Apple has been pressuring ByteDance and Tencent to close loopholes in China that funnel customers to external payment systems for making in-app purchases, according to a report by Bloomberg. Anyone living in the West knows the drill here. Apple wants that 30 percent commission.

Reporting indicates this pressure campaign began in May. Apple allegedly warned Tencent that it would reject crucial WeChat updates if it didn’t eliminate the ability for users to make payments outside of Apple’s ecosystem. Tencent complied with the original request, issuing an update in July, but Apple went one step further.

WeChat is home to thousands of third-party mini-games and experiences. Apple asked Tencent to disable in-game chat between creators and players, as that's another theoretical loophole that could funnel users to third-party payment systems. Tencent has yet to agree to this request.

Back in June, Apple reportedly did something similar with ByteDance. It threatened to withhold updates of Douyin, which is basically the Chinese version of TikTok, unless it plugged any gaps that steer users away from that much-coveted 30 percent commission. According to Bloomberg, ByteDance has yet to issue a formal response.

These are aggressive moves on the part of Apple. China is the world’s largest smartphone market, sure, but the iPhone isn’t the dominant brand throughout the country. As a matter of fact, the phone failed to crack the top five in sales last quarter and the company recently experienced a 6.5 percent decline in profits.

It’s also worth noting that both ByteDance and Tencent aren’t happy corporate warriors looking out for the little guy. These massive companies levy their own commissions on creators and likely didn’t want Apple cutting into their bottom lines.

An Apple spokesperson was unusually blunt in a statement to Bloomberg, simply saying that company guidelines dictate that the sale of all digital goods must go through its system and that the review team has the power to reject app submissions that violate that policy. Neither Tencent or ByteDance issued a comment to Bloomberg. 

China, like the rest of the world, has been cracking down on walled gardens like Apple’s App Store. Despite the country’s hesitance to continue allowing closed ecosystems controlled by a single entity, Apple CEO Tim Cook is bullish about its prospects in China. “We continue to be confident in the long-term opportunity in China,” he said during a recent earnings call. “I don’t know how every chapter of the book reads, but we’re very confident in the long term.”

Apple is facing numerous legal hurdles all over the world regarding its Hungry Hungry Hippos approach to gobbling up commission fees. The European Commission issued a ruling that dictates it must allow app developers to steer users to payment systems and offers outside of the App Store. The company also faces potential fines from the EU, to the tune of ten percent of global annual revenue. As for the US, Epic sued Apple over its developer transaction fee policy and many other companies have expressed their own concerns. It's also worth nothing that Tencent owns a 40 percent stake in Epic Games. 

Apple has been pressuring ByteDance and Tencent to close loopholes in China that funnel customers to external payment systems for making in-app purchases, according to a report by Bloomberg. Anyone living in the West knows the drill here. Apple wants that 30 percent commission.

Reporting indicates this pressure campaign began in May. Apple allegedly warned Tencent that it would reject crucial WeChat updates if it didn’t eliminate the ability for users to make payments outside of Apple’s ecosystem. Tencent complied with the original request, issuing an update in July, but Apple went one step further.

WeChat is home to thousands of third-party mini-games and experiences. Apple asked Tencent to disable in-game chat between creators and players, as that's another theoretical loophole that could funnel users to third-party payment systems. Tencent has yet to agree to this request.

Back in June, Apple reportedly did something similar with ByteDance. It threatened to withhold updates of Douyin, which is basically the Chinese version of TikTok, unless it plugged any gaps that steer users away from that much-coveted 30 percent commission. According to Bloomberg, ByteDance has yet to issue a formal response.

These are aggressive moves on the part of Apple. China is the world’s largest smartphone market, sure, but the iPhone isn’t the dominant brand throughout the country. As a matter of fact, the phone failed to crack the top five in sales last quarter and the company recently experienced a 6.5 percent decline in profits.

It’s also worth noting that both ByteDance and Tencent aren’t happy corporate warriors looking out for the little guy. These massive companies levy their own commissions on creators and likely didn’t want Apple cutting into their bottom lines.

An Apple spokesperson was unusually blunt in a statement to Bloomberg, simply saying that company guidelines dictate that the sale of all digital goods must go through its system and that the review team has the power to reject app submissions that violate that policy. Neither Tencent or ByteDance issued a comment to Bloomberg. 

