Category: Technologies

I love testing new apps on my iPhone. Every year, new apps get installed and removed, with very few sticking around for the long haul. Despite my habit of testing and switching apps regularly, some have stuck around, which is a testament to their quality. 

These are also the most used apps on my iPhone and the first ones I install whenever I set up a new iPhone from scratch. Here are 5 iPhone apps I cannot live without in 2026. 

Arc Search: browse smarter, not harder

Arc Search is a mobile browser that has completely changed how I search on iPhone. As soon as you launch the app, you’re greeted with a search bar and a keyboard, ready to go. I use the browser app on my iPhone for quick searches, which makes it perfect for that. 

The standout feature here is the built-in ad blocker. It automatically blocks trackers on any website, providing me with a clean browsing experience. 

Another feature I love is the Browse for Me. I type a query and hit Browse for Me, and Arc pulls the top results from the web and gives me a clean, summarized answer. Think of it as skipping dozens of tabs’ worth of reading in one shot. It works really well for things like sports stats, quick recipes, and travel recommendations.

The tab switcher is also a joy to use. Tabs appear in a card layout similar to the iOS app switcher, and you can swipe to close them just as easily. If you want a fast, smart browser that gets out of your way, Arc Search is the one to beat.

Get Arc Search

Craft: the notes app that keeps up with you

My life revolves around three note-taking apps. Apple Notes is for storing quick notes, Obsidian is for my knowledge-work notes, and Craft is for everything else. On my iPhone, I use Apple Notes and the Crafts app the most. 

What makes it stand out from other note-taking apps is how good it feels to use. The writing experience is smooth, the documents look great, and the app has enough depth to handle everything from quick daily notes to full project planning.

Craft lets you organize everything with folders, spaces, and tags, so you can create whatever structure works for you. You can also embed tasks directly in your documents, making it easier to keep your ideas and to-do list in the same place. 

The app also recently added a Kanban feature, making it perfect for tracking tasks in a project. I also love how the app looks. Its use of colors, templates, and fluid animations makes it a joy to use. 

Get Craft

Apple Reminders: the task manager hiding in plain sight

Most people skip Apple Reminders in favor of fancier apps, and I totally understand why. For a long time, I did the same. But Apple has quietly turned Reminders into one of the most capable task managers on the iPhone, and I’ve been using it as my daily driver for a while now.

You can create time-based and location-based reminders, and even message-based reminders that ping you when you’re texting a specific contact. Smart lists let you create custom views of your tasks using filters like tags, priority, and due date. 

You can also share reminder lists with others, add sub-tasks, attach photos, and even use Siri to add tasks with your voice. All of this, and it’s completely free. If you’re in the Apple ecosystem, you should definitely give this a try before paying for a third-party task manager. 

Pocket Casts: the best podcast app, full stop

I have tested most podcast apps on the App Store, including Apple’s own offering, and Pocket Casts is the only one I always come back to. It features a clean interface, excellent playback controls, and it syncs your listening progress and your queue across all your devices. 

The filters tab lets you create playlists based on your own rules, and you can even use Siri shortcuts with them. The discover section also does a solid job of helping you find new shows. 

It also offers a generous free tier. If you listen to podcasts regularly, Pocket Casts is worth every penny.

Get Pocket Casts

Delta: your childhood game console, on your iPhone

If you grew up playing Nintendo games, you are going to love this one. Delta is a free game emulator on the App Store that supports NES, SNES, Nintendo 64, Game Boy, Game Boy Advance, and Nintendo DS games. It’s polished, well-maintained, and incredibly easy to use.

You get save states, fast forward, cheat code support, and the option to connect a game controller for a proper gaming experience. Delta is perfect for people like me who sneak in a quick game while waiting for a coffee order or standing in a queue. And for those stolen moments, it delivers more fun than any other gaming app on the iPhone.

Get Delta

I love all these apps on my iPhone, and if you have never tried them before, you should definitely check them out. Also, if you haven’t read it, check out my favorite Mac utilities article to discover some awesome apps for your Mac.

