The changes were announced at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference in Cupertino, where the company said it wants to make discovery more personal while also giving developers better management over promotion and subscriptions.

One of the additions is a feature called Personalised Collections. This will surface app recommendations based on a user’s interests and activity.

Apple says the suggestions will appear across the Apps, Games and Search tabs and will adjust over time as users download and interact with more apps.

Alongside this, App Notes will appear to explain why a particular app has been recommended.

These recommendations will begin rolling out in English in the United States first, with other regions and languages to follow later.

Developers will also get new marketing tools. Apple is introducing Creative Assets, which allow richer images and videos to appear on product pages and in search results. These assets can be used to highlight updates, seasonal offers or new features.

There is also a new Asset Library inside App Store Connect, a central storage system where developers can manage screenshots, preview videos and other promotional content in one place.

Apple says this will reduce repeated uploads and make campaigns easier to manage across different pages and events.

On the subscription side, Apple is expanding how apps can be sold to groups. Developers will be able to offer subscriptions to organisations using volume purchasing through Apple Business Manager and Apple School Manager.

These purchases can be assigned across users through existing device management systems.

There is also a new group purchase option which allows one user to buy a subscription and invite others to join under the same plan. This will be handled through built-in invitation tools so users can accept and join without friction.

New App Store Bundles will also allow developers to package subscriptions from different apps together at a reduced price. In addition, Suites will let developers create grouped subscription packages that are not available as individual purchases.

Apple is also adding Retention Messaging tools, allowing developers to present tailored messages or offers when a user tries to cancel a subscription. The aim is to give users alternatives before they leave a service.

For app review and submission, Apple says it is simplifying the process. Developers will now be able to group multiple in-app purchases into a single submission for review, instead of sending them separately. This is designed to speed up approvals and reduce delays.

On the Mac App Store, Apple is also removing the requirement for Intel support. Developers can now ship apps built only for Apple silicon devices, cutting down on the need to maintain multiple versions.

Parental controls are also getting updates. New Time Allowances in iOS 27, iPadOS 27 and macOS 27 will let parents set limits on how long children can use apps across categories such as games, entertainment and social media. Schedules will also allow access to be controlled at different times of the day.

Apple says apps will be categorised more strictly under this system. Developers will also need to update age rating details, including whether their apps involve social features such as user-generated content. These updates will feed into how apps are grouped for parental controls.

The company said on Wednesday that the app is designed to bring fans into a single space where they can follow live conversations, watch trending clips and access curated creator content tied to major events. It is available to users aged 18 and above.

Inside the app, users can take part in simple fan activities like searching event hashtags, visiting the World Cup hub and sharing related posts. TikTok said users will earn “Stars” for these actions.

The Stars can be exchanged for rewards such as official FIFA World Cup merchandise through an in-app store, TikTok Shop vouchers, or donations made through TikTok-funded charity programmes.

TikTok has partnered with Feeding America for the donation feature. Monica Lopez Gonzalez, chief marketing and communications officer at Feeding America, said: “We can end hunger when we come together, and our partnership with TikTok gives sports fans a simple and meaningful way to be part of that effort.”

She added: “By engaging with tournament content on TikTok Pro Events, the fan community can help direct earned Stars toward donations that support neighbours facing hunger.”

The company further noted that the World Cup experience will also connect to content inside its main app. Users can search “FIFA World Cup” to access dedicated hubs, which bring together clips, creators and broadcaster highlights from the tournament.

TikTok said these hubs are powered by a toolset it calls GamePlan, which supports discovery and audience engagement for sports organisations and media partners.

The TikTok Pro Events app is currently being rolled out in the US as a pilot project and will serve as a testing ground for future cultural and sporting events. Users can download it from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

The feature gives listeners a way to save short sections from podcasts and send them to friends or post them on social media without searching through an entire episode.

Spotify said the rollout has started globally for both free and Premium users on mobile devices, while support for more shows will expand gradually.

Users will now see a scissors icon in the “Now Playing” screen while listening to supported podcasts. Once tapped, the tool allows them to capture a segment, trim it, preview it and either save or share it immediately.

Spotify also explained that listeners can share a full episode, chapter, timestamp or a clip through the updated sharing menu. Saved clips will also appear in a dedicated section inside the user’s library and can be added to podcast playlists.