China, like the rest of the world, has been cracking down on walled gardens like Apple’s App Store. Despite the country’s hesitance to continue allowing closed ecosystems controlled by a single entity, Apple CEO Tim Cook is bullish about its prospects in China. “We continue to be confident in the long-term opportunity in China,” he said during a recent earnings call. “I don’t know how every chapter of the book reads, but we’re very confident in the long term.”

Apple is facing numerous legal hurdles all over the world regarding its Hungry Hungry Hippos approach to gobbling up commission fees. The European Commission issued a ruling that dictates it must allow app developers to steer users to payment systems and offers outside of the App Store. The company also faces potential fines from the EU, to the tune of ten percent of global annual revenue. As for the US, Epic sued Apple over its developer transaction fee policy and many other companies have expressed their own concerns. It's also worth nothing that Tencent owns a 40 percent stake in Epic Games. 

Instagram is rolling out another way for users to engage with a smaller group of friends and followers starting today. Close Friends on Instagram Live does what it says on the tin: you’ll be able to limit the viewership of livestreams to just your list of Close Friends. Up to three other people will be able to join your more-intimate broadcasts.

This could help users plan trips, collaborate on homework or simply catch up, Instagram suggests. The update will also give influencers an option for hosting livestreams for a private (and perhaps paid-up) audience.

Since November, users have been able to limit the reach of posts and Reels to their Close Friends. According to Instagram, users are looking for ways to connect with friends and followers more privately. The popularity of features like DMs, Close Friends and Notes attests to that.

Speaking of Notes, Instagram has flagged a couple of under-the-radar aspects of that feature that it introduced in recent months. You can now essentially post a video as a note. This will temporarily replace your profile photo. You’ll also see an Easter egg (in other words, confetti animations) when you wish a friend a happy birthday in a note. This will appear when you include the words “happy birthday” or use birthday-related words while @-mentioning a pal.

Last but not least, Instagram has introduced a welcome feed update. You now have the option to add music to carousel posts that include videos. Until now, it was only possible to add music to carousels comprised solely of photos.

Instagram

Google has updated some of its accessibility apps to add capabilities that will make them easier to use for people who need them. It has rolled out a new version of the Lookout app, which can read text and even lengthy documents out loud for people with low vision or blindness. The app can also read food labels, recognize currency and can tell users what it sees through the camera and in an image. Its latest version comes with a new "Find" mode that allows users to choose from seven item categories, including seating, tables, vehicles, utensils and bathrooms.

When users choose a category, the app will be able to recognize objects associated with them as the user moves their camera around a room. It will then tell them the direction or distance to the object, making it easier for users to interact with their surroundings. Google has also launched an in-app capture button, so they can take photos and quickly get AI-generated descriptions. 

Google

The company has updated its Look to Speak app, as well. Look to Speak enables users to communicate with other people by selecting from a list of phrases, which they want the app to speak out loud, using eye gestures. Now, Google has added a text-free mode that gives them the option to trigger speech by choosing from a photo book containing various emojis, symbols and photos. Even better, they can personalize what each symbol or image means for them. 

Google has also expanded its screen reader capabilities for Lens in Maps, so that it can tell the user the names and categories of the places it sees, such as ATMs and restaurants. It can also tell them how far away a particular location is. In addition, it's rolling out improvements for detailed voice guidance, which provides audio prompts that tell the user where they're supposed to go. 

Finally, Google has made Maps' wheelchair information accessible on desktop, four years after it launched on Android and iOS. The Accessible Places feature allows users to see if the place they're visiting can accommodate their needs — businesses and public venues with an accessible entrance, for example, will show a wheelchair icon. They can also use the feature to see if a location has accessible washrooms, seating and parking. The company says Maps has accessibility information for over 50 million places at the moment. Those who prefer looking up wheelchair information on Android and iOS will now also be able to easily filter reviews focusing on wheelchair access. 

Google made all these announcements at this year's I/O developer conference, where it also revealed that it open-sourced more code for the Project Gameface hands-free "mouse," allowing Android developers to use it for their apps. The tool allows users to control the cursor with their head movements and facial gestures, so that they can more easily use their computers and phones. 

Catch up on all the news from Google I/O 2024 right here!

It’s that time of year again. Google’s annual I/O keynote is upon us. This event is likely to be packed with updates and announcements. We’ll be covering all of the news as it happens and you can stream the full event below. The keynote starts at 1PM ET on May 14 and streams are available via YouTube and the company’s hub page.

In terms of what to expect, the rumor mill has been working overtime. There are multiple reports that the event will largely focus on the Android 15 mobile operating system, which seems like a given since I/O is primarily an event for developers and the beta version is already out in the wild.