The least sexy part of modern gadget design might also be the most revealing: the battery you’re not supposed to replace.

I understand the official story. Sealed phones look cleaner, feel slimmer, and can survive the kind of splash that ruins your week. Adhesives help make that possible, which is the respectable version of the argument. Nobody wants a flagship phone with the structural elegance of a TV remote from 2006.

Still, it’s awfully convenient that the part most likely to wear out is also the part most people are discouraged from touching. The EU is already moving toward rules that make portable batteries easier to remove and replace, with key requirements set to apply from February 2027. Surely our inability to replace a dying battery isn’t also good for the company selling the next phone. Even cartoon villains try to be less obvious.

That’s where the repair argument stops sounding like recycling and starts sounding like dignity.

Why does a dead battery need permission

Right to repair is usually sold as an environmental argument, and that’s fair enough. If a battery swap keeps a phone or laptop alive for another couple of years, nobody needs to pretend that’s a bad outcome. The green case is fine. It’s also too polite.

A dead battery shouldn’t need a legislature, a special tool, and a corporate blessing. Several states have passed repair laws requiring manufacturers to make the basic materials needed to fix their products available, including New York, Minnesota, California, Oregon, and Colorado. Those protections reached 25.75% of Americans as new laws took effect on January 1, 2026. Washington also added protections for devices ranging from personal electronics to wheelchairs after Gov. Bob Ferguson signed two repair bills in 2025.

That’s progress, but it’s also a little embarrassing. A product shouldn’t need a state government standing behind it before its owner can get a manual or a fair shot at repair.

What happens when the device is not just a phone

This gets uglier outside phones and laptops. A sealed phone is annoying. A locked-down tractor or wheelchair can become a trap with financing.

John Deere agreed in 2026 to pay $99 million into a settlement fund and make digital repair tools available to farmers for 10 years as part of a right-to-repair settlement covering large agricultural equipment. Deere didn’t suddenly become the patron saint of screwdrivers, but the case shows how far this logic stretches. When software and diagnostics sit behind company-controlled gates, the person who bought the machine is still outside holding the receipt.

Wheelchairs make the ownership problem harder to shrug off. Oregon’s wheelchair repair law took effect on January 1, 2026, and it requires manufacturers to provide what wheelchair users and independent shops need to get repairs done. Nobody is doing weekend cosplay as a wheelchair technician because they got bored. Sometimes repair access is the difference between independence and waiting for permission.

When does ownership start acting like ownership

Some companies already understand the difference between repair access and customer lock-in. Framework sells laptops built to be opened, repaired, upgraded, and kept around longer instead of treating repair like a weird internet demand from people who own precision screwdrivers. You can argue about whether that model works for everyone, but at least the premise is honest: people should be able to keep using the thing they bought.

The point isn’t that every gadget must become a chunky beige box with a battery door. The point is that convenience shouldn’t become a permanent excuse for dependency.

Often, the broken device is still perfectly real, sitting there with one failed part and a locked door between you and the fix. What changed is that the company kept the one little piece of permission that turns ownership into waiting.

Saving gadgets from the landfill is nice. Being allowed to fix your own stuff is the dignity underneath it.

Netflix might still send Greta Gerwig’s upcoming Narnia film to cinemas, but anyone hoping that this signals a broader shift should know the company has firmly closed that door.

In a frank interview with The New York Times, Netflix film chair Dan Lin made it clear that the streamer’s ties with movie theatres remain largely the same. While Gerwig’s Narnia is slated for a full theatrical run before arriving on Netflix, Lin called the project an outlier, not the start of a new policy. He also hinted that Netflix is not eager to accommodate filmmakers who continue to favor traditional theatrical windows.

“There is a group of filmmakers who still want theatrical,” Lin said. “Those are filmmakers that we’ve accepted we just won’t work with.”

This blunt remark underscores the confidence of a company that no longer feels compelled to follow Hollywood’s old playbook.