The feature builds on the growth it has already seen with podcast Chapters, which launched earlier this year. According to Spotify, Chapters are now being saved and added to playlists more than two million times every month.

The update also shows how podcasts are becoming a bigger source of news, interviews and online discussions, especially in the technology industry where company executives appear on podcasts instead of traditional interviews.

Spotify believes clips could help podcast creators attract new listeners by making key moments easier to discover and circulate online. The company said early testing showed that podcast saving activity increased when clips were enabled.

In a statement announcing the launch, Spotify said: “Whether it’s a piece of advice that reframes how you think, a conversation that makes you laugh, or a segment you know a friend needs to hear, those moments are often what turns a casual listener into a devoted fan.”

“With clips, listeners can now capture, revisit, and share the exact moments from podcasts that resonate most, without having to search through an entire episode to find them,” the company added:

Spotify also noted that users can access the feature by tapping the scissors icon while listening, trimming the audio segment they want, then choosing to save or share it through the app’s sharing options.

The company said the new model applies to auto-renewable subscriptions and is designed to give users lower monthly prices while helping developers secure steadier long-term income.

Under the system, customers can spread payments across 12 months instead of paying upfront for an annual plan. In return, developers may offer reduced monthly rates compared with standard month-to-month subscriptions.

Developers usually promote annual subscriptions by showing a cheaper monthly equivalent to persuade users to commit for longer. Apple is now building that option directly into the App Store system.

Users can cancel at any time, but the subscription will remain active until all agreed payments have been completed. It will not renew after the 12-month term if the user cancels before the end of the commitment.

To make terms clearer, customers will be able to check how many payments they have completed and how many remain through their Apple Account settings.

Apple also said it will send reminder emails and, for users who opt in, push notifications before renewal dates.

However, the new subscription option will not launch initially in the United States or Singapore. Apple did not give a reason for excluding the two markets.

Developers can already set up the feature in App Store Connect and test it through Xcode.

The option will be available worldwide, except for those two countries, for users running iOS 26.4, iPadOS 26.4, macOS Tahoe 26.4, tvOS 26.4 and visionOS 26.4 or later, once iOS 26.5 and related software updates are released in May.

The update began late Tuesday, with the company saying posts in any language can now be translated automatically for users across the platform.

The feature, powered by Grok, the AI model developed by xAI, has a translation quality which has “improved substantially over the last couple months.”

Users can still manage the feature as they want. Any user who prefers reading posts in their original language, can turn off auto-translate through the settings icon on each translated post.

At the same time, X is adding new image editing tools within its iOS app. The update brings basic options like drawing and text, along with a blur tool that allows users to hide parts of an image, including faces or sensitive details.

There is also a new option to edit images using simple written instructions. Users can ask Grok to change how a picture looks.

For example, they can request a version styled like a painting, and the system will generate it.

The company says the update will reach Android devices later, though no date has been confirmed.

These changes place X alongside other tech companies already providing similar tools. Reddit has been testing translation features for some time, while Google and Adobe have introduced image editing systems that respond to written prompts.

The rollout of auto-translate also comes after the issues raised against X and its owner Elon Musk. At the time, regulators and users complained about misuse of AI tools, especially where images were altered without consent.

The company later limited some of those features to paying users.

The company announced on Thursday that it will cut its standard commission on in-app purchases and paid transactions to 25%, down from 30%. The change takes effect on Sunday.

Developers in Apple’s small business and mini-apps partner programmes will also pay less, with commission dropping to 12% from 15%.

Mini apps are smaller programs that run inside larger platforms such as WeChat, operated by Tencent.

For Chinese developers, the decision removes part of what many have called the “Apple tax”. Companies that run so-called super apps, including Tencent and ByteDance, host large numbers of these smaller applications built by outside developers.

State-owned newspaper Economic Daily says the fee cut could save Chinese developers more than 6 billion yuan, or about $873 million, each year.

“This adjustment will … improve consumption choices and information transparency,” the newspaper said.

“The premium for digital goods and services on the iOS side will be gradually eliminated, and the prices of membership subscriptions, game recharges, live broadcast tips, mini programs and other scenarios are expected to decrease, which is expected to save consumers up to nearly 1 billion yuan per year.”

Apple did not directly link the decision to regulatory pressure. Still, the change follows discussions with Chinese authorities about App Store fees and policies.