So let’s talk about the Android 15 beta and what to expect from the full release. The beta includes an updated Privacy Sandbox feature, partial screen sharing to record a certain app or window instead of the whole screen and system-level app archiving to free up space. There’s also improved satellite connectivity, additional in-app camera controls and a new power efficiency mode.

Despite the beta already existing, it’s highly probable that Google will drop some surprise Android 15 announcements. The company has confirmed that satellite messaging is coming to Android, so maybe that’ll be part of this event. Rumors also suggest that Android 15 will boast a redesigned status bar and an easier way to monitor battery health.

Sam Rutherford/Engadget

Android 15 won’t be the only thing Google discusses during the event. There’s a little acronym called AI you may have heard about and the company has gone all in. It’s a good bet that Google will spend a fair amount of time announcing updates for its Gemini AI, which could eventually replace Assistant entirely.

Back in December, it was reported that Google was working on an AI assistant called Pixie as an exclusive feature for Pixel devices. The branding is certainly on point. We could hear more about that, as it may debut in the Pixel 9 later this year. 

Google’s most popular products could also get AI-focused redesigns, including Search, Chrome, G Suite and Maps. We might get an update as to what the company plans on doing about third-party cookies and maybe it’ll throw some AI at that problem too.

What not to expect? Don’t get your hopes up for a Pixel 9 or refreshed Pixel Fold for this event, as I/O is more for software than hardware. We’ll likely get details on those releases in the fall. However, rules were made to be broken. Last year, we got a Pixel Fold announcement at I/O, so maybe the line between hardware and software is blurring. We’ll find out soon.

It’s that time of year again. Google’s annual I/O keynote is upon us. This event is likely to be packed with updates and announcements. We’ll be covering all of the news as it happens and you can stream the full event below. The keynote starts at 1PM ET on May 14 and streams are available via YouTube and the company’s hub page.

In terms of what to expect, the rumor mill has been working overtime. There are multiple reports that the event will largely focus on the Android 15 mobile operating system, which seems like a given since I/O is primarily an event for developers and the beta version is already out in the wild.

So let’s talk about the Android 15 beta and what to expect from the full release. The beta includes an updated Privacy Sandbox feature, partial screen sharing to record a certain app or window instead of the whole screen and system-level app archiving to free up space. There’s also improved satellite connectivity, additional in-app camera controls and a new power efficiency mode.

Despite the beta already existing, it’s highly probable that Google will drop some surprise Android 15 announcements. The company has confirmed that satellite messaging is coming to Android, so maybe that’ll be part of this event. Rumors also suggest that Android 15 will boast a redesigned status bar and an easier way to monitor battery health.

Sam Rutherford/Engadget

Android 15 won’t be the only thing Google discusses during the event. There’s a little acronym called AI you may have heard about and the company has gone all in. It’s a good bet that Google will spend a fair amount of time announcing updates for its Gemini AI, which could eventually replace Assistant entirely.

Back in December, it was reported that Google was working on an AI assistant called Pixie as an exclusive feature for Pixel devices. The branding is certainly on point. We could hear more about that, as it may debut in the Pixel 9 later this year. 

Google’s most popular products could also get AI-focused redesigns, including Search, Chrome, G Suite and Maps. We might get an update as to what the company plans on doing about third-party cookies and maybe it’ll throw some AI at that problem too.

What not to expect? Don’t get your hopes up for a Pixel 9 or refreshed Pixel Fold for this event, as I/O is more for software than hardware. We’ll likely get details on those releases in the fall. However, rules were made to be broken. Last year, we got a Pixel Fold announcement at I/O, so maybe the line between hardware and software is blurring. We’ll find out soon.

It’s that time of year again. Google’s annual I/O keynote is upon us. This event is likely to be packed with updates and announcements. We’ll be covering all of the news as it happens and you can stream the full event below. The keynote starts at 1PM ET on May 14 and streams are available via YouTube and the company’s hub page.

In terms of what to expect, the rumor mill has been working overtime. There are multiple reports that the event will largely focus on the Android 15 mobile operating system, which seems like a given since I/O is primarily an event for developers and the beta version is already out in the wild.

So let’s talk about the Android 15 beta and what to expect from the full release. The beta includes an updated Privacy Sandbox feature, partial screen sharing to record a certain app or window instead of the whole screen and system-level app archiving to free up space. There’s also improved satellite connectivity, additional in-app camera controls and a new power efficiency mode.