Netflix no longer needs theatres to prove itself

A few years back, Netflix poured energy into convincing directors that it could be both a streaming powerhouse and a legitimate studio. Under former film chief Scott Stuber, the service chased acclaimed talent, allocated hefty budgets, and sometimes fought for theatrical releases to boost awards chances.

Today the landscape is very different. Netflix has won the streaming wars by most conventional metrics, boasting hundreds of millions of subscribers, dominating viewership charts, and operating from a position of strength while traditional studios still search for sustainable models. As Lin sees it, the company no longer requires movie theatres to validate its films or reputation.

The focus has shifted to creating movies specifically for Netflix audiences. Over the past two years Lin has pushed a strategy of producing fewer titles, spending more prudently, and concentrating on projects that can draw viewers directly to the platform.

This approach has already yielded hits such as Apex, which logged over 100 million views in its first month, and People We Meet on Vacation, a rom‑com that attracted millions and turned relatively unknown actors into recognizable Netflix stars.

The great theatre divide isn’t disappearing

The tension between streaming and theatrical exhibition remains. Many creators still argue that movies are meant for big screens and packed auditoriums, where theatrical runs can generate cultural momentum, awards buzz, and prestige that streaming premieres often lack.

Netflix, however, sees the equation differently. Lin’s comments suggest the company is comfortable walking away from creators whose demands clash with its business model—a notable shift from earlier years when Netflix seemed eager to win over skeptical Hollywood talent at almost any cost.

The Narnia release shows that exceptions can still happen when a project is large enough or a filmmaker wields enough leverage. Yet Netflix appears intent on keeping such outliers rare. The company envisions its future inside its own app, not in multiplexes.

For cinephiles, that may be disappointing. There is something undeniably magical about watching a sprawling fantasy epic on a giant screen surrounded by strangers. Yet from a business standpoint, Netflix’s position is hard to dispute. If a film can reach tens of millions worldwide without ticket sales, the streamer sees little reason to share the spotlight with theatres.

So while Narnia may enjoy a brief stint under a cinema marquee, don’t mistake that for a revival of Netflix’s theatrical ambitions. According to the executive overseeing the movie division, that chapter was never meant to be reopened.

A team of researchers at Georgia Tech has developed a new smartphone‑based system that could dramatically simplify how people interact with robots. Called COBALT, the platform allows users with little to no computing experience to remotely control robot arms from virtually anywhere in the world using just a phone and an internet connection.

The project, developed at Georgia Tech’s People, AI & Robotics (PAIR) Lab, transforms smartphones into motion controllers for robotic arms. Users simply move their phones in different directions, and the robot mirrors those movements in real time. Basic tasks such as grabbing, moving, and releasing objects can be performed through simple on‑screen controls, making the experience feel more like playing a mobile game than operating industrial machinery.

Ayush Agarwal, a Ph.D. student in Georgia Tech’s School of Interactive Computing who leads the COBALT research team, said the system was intentionally designed to make robotics accessible to beginners rather than experts. During testing, participants from countries including India, Indonesia, and Pakistan remotely controlled robot arms located inside Georgia Tech’s lab despite having no prior robotics experience.

Researchers believe crowdsourcing could shape the future of robotics

The broader goal behind COBALT extends beyond convenience. Researchers believe the platform could solve one of robotics’ biggest challenges: collecting enough real‑world training data to improve AI‑powered robotic systems.

Modern robots require enormous amounts of policy training data to learn how to perform physical tasks reliably. According to Assistant Professor Animesh Garg, who directs the PAIR Lab, simulation alone is not enough to train robots for large‑scale deployment. Instead, researchers envision a crowdsourced network where millions of smartphone users passively contribute operational data by remotely interacting with robots.

Garg compared the idea to tapping into the nearly five billion smartphone users worldwide. By lowering the barrier to entry, the team hopes to create a scalable global system capable of accelerating robotic learning and automation.

