Apps

TikTok has bounced back from its time offline according to traffic logs, but creators are worried about the uncertain future of the app.

Some are assuming the worst, and preparing for the platform to shut down, while others feel TikTok has a unique role and it would be difficult to replicate their success on other platforms …

Bookshop.org launched five years ago as an online store with a mission of supporting local book shops. Now, that same philosophy is fueling a new ebook app for iPhone and iPad, which enables you to enjoy ebooks while sending your funds to local, independent bookstores.

Digital collectible card game Marvel Snap is back in the App Store, after the game’s developer seemingly severed connections with TikTok parent ByteDance.

Trump has suggested that Microsoft is negotiating to buy TikTok, despite the company’s CEO having previously described the suggestion as “the strangest thing” …

Despite the fact that you can still use the service, TikTok is still very much so banned in the United States. President Trump promised to not fine TikTok and its service providers for continuing to run the services, but that’s just a promise. He also signed an executive order officially suspending the ban, but there’s great odds that that executive order doesn’t actually hold up legally.

For one reason or another, Apple (and Google) have both decided that they don’t want to take the risk. If a court later decides that Trumps promises don’t hold up legally, Apple could be on the hook for up to $850 billion in fines. It just isn’t worth it for them.

Welcome to Indie App Spotlight. This is a weekly 9to5Mac series where we showcase the latest apps in the indie app world. If you’re a developer and would like your app featured, get in contact.

Inscreen taps into Apple’s Screen Time API, and aims to help users be more mindful about the time they’re spending on their devices. Rather than forcefully blocking app access, Inscreen takes a different approach, and keeps you aware of how much time you’re spending on each app.

The never-ending saga of the TikTok ban continues, with a ByteDance board member suggesting that a compromise would be possible.

The remark was made by William E. Ford, an American businessman who is one of the directors of parent company ByteDance …

AI chatbot ChatGPT is down for many users in the US and the UK, with a variety of errors being reported – including gateway errors, login failures, and chats not loading …

There’s a new app called “People” coming soon to the iPhone that looks promising. Like Cardhop and other Contacts app alternatives, People wants to modernize your address book with important context.

This is the pitch from indie developer Andrew Theis:

I’ve played guitar as a hobby since I was in junior high. While the instrument hasn’t changed, the tools I use to make it possible have — sort of. In addition to the built-in GarageBand app, these are the two must-have iPhone, iPad, and Mac apps I use for playing guitar for fun.

The Truecaller app has long been able to flag some incoming spam and scam phone calls, enabling you to reject them, but Apple privacy rules prevented the iOS version from working as effectively as the Android one. This means the iPhone would fail to identify many callers that would be flagged on Android phones.

A new Apple API in iOS 18.2 solves the privacy problem, and additionally now allows Truecaller to automatically block known spammers …

Canon just launched a brand new iPhone and iPad app called Live Switcher Mobile, and it aims to make multi-cam livestreaming easier than ever.

Social media apps X and Bluesky are both rolling out dedicated video feeds, in apparent attempts to take advantage of the continued uncertainty around TikTok.

With X, there’s a new play button icon launching a continuous video feed looking very similar to TikTok, while Bluesky offers custom feeds for video which you can choose to pin …

Today, Meta is announcing Edits: a new mobile video editing platform. This comes just hours after TikTok (and as a result, CapCut) were banned in the US – though TikTok is currently being restored, at least temporarily.

After being offline in the United States for 14 hours, TikTok now says it is in the process of restoring service. In a statement posted to social media, the company said:

In agreement with our service providers, TikTok is in the process of restoring service. We thank President Trump for providing the necessary clarity and assurance to our service providers that they will face no penalties providing TikTok to over 170 million Americans and allowing over 7 million small businesses to thrive.

It’s a strong stand for the First Amendment and against arbitrary censorship. We will work with President Trump on a long-term solution that keeps TikTok in the United States.

In a new notification sent to users, TIkTok has confirmed it is shutting down in the United States. The company says it is “working to restore” its service in the U.S. “as soon as possible” with the help of incoming President Trump.

Apple has also removed TikTok from the App Store in the United States. Google has removed the app from the Play Store.

CapCut, the popular video editing app owned by ByteDance, is also now offline in the United States and has been removed from the App Store.

Welcome to Indie App Spotlight. This is a weekly 9to5Mac series where we showcase the latest apps in the indie app world. If you’re a developer and would like your app featured, get in contact.

PostPocket is a simple tool, aiming to help users keep track of various links, posts, articles, videos, or anything from across the internet. It allows you to save everything in one centralized place. The app also has categorization, allowing you to keep all of your links sorted. The app is available on iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

WhatsApp has announced four improvements to the app, including making it faster and easier for you to react to messages with your most-used emoji.

Parent company Meta says it wanted to start the new year by making the app more fun and easier to use, with a set of four enhancements …

Welcome to Indie App Spotlight. This is a weekly 9to5Mac series where we showcase the latest apps in the indie app world. If you’re a developer and would like your app featured, get in contact.

Univershuffle is a new music discovery app that shuffles all of the songs on Apple Music, completely at random – no AI or algorithms involved. It offers the ultimate experience for finding new music, so long as you’re willing to sort through a ton of songs.

The app is available for free in a limited capacity, though you’ll need to link an Apple Music account to listen to songs in their entirety. It launched on the App Store this week.

Apple occasionally updates the App Store’s layout to make it easier to navigate, or emphasize one content section or another. But new changes recently rolled out that are especially prominent, and make new app discovery easier than ever on iPhone and more.