The new commission rates start on March 15, which is World Consumer Rights Day. Chinese state media usually use the day to highlight complaints against companies accused of harming consumer interests.

The App Store commission has been called out around the world, with regulators in the European Union forcing Apple to lower developer commissions to between 10% and 17% in 2024 under new digital market rules.

Pressure has also increased in the United States, where Apple now allows alternative in-app payment methods after legal challenges.

China has taken a close look as well, and authorities have considered whether Apple App Store practices violate antitrust rules, and Chinese consumers filed a complaint over the fee structure last year.

Rich Bishop, founder of AppInChina, which helps foreign developers publish apps in China, said regulators have been involved in discussions with Apple.

“In China’s case, (Apple) have been talking with the IT ministry and other departments, and has been requested or pressured ‌to reduce ⁠their fees,” he said.

The change will apply to Chinese companies and also to international developers whose apps appear on the China App Store.

One example is Duolingo, which Bishop said generates about $50 million in annual revenue from Chinese users.

Apple already adapts its App Store policies to comply with Chinese regulations. In the past, the company removed virtual private network apps after requests from internet regulators.

More changes could come and Chinese authorities may eventually require Apple to collect App Store revenues inside the country rather than overseas. This would increase regulatory oversight of foreign apps operating in China.

The round was co-led by Moxxie Ventures and Mercuri, joined by EWOR, Tekton Ventures, Amigos Venture Capital and six unicorn founders. 

Their support comes only months after the company’s two young founders topped AndroidWorld, an influential benchmark for mobile-device automation, beating long-established research groups from Google DeepMind, ByteDance, Microsoft Research and Alibaba.

Unlike web developers, mobile teams usually wait weeks to push even small updates through. Minitap argues that this drag has held the industry back for years. 

The company says its platform lets teams work at a pace closer to the web, cutting feature-delivery cycles from six weeks to a few days.

Nicolas Dehandschoewercker, Minitap’s co-founder and CEO, said the long delays in mobile development impacted their motivation. “We spent two years building our first viral mobile product, today, and I’m embarrassed by that timeline,” he said. He added that “Mobile is 60% of internet usage but moves at 10% of web speed. Every consumer app company (Duolingo, Calm, Hinge etc) ships 5x more experiments on web than mobile. We built Minitap to close that gap for everyone.”

His co-founder, Luc Mahoux-Nakamura, stressed the need for faster testing across consumer apps. “Every consumer mobile company needs to experiment faster. The companies that run 10x more experiments will win their markets. We’re building the infrastructure that makes that speed possible.”

The pair grew up in a small village in Burgundy, studied side by side, and later built several projects together before launching Minitap. Their path included early products, time in military school, engineering research, and work on drone infrastructure, an experience they now say gave them a rare mix of skills.

Investors appear to agree. Daniel Dippold, founder and CEO of EWOR, described the team’s speed and technical range as a competitive advantage. 

“Nicolas is leading one of the fastest teams I’ve seen. It comes from years of working together, knowing mobile inside out, and understanding how to build AI systems that hold up. The combination of AI research capabilities, mobile development skills, and sheer hunger of will is unprecedented and ideal for solving this specific problem.”

Minitap’s platform is built on two key components: mobile-use, an open-source framework that allows automated systems to operate smartphones like real users; and minitap cloud, an infrastructure capable of spinning up thousands of mobile configurations at once. 

Together, these tools help teams generate code, test it across devices, flag errors, and deliver working features far faster than traditional workflows.

Their speedy progress on AndroidWorld brought attention earlier this year. Within their first 40 days, they reached the top of the benchmark and later released their framework openly, drawing more than 1,900 GitHub stars.

The seed round also attracted founders behind companies such as Hugging Face, Last.fm, Adjust, SumUp, FlixBus and Worldcoin, alongside operators from OpenAI, DeepMind, LangChain and LlamaIndex. Investors say the founders’ momentum was difficult to overlook. 

Katie Jacobs Stanton of Moxxie Ventures said: “When you see two 23-year-olds from rural France beat Google in 40 days, you recognize something rare. Nico and Luc are solving a massive problem that they uniquely understand and are moving at an urgent speed.”

Today, Minitap is being used by consumer mobile teams that want to run more experiments without expanding their engineering headcount. The company says its tools will eventually allow product managers to describe a feature, drop in a design, and have code generated and tested in a single afternoon.