The technology could also have major educational implications. Georgia Tech researchers recently demonstrated COBALT to students from Midtown High School in Atlanta, allowing them to remotely operate robot arms using smartphones. The simplicity of the interface could make robotics education more accessible in classrooms without expensive equipment or specialized hardware.

A future “gig economy” for robots may not be far away

The researchers also believe COBALT could eventually support entirely new forms of remote work. Garg described the possibility of a robot‑powered gig economy where people remotely operate assistive robots in homes, warehouses, or factories from anywhere in the world.

In practical terms, that could mean a factory robot autonomously handles most tasks but requests human assistance when it encounters a difficult situation. Instead of requiring on‑site workers, remote operators could briefly take control through their phones before handing the operation back to the AI system.

Agarwal said user studies showed smartphones were preferred over VR headsets, keyboards, or traditional controllers because they felt more intuitive while still providing high‑quality control data. The system also minimizes latency by using WebRTC technology, similar to platforms like Zoom and Google Meet, ensuring that robot movements and live video streams remain responsive even across long distances.

The research paper on COBALT is being presented this week at the IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation in Vienna, where the team is showcasing not just the technology itself, but the large‑scale remote operation network built around it.

Google may have just accidentally shown everyone where Gemini is headed next. According to TestingCatalog, a new Troubleshooting mode has quietly appeared inside the Gemini model picker menu for some users.

It sits alongside existing options like Gemini 3.5 Flash and 3.1 Pro, which are the standard AI models you already switch between in the app.

GOOGLE 🔥: A new Troubleshooting mode has been spotted on Gemini.

In this mode, Gemini will explain troubleshooting process via text responses and interactive widgets. Even though it is working and available, it still looks like an unintended release and might get reverted… https://t.co/FWQLelYXju pic.twitter.com/Y73PJb7y1e

— 🚨 AI News | TestingCatalog (@testingcatalog) June 4, 2026

What does the Troubleshooting mode in Gemini actually do?

Rather than giving you a wall of text to read, the Troubleshooting mode guides you through a problem step by step using a mix of text responses and interactive widgets.

For example, if you tell Gemini your car will not start, it might identify common causes like a dead battery and then present you with symptom options to tap, such as “clicks or silent,” to help narrow down the issue faster. It is a more structured, guided experience than asking Gemini a question in regular chat mode.

How is this different from just asking Gemini normally?

That is a fair question, and the answer comes down to how the mode is tuned under the hood. Redditors who got early access suggest it runs on a lower temperature setting, which means it sticks closely to the problem at hand and skips the conversational filler.

Its responses are reportedly focused on diagnosis and practical fixes rather than general information. Google has not officially announced the feature, and it remains unclear whether this is a planned rollout or an internal test.

For now, the Troubleshoot feature appears to be an unintended release, meaning Google likely flipped it on by mistake, and could pull it back at any time. More details are expected in the coming weeks.

If you find Gemini’s new Troubleshooting mode exciting, there is a lot more happening with the assistant right now. Google just unveiled Gemini Spark, a 24/7 AI agent that handles your tasks in the background. On the flip side, free users may soon face stricter weekly usage caps.

If you’ve ever written an email draft in ChatGPT only to copy it into Gmail or Outlook to hit send, you can now skip that extra step. OpenAI has introduced a feature that enables you to dispatch emails straight from writing blocks on the web version of ChatGPT, keeping the entire workflow inside a single conversation.

ChatGPT writing blocks now support sending emails

Writing blocks, a formatting tool launched late last year, turn email drafts into a distinct, clean block that resembles a real email editor rather than a plain chat reply. You can highlight any line to request revisions, accept or reject suggestions individually, and edit the text directly within the block without needing to copy it elsewhere. The newest update pushes this further by adding a send button, so you never have to leave the chat to deliver your message.

Draft it. Tweak it. Send it.You can now send emails directly from writing blocks in ChatGPT on the web, without leaving the conversation. pic.twitter.com/GoQtlSFGFG

— ChatGPT (@ChatGPTapp) June 5, 2026

Is it safe to send emails through ChatGPT?