Despite the beta already existing, it’s highly probable that Google will drop some surprise Android 15 announcements. The company has confirmed that satellite messaging is coming to Android, so maybe that’ll be part of this event. Rumors also suggest that Android 15 will boast a redesigned status bar and an easier way to monitor battery health.

Sam Rutherford/Engadget

Android 15 won’t be the only thing Google discusses during the event. There’s a little acronym called AI you may have heard about and the company has gone all in. It’s a good bet that Google will spend a fair amount of time announcing updates for its Gemini AI, which could eventually replace Assistant entirely.

Back in December, it was reported that Google was working on an AI assistant called Pixie as an exclusive feature for Pixel devices. The branding is certainly on point. We could hear more about that, as it may debut in the Pixel 9 later this year. 

Google’s most popular products could also get AI-focused redesigns, including Search, Chrome, G Suite and Maps. We might get an update as to what the company plans on doing about third-party cookies and maybe it’ll throw some AI at that problem too.

What not to expect? Don’t get your hopes up for a Pixel 9 or refreshed Pixel Fold for this event, as I/O is more for software than hardware. We’ll likely get details on those releases in the fall. However, rules were made to be broken. Last year, we got a Pixel Fold announcement at I/O, so maybe the line between hardware and software is blurring. We’ll find out soon.

Snapchat will finally join most of its messaging app peers and allow users to edit their chats. The feature, which will be rolling out “soon,” will initially be limited to Snapchat+ subscribers, the company said.

With the change, Snapchat users will have a five-minute window to rephrase their message, fix typos or otherwise edit their chats. Messages that have been edited will have a label indicating the text has been changed. The company didn’t say when the feature might be available to more of its users, but the company often brings sought after features to its subscription service first. Snap announced last week that Snapchat+, which costs $3.99 a month, had reached 9 million subscribers.

The app is also adding several non-exclusive features, including updated emoji reactions for chats, the ability to use the My AI assistant to set reminders and AI-generated outfits for Bitmoji. Snap also showed off a new AI lens that transforms users’ selfies into 1990’s-themed snapshots (just don’t look too closely at the wireless headphones appearing in many of the images.)

The Rabbit R1, a pocket-sized AI virtual assistant device, runs Android under the hood and is powered by a single app, according to Android Authority. Apparently, the publication was able to install the R1 APK on a Pixel 6a and made it run as if it were the $199 gadget, bobbing bunny head on the screen and all. If you already have a phone and aren't quite intrigued by specialized devices or keen on being an early adopter, you probably didn't see merit in getting the R1 (or its competitor, the Humane AI Pin) in the first place. But this information could make you question the device's purpose even more. Rabbit CEO Jesse Lyu, however, denied that the company's product could've just been released an Android app.

In a statement sent to Android Authority, Lyu said: "rabbit r1 is not an Android app." He added that the company is aware that there are "unofficial rabbit OS app/website emulators out there" and is discouraging their use. "We understand the passion that people have to get a taste of our AI and LAM instead of waiting for their r1 to arrive," he continued. "That being said, to clear any misunderstanding and set the record straight, rabbit OS and LAM run on the cloud with very bespoke AOSP and lower level firmware modifications, therefore a local bootleg APK without the proper OS and Cloud endpoints won’t be able to access our service. rabbit OS is customized for r1 and we do not support third-party clients. Using a bootlegged APK or webclient carries significant risks; malicious actors are known to publish bootlegged apps that steal your data. For this reason, we recommend that users avoid these bootlegged rabbit OS apps."

Android Authority admitted that Spotify integration and other features probably wouldn't work when the R1 is installed on a phone, because it was created to run on the company's specialized firmware. However, it promised a follow-up story delving deeper into the subject. 

The R1 has the capability to book you an Uber, find you titles to songs stuck in your brain or look for recipes that can incorporate ingredients you have in your fridge, among other things a virtual assistant or an AI chatbot can do. When Rabbit CEO Jesse Lyu introduced the R1 at CES 2024, he demonstrated how it can be trained to do a variety of other tasks when he taught it to generate an image using Midjourney. Engadget Deputy Editor Cherlynn Low found it more fun and accessible than the $700 Humane AI Pin, but she remains skeptical about the usefulness of AI devices overall. It may still be too early to tell whether they have the potential to become a must-have product for your daily life or the high-tech equivalent of single-use kitchen tools. We're already in the midst of testing the R1 and will publish a review soon to help you decide if it's worth giving the product category a chance.