Mercuri partner Esha Vatsa believes the long-term potential is vital. “Minitap is one of the first companies that is bringing agentic AI to mobile use and possibly the very first that is taking a full-stack approach to enable the use of AI coding agents for mobile app development. This is a substantial challenge and a huge opportunity that Nico and Luc are uniquely positioned to solve.”

Minitap founders say their vision is to enable the development of mobile apps that adapt themselves automatically, running experiments, studying user behaviour, generating improvements and rolling out new versions with minimal human involvement.

It’s becoming increasingly common for organisations to expect employees to use their own personal devices for work, such as smartphones, tablets and laptops, and employees seem to prefer the level of freedom it gives them.

From an organisational perspective, they stand to save an average of R5 000 per employee every year if their employees use just their own mobile devices, with two-thirds reporting that it boosts their productivity.

In South Africa, this trend has also become ubiquitous. “BYOD, particularly with smartphones having access to corporate email accounts, has become the norm for a lot of South African organisations for many years already,” asserts Anna Collard, SVP Content Strategy and Evangelist at KnowBe4 Africa.

“While organisations in the financial services sector will have stricter policies, many start-ups, SMEs and even some larger organisations often allow, or even expect, employees to use their own phones and laptops, sometimes without formal policies in place.”

While flexible and convenient, she believes this informal approach introduces significant cyber and compliance risks.

The new KnowBe4 Africa Human Risk Management Report 2025 highlights that up to 80% of employees in Africa use personal devices for work, with broader studies finding 70% of these devices are unmanaged, a critical blind spot for many organisations.

BYOD blind spots

The most notable cybersecurity risk associated with BYOD is data leakage. “Personal devices can easily leak sensitive data through unsecured apps, cloud storage or public Wi-Fi,” she explains. “Without proper controls, even a misplaced phone can become a breach vector.”

Another security blind spot is employees downloading malicious apps.

“Employees may unknowingly install apps that contain malware,” Collard comments. “Some apps mimic legitimate ones, but secretly harvest data or open backdoors into corporate systems.”

This also extends to “shadow IT”, the use of unapproved applications or services, which can proliferate via personal devices, creating unmonitored entry points for attackers.

A further risk is outdated software.

“Personal devices may run outdated operating systems or apps, making them vulnerable to known exploits,” she says. “IT teams often lack visibility to patch non-managed devices, and a large percentage of people have ‘an update is ready to be installed on your device’-notifications that have been hanging around for ages; unactioned.”

In addition, many employees may have a false sense of security about their phone or laptop, especially since almost half of Gen Z respondents (48%) take cybersecurity protection on their personal devices more seriously than on their work devices, according to an Ernst & Young survey in the US.

“Just because it’s my device doesn’t mean it’s secure for sensitive work data,” stresses Collard. “A weak BYOD policy opens the door to data leaks, shadow IT and insider risk.”

What organisations should do

In order to mitigate these risks, organisations need to come up with a robust BYOD policy.

“It starts with policy and awareness,” she states. “Organisations must have a clear, communicated BYOD policy – what’s allowed, what’s not and what minimum protection is expected.”

Some useful technical controls include employees having strong passwords, multifactor authentication (MFA), encryption, endpoint security and patching.

Organisations can also segment their networks to isolate personal devices from critical corporate assets.

“Mobile Device Management (MDM) tools can enforce some controls,” concedes Collard, “but they can’t replace human vigilance.”

She is a firm advocate of security awareness training to heighten awareness of cybersecurity risks, especially among younger employees who are more likely to use the same passwords for their personal and professional accounts.

“Organisations need to educate employees on the specific risks of BYOD, beyond  ‘don’t click links’,” she says. This is crucial, as 96% of organisations believe their employees might fall for more attacks in the future due to AI use by bad actors.

The KnowBe4 Africa Human Risk Management Report 2025 further highlights that AI policy remains a governance blind spot in many organisations, with 46% still developing formal AI policies, making employee education on AI-related BYOD risks even more critical.

“Organisations can simulate attacks that leverage BYOD vulnerabilities, such as phishing specific to mobile apps, while fostering a culture where employees feel comfortable reporting potential incidents on personal devices without fear of reprisal.”