Before you start relying on this capability, note a recent lawsuit filed in California alleging that OpenAI shared user prompts, chat queries, and identifying data with Google and Meta tracking tools without proper consent, potentially violating state privacy law and federal wiretap statutes. You may want to avoid drafting highly sensitive content until the matter is resolved.

What else is ChatGPT working on?

OpenAI continues to roll out new features. The assistant is getting better at remembering details about you by learning from your chat history, making conversations feel more personalized over time. On the productivity front, ChatGPT for Excel and Google Sheets has left beta and is now globally available, allowing users to create workbooks, clean data, and generate formulas using plain language without being spreadsheet experts.

Apple has spent most of the past year telling users that a more capable Siri is on the horizon. A fresh report now indicates the company might be tempering expectations before the assistant finally lands. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman says internal documents label the overhauled Siri as a “beta” and “preview” product, suggesting Apple may not present it as a polished, finished experience when it rolls out later this year. This mirrors the rollout of the original Siri, which bore the beta tag for about two years after its debut.

**Apple appears to be lowering the stakes**

Choosing this route would break from Apple’s usual practice of unveiling major software features with a high‑gloss launch. While Apple is famed for refined releases, artificial intelligence poses a distinct set of challenges. Branding the new Siri as a preview would give the company leeway to refine the assistant publicly without promising perfection from day one. It also helps explain why Apple has been unusually cautious when discussing the next‑generation capabilities of Siri after earlier delays pushed the project back.

The approach reflects a wider reality confronting the AI sector. Whether it’s chatbots spewing inaccurate data or digital assistants missing context, even the biggest tech firms are still learning how to make AI dependable for everyday use.

**Not everyone may get access immediately**

Gurman’s reporting also hints at another scenario: Apple could roll out a waitlist for users eager to test the upgraded Siri. This wouldn’t be unprecedented—Apple employed a similar tactic when it introduced Apple Intelligence in 2024, gradually expanding access rather than opening it to everyone at once. A waitlist would let the company monitor performance, collect feedback, and manage demand while ironing out bugs behind the scenes.

For users, this means the debut of Apple’s AI‑powered assistant may resemble an early‑access program more than a traditional software launch. While that could disappoint those hoping for an instant upgrade, it may ultimately be the safer path. A smarter Siri that arrives gradually is likely preferable to one that launches quickly and falls short of Apple’s lofty AI ambitions.

For years, smartphone makers have been locked in a race for brighter screens, thinner bezels, and sharper resolutions. Now, it looks like the next battleground could be refresh rates — and things are getting a little absurd.

A new leak suggests OnePlus is exploring a roadmap that could eventually bring 240Hz OLED displays to its flagship phones. That’s a number typically associated with competitive gaming monitors, not devices that spend most of their time scrolling through social media feeds and watching YouTube videos. According to tipster Digital Chat Station, OnePlus is considering a gradual jump through 165Hz and 185Hz panels before ultimately reaching 240Hz in future devices.

The refresh rate race is heating up

Most flagship smartphones today top out at 120Hz, which already feels incredibly smooth for everyday use. Animations are fluid, scrolling feels responsive, and games that support high frame rates look noticeably better. But OnePlus appears interested in pushing beyond what most users would consider necessary.

Recent rumors surrounding the upcoming OnePlus 16 have already hinted at a 165Hz-to-185Hz jump while retaining the company’s preferred 1.5K display resolution. That suggests OnePlus may be prioritizing speed over pixel count, at least for now. It’s not hard to see the appeal. Higher refresh rates can make supported games feel more responsive, especially in fast-paced shooters and racing titles. The challenge is that the benefits become increasingly difficult to notice as the numbers climb.

The real challenge isn’t speed

Getting to 240Hz is one thing; doing it without destroying battery life is another. That’s likely why OnePlus reportedly continues to favor 1.5K panels over sharper 2K displays. Combining ultra-high refresh rates with higher resolutions demands more power, more processing muscle, and more aggressive thermal management.

