) and pasting-in words to find out what they mean is incredibly long winded.

Thankfully, artificial intelligence is really changing the game. Apple recently announced a live translate on its latest devices, which will automatically translate messages and calls on iPhone, and Google offers a live translate feature for conversations, text messages and websites on Android devices. Samsung has one too.

But none of the features translate WhatsApp messages.

Now though, WhatsApp is changing all that. The messaging platform has announced via its blog that it's introducing a quick way to translate messages between different languages, directly in the WhatsApp app.

How to translate a message on WhatsApp

If a message comes through on WhatsApp in a different language, you will be able to long press on it and tap on a "Translate" button. You can then select the language you want the message to be translated from or to and download it for future translations.

The translate feature will work across individual chats, as well as Channels and group chats. If you're on Android, you'll be able to turn on automatic translation for an entire chat thread, which will mean all future incoming messages will be translated as they come in. That's not an option for iPhone users on the initial rollout.

However, Apple device owners do get a better selection of languages. The WhatsApp Message Translate feature will launch in over 19 languages on iPhone, while Android users will only get six to begin with – English, Spanish, Hindi, Portuguese, Russian, and Arabic.

The WhatsApp Message Translates feature is rolling out now, so make sure you update WhatsApp to the latest build to benefit.

Apple announced its latest iPhones at the beginning of September with all four models released last week. But it wasn't just the new phones that arrived – the company also released the final build of its latest software, iOS 26.

There are a number of features that come with the new operating system, including Visual Intelligence that helps you do more with screenshots, and the ability to change the snooze time on your alarm. But the biggest change is the new Liquid Glass design.

Offering a whole new look, Liquid Glass is designed to mimic layers of glass and can be found on the iPhone's home screen, as well as across all the native apps.

However, the first third-party app to take on the new look might come as a bit of a surprise.

Google's Chrome has a new look ahead of other apps

Google's Chrome has adopted Liquid Glass in its latest version (via 9to5Google).

Chrome for iPhone already has a couple of different features compared to the Android version, but the Liquid Glass look changes a number of elements.

Icons at the top have transitioned to being overlaid across the top of the content rather than occupying their own section. It means the search icon, incognito, new tab and tab groups all sit within a more transparent bar with rounder corners.

The Edit and Done buttons at the bottom of Chrome have also transitioned to the new style, allowing for more content to fit on the screen.

Context menus have also had an update with slightly more rounded corners too, but more importantly, the background doesn't get blurred, allowing you to see what you were looking at while you choose from the menu you have pulled up.

For now, Chrome is the first and only Google app to adopt the Liquid Glass design, but hopefully the others will follow soon. You'll need Chrome for iPhone version 141 to see the changes.

Google Discover is a great way to find good stories to read. It serves up an ever-updated variety of content from various sites and publishers, and the more you click on specific stories, the more of those you'll be served in future.

The clue is in its name really, it's about discovering content outside of what you might search for on Google. The company describes it as a way to "catch up on your interests and the world".

However, change is afoot.

What changes are coming to Google Discover?

Discover is about to get a whole lot more interesting. Google has announced that it is rolling out two updates to the service in order to "make it even easier to find, follow and engage with the content and creators you care about most".

In order to do this, Google introducing types of content, including videos and social posts. It is expanding from just online articles to include posts from X and Instagram, as well as YouTube Shorts.

According to its blog post, the company said the reason for doing this was because research suggested people "enjoyed seeing a mix of content in Discover".

It's not just new types of content that will change Discover, however. The second update is going to come in the form of a new "Follow" button.

Google explains that you'll be able to preview a publisher or creator's content, including articles, YouTube videos and posts from social channels, and then choose to before follow them for additional pieces later. This enables more personalised content discoveries.

Google said the Follow update is rolling out today so you can tap on the "+" to start following your favourite publishers and creators. New content types will be rolling out in the coming weeks.

WhatsApp is constantly adding new features. This year alone, Meta has introduced a dedicated app for iPad, chat themes so you can make your chats more unique, and the ability to add music to your WhatsApp status.

It also introduced Meta AI to WhatsApp for a little helping hand when it comes to writing replies and summarising messages. But there's a reason why WhatsApp is one of the most popular messaging apps in the world and one is that it doesn't ever seem to stand still.

What new feature is coming to WhatsApp?

With that in mind, the next feature set to come to the messaging platform is support for Live Photos.

Wabetainfo has reported that iOS beta 25.24.10.72 adds support for Live Photos across chats, groups and channels. Picked up by The Verge, the site also highlighted that the iPhone feature comes a month after WhatsApp introduced support for motion photos on Android.

It's said you will be able to choose whether to send the image as a still or a dynamic clip, so you don't have to send it as a Live Photo if you don't want to. Having the option is good though as there can be some really great moments captured by Live Photos.

For iOS users in Apple Messages, when you send a Live Photo, you can tap on the icon in the top left corner to turn the motion off.

It's not currently clear how you night be able to turn it off in WhatsApp as yet, but we're sure it will soon become clear.

Wabetainfo said that Live Photos support is available to some beta testers now, and it will be rolling out to more users "in the coming weeks". To make sure you get access to all the latest WhatsApp features, you can update it manually through the App Store.

Google announced plenty during I/O back in May, including the new Material 3 Expressive design, but one of the most exciting reveals in our eyes was the announcement that Androidify was making a comeback.

Androidify was first released all the way back in 2011 as an app that allowed users to create a custom version of the super cute Android mascot. You could adapt skin tone, hair type and colour, clothing and add accessories, which at the time was quite a significant amount of customisation. We're talking before Genmoji's arrived.