Alongside security training, Collard is an advocate of digital mindfulness, which she describes as an important  weapon against cybersecurity threats. “Being digitally mindful helps employees slow down, become aware of risky moments and question suspicious behaviour, especially on personal devices,” she says.

Managing the human element

Even though privately-owned devices may appear to be the problem, managing the human element is absolutely key in mitigating BYOD security risks.

“A device is just a tool; what matters is how we use it,” Collard emphasises. “You can have the most secure set-up, but if someone is rushed, tired or emotionally triggered, they’re more likely to click on a malicious link or fall for a scam.”

She is adamant that organisations need to train their employees’ attention and awareness to build resilience, not just rely on tools.

“Ultimately, it’s a combination of the right technology and human vigilance,” she concludes.

Launched in 2017, Instant Apps were designed to let people launch lightweight versions of Android apps without installing them. Tapping a supported link would trigger an immediate app experience, no downloads, no delays. 

For users, it aimed to bring convenience and for developers, it offered better visibility. But eight years on, it’s obvious the feature didn’t live up to expectations.

A warning spotted in the latest Android Studio build triggered the news. “Instant Apps support will be removed by Google Play in December 2025. Publishing and all Google Play Instant APIs will no longer work. Tooling support will be removed in Android Studio Otter Feature Drop.”

This tucked into a corner of Android Studio, confirmed what many developers had suspected: Instant Apps is on the chopping block.

Google’s decision wasn’t widely announced in the usual way. Instead, the company quietly confirmed the move when pressed. “Usage and engagement of Instant Apps have been low, and developers are leveraging other tools for app discovery such as AI-powered app highlights and simultaneous app installs,” said Google spokesperson Nia Carter. 

“This change allows us to invest more in the tools that are working well for developers, and help direct users to full app downloads to foster deeper engagement.”

In practical terms, Instant Apps never caught on because they demanded more effort than most developers were willing to invest. Apps had to be trimmed to under 15MB, a tight constraint for modern mobile applications bloated with media, libraries, and complex logic. As a result, only a handful of services like Vimeo and Wish ever fully embraced it.

What’s more, Google’s own disinterest in the feature became apparent. The company hadn’t made any significant updates to the platform in years, noting an internal change in priorities. 

Its official developer documentation hasn’t been revised to reflect the upcoming deprecation, a silence that reiterates how marginal Instant Apps had become in Google’s ecosystem.

Now, with the final nail in the coffin scheduled for December, developers still using the feature will need to transition. Google is doubling down on web-based app discovery, simultaneous app installs, and new engagement tools within the Play Store.

Most Android users didn’t notice the feature existed in the first place, and most developers quietly moved on years ago.

These creatives shape the overall product and visual identity of financial brands, creating not just logos, colour schemes, and layouts, but also cohesive design systems that convey professionalism and reliability.

This is crucial because trust is vital in finance. A strong, consistent brand and product design helps customers feel secure and confident in their financial decisions.

In digital platforms, product designers improve user experience. They ensure mobile apps, websites, and other tools are not only visually appealing but also functional and easy to navigate.

A smooth, intuitive interface encourages users to engage more, making digital banking and investing more accessible to a wider audience. This can drive growth, as people are more likely to trust and stick with platforms that are easy to use.

Brand and product designers also simplify complex financial data through infographics and visualizations.

Finance can be overwhelming, but clear visuals and product-led storytelling make it easier for customers to understand. Infographics turn complicated reports into digestible, engaging content, which can help customers make better financial decisions.

Marketing in finance also relies heavily on thoughtful brand design. Designers create visually appealing campaigns that catch the attention of potential customers.

Whether it’s an ad on social media or an email newsletter, well-crafted design helps companies stand out and build a strong online presence.

In a competitive industry like fintech, where innovation is key, product and brand design can be the difference between success and failure.

As financial institutions grow globally, product designers help adapt their offerings and messaging to different cultures.

By adjusting colours, symbols, and user interface elements to fit local preferences, they ensure financial products are accessible to a wider audience. This helps companies expand into new markets while keeping their brand relevant and consistent.

Looking ahead, the role of product and brand designers will only become more important.

Their creative work is key to building trust, improving user experience, simplifying data, and leading marketing efforts.

As finance continues to evolve, their role will remain essential in helping companies grow and connect with customers.