The company could revisit 2K screens in the future, but only if display technology improves enough to avoid major compromises. For now, the rumored OnePlus 16 is expected to arrive later this year with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 chip and a larger silicon-carbon battery, both of which could help support more demanding display hardware. Whether anyone truly needs a 240Hz smartphone screen is another question entirely. But if the leak is accurate, OnePlus seems determined to find out.

Apple is reportedly gearing up for a potentially disruptive shift in how notifications behave in iOS 27 and iPadOS 27. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman says internal builds now show incoming alerts sliding in from the left edge of the screen. While that might appear to be a minor visual tweak, it seems to be part of a broader redesign of navigation gestures that could compel long‑time iPhone users to re‑train years of instinctive motions.

The familiar swipe might no longer work as expected

For years, iPhone owners have relied on a simple gesture: swipe down from near the middle of the display to pull down the Notification Center. In iOS 27, that action is slated to open Search or an AI‑driven assistant panel instead. Accessing notifications would require a new motion—swiping down from the left side of the screen. Anyone who has switched to a new smartphone after years on another platform knows how deeply these gestures become ingrained.

Apple’s AI push could be behind the change

The reported redesign hints that Apple wants Search and its AI capabilities to take a much more prominent place in the iPhone experience. Rather than tucking AI tools behind buttons or menus, the company appears to be assigning them one of the most natural gestures on the device, signaling where it sees future user interactions heading.

The animation for notifications also seems crafted to reinforce the new behavior. With alerts now arriving from the{ left side of the screen, the visual cue lines up with the new swipe direction needed to view them. Whether users will welcome the alteration remains to be seen. History shows that even modest tweaks to familiar gestures can provoke strong reactions. If the leak is accurate, iOS 27 may not only look different—it could reshape how millions of people instinctively interact with their iPhones each day.

A New York Times examination of internal documents from lawsuits filed by more than 1,400 school districts against Meta, Snap, TikTok, and YouTube shows that these firms deliberately targeted students, even as their own safety teams warned about the damage being caused.

The evidence is stark. Snapchat sent phone alerts to teens during school hours, urging them to post what was happening in their classrooms. A Snapchat strategy memo even labeled classroom phone use as “under the desk” time.

Meta went further, hiring “teen ambassadors” and paying high‑schoolers $45 gift cards plus branded gear to promote Instagram to their peers. TikTok contributed millions to the National PTA, partially to fund school events focused on online safety.

Did the companies know what they were doing? The answer is yes, and that’s why the revelations are so unsettling. TikTok’s safety team had advocated for years to turn off notifications during school hours, but senior leadership rejected the proposal. A TikTok employee wrote in 2022, “Teachers are going to hate it. Kids already have smartphone addiction in class,” referring to a feature that nudged users to post within three minutes. A manager replied, “If we assume teens are going to do this anyway, we’d rather them be here on TikTok.”

Google was not blameless either. A 2020 internal memo stated that “investing in schools helps onboard kids into Google’s ecosystem,” and YouTube managers were aware that the algorithm was serving off‑topic videos to students during class time.

What’s next? All four companies recently settled with Breathitt County Schools, a small Kentucky district of roughly 1,500 students, for $27 million. However, that is likely only the start. The upcoming case involves Tucson Unified School District, which is seeking more than $1 billion in damages.

Cornell Law professor Alexandra Lahav described the litigation as “massive, massive lawsuits” that could ultimately cost these corporations billions. The companies argue that the pandemic and other factors are to blame for the teen mental‑health crisis, and that parents and schools also share responsibility. Whether a court will concur is a separate question.

Even if a court awards a billion dollars, that sum is a drop in the bucket for these firms, which can easily absorb it while generating 100 times that amount in a single year. Unless criminal charges are pursued for plainly harming children and students, and strict legislation is enacted, such practices are unlikely to cease anytime soon.