But the Androidify app was removed from the Play Store in 2020, and hadn't been updated since 2016. Thankfully, it's now back and better than ever.

Android Authority reports that the new version of Androidify can once again be found on the Play Store, but with AI-powered features allowing for more personalised Android Bot avatars.

How does the new Androidify app work?

Using the latest Google AI models, the Androidify app will allow you to transform a photo or prompt into an Android Bot.

You launch the new version of the app, tap on "Let's Go" and then you either choose a photo from your photo library, take a new one, or type in a text prompt.

There's a "help me write" option if you're struggling with inspiration for your prompt, so don't worry.

Once you've either select your photo or written a prompt, and picked the colour you want your Android Bot to be, you tap on "Transform" to allow the app and its AI powers to create your avatar. You can then choose to "Customise and Share" the result.

This takes you to a "Customise and Export" screen where you can then pick from various sizes, such as 1:1 or Wallpaper. It's also possible to add a background if you want to, after which your Android Bot is complete and you can download it to save it to your phone, or share it with your Android friends.

The Androidify app is available to download from the Google Play Store for free.

How to set your preferred sources on Google

Why can't I see the star icon or preferred stories?

Google's preferred stories feature is currently only available in the US and India – if you're reading this from either of those countries, you're good to go.

If you're in the UK, Europe or Australia, for example, you'll need to wait a bit longer for the feature to arrive. We'll let you know when it does. The selection method above will work the same when available.

It felt a bit of a surprise to many when Strava acquired Runna earlier this year, given how much overlap there is between the two running apps, but if you worried that the latter might start to see fewer features, you’d be wrong.

In fact, this week Runna added a new search engine of sorts to find local events, dubbed ‘Races by Runna’, and it’s helping take one of the pain points out of integrating into a local running community.

Runna’s new tool is a great way to get to know runners and events in your local area

You don’t need to use the Runna app, either, with a handy web search packed with events ranging from marathons to mid-distance runs and more.

Once you pick your event, you can kick off a tailored training plan, helping prepare you for conditions like the terrain, duration, and more. The race listing even has wind, humidity, and altitude information, as well as expected temperatures.

Perhaps best of all, though, is just being able to filter by events near you. ‘Races by Runna’ could help you find everything from a local park run, to progressively more challenging runs, matching your training to the next event as you go.

In a press release, Runna's CEO and co-founder, Dom Maskell, said: "We realized that we were well-positioned to build the world’s most comprehensive race discovery platform and it’s been a true labour of love from our team. Having Strava alongside us will help further strengthen our credibility in this field.”

Races by Runna is in public beta right now, with expansions coming for ‘multiple’ countries.

Google announced Material 3 Expressive back in May 2025. It was revealed as a new design language for Android and has started rolling out across a number of Google apps, including Google Keep and the YouTube app.

The latest one to get the Material 3 Expressive treatment is Gmail, with a report on 9to5Google revealing that the new design language has started rolling out to the popular email app.

Gmail was one of the first apps to start testing Material 3 Expressive back in June so some users may have already seen the new look. If you haven't though, you're in for a treat.

What does Gmail with Material 3 Expressive look like?

According to the report, Gmail with Material 3 Expressive looks similar to Google Messages with the homepage message list in one container featuring rounded corners at the top and bottom.

For the swipe actions, which include archive, delete and mark as read/unread, there's a pill-shaped animation that looks lovely and modern. There are also visual changes when opening an email, with the container motif remaining and the top section presenting the app bar and subject line.

The report also highlighted that the Reply and Forward buttons in the redesign use "Dynamic Color" to stand out against the bottom bar. Neither the home screen widget or the Compose screen have been updated as yet and the field at the top isn't a search app bar yet either.

Still, we're very much in favour of the new look. You'll need to make sure your phone is running version 2025.08.11.x of Gmail to see the Material 3 Expressive design, and you'll need to have an Android phone, of course.

It's also worth remembering that as this is a rollout, you may have to wait a little longer until the version becomes available for you, but patience is a virtue and in this case, it will be rewarded.

As a kid, I always dreamed of being a DJ. It didn't work, of course – I lacked the required skills and cool factor, and redressed my creativity from the language of music to the language of reviewing technology.

Fortunately, it doesn't matter, as Spotify is rolling out a new feature which is going to make even the most tone-deaf, beat-evasive folk a top DJ. The function works within your own playlists, and allows you to modify the crossover between tracks.

The feature – which is available in beta as soon as you're reading this – can be used in two different modes. Auto does the hard work for you, with the system suggesting and implementing the best method it sees for getting from one track to another.

If you're feeling even more exotic, though, you can make manual adjustments to take you from one track to the next. The app will give you control over the volume and EQ, as well as offering a range of effects to help smooth out the transitions.

To help make the process smoother, Spotify is introducing more information about the tracks, too. That includes a beats per minute indicator, which will allow you to match tracks with similar bpm's for an easier mixing experience.

While it might be a little more dumbed down than grabbing some decks and doing it for real, the promise here is undeniable. Perfecting the playlist – whether it's for a summer barbecue, a long road trip or for smashing PBs at the gym – is a crucial part of modern life.

These days, people take pride in their playlists in the same way your Granny took pride in her display cabinet full of unused plates. And where she may have spent Sunday morning polishing each piece of Royal Dalton, the modern music lover will almost certainly spend their time crafting the perfect cadence in their playlist, offset with the perfect transitions.

I like this feature a lot, and I can't wait to give it a go.