Ask me what I’m reading at any given moment and I’ll probably rattle off at least three titles, not to mention comics and the occasional textbook I may also be chipping away at in the background. Reading multiple books simultaneously might sound chaotic (at least, people always tell me it is), but there is a degree of organization to it all: each book in my pile of current reads is in a different format. I'll have one physical, paper book, an ebook and an audiobook in progress at a time, so I always have something on hand to read no matter where I am.
While I used to carry around a dedicated ereader, I've shifted more toward using my phone for the job these days, especially since getting a foldable. Consequently, I've tried out a bunch of different apps for reading and logging my books. These are the ones I like most.
Libro.fm
Audiobooks have really grown on me over the last few years, almost entirely replacing podcasts as the thing I'll throw on when I'm cleaning, taking a walk or going for a long drive. While I tried to make do at first by only borrowing audiobooks from the library, I quickly found that the extremely limited selection from my library system coupled with really long wait times just wouldn't cut it if I wanted to stay up on new releases. After researching all the options, I settled on Libro.fm, an audiobook platform that shares a portion of profits (about half, according to a 2022 interview) with independent bookstores. And even better, you get to pick which bookstore to support with your purchases.
I wasn't expecting to find my favorite local bookstore — a tiny shop in a small town in New York's Hudson Valley — on Libro.fm, so I was pleasantly surprised when it turned up in the search. With that, and the fact that all audiobooks from Libro.fm are Digital Rights Management (DRM) free, so you can actually download the files and do with them as you please, I was sold. You have a few options for buying audiobooks through Libro.fm: you can subscribe for $15 per month, which gives you one audiobook credit and a 30 percent discount on all purchases; you can buy credit bundles to save on purchases without a subscription; and you can purchase individual titles at their full, non-member price. There are also plenty of free books to choose from.
Bookshop.org app
The moment I found out that Bookshop.org had launched ebooks and an app to read them on, I made the site my sole destination for buying digital books and haven't looked back. Just like Libro.fm, Bookshop.org lets you choose a local bookseller to support with your purchases. It's been doing this for physical book sales for the last five years — and according to its tally has raised over $38 million for independent bookstores in that time — but until now, there hasn't been a similar option for ebooks. The new app is a no-frills ereader app where you can browse the Bookshop.org catalog to save titles to your wishlist (purchases have to be made on the site) and read all the ebooks you've bought. There are some things I'd love to see it gain in the future, like comics and the option to display pages side by side for reading book-style on a foldable, but it's a great start as it is, especially if your primary concern is supporting small businesses.
Right now Bookshop.org's ebook service doesn't sync with any of the mainstream ereader devices, so you're locked into reading on Android, iOS or a web browser, but the company said it's working on Kobo integration and we could see that happen before the end of this year.
Libby
Libby, aka the library app, is my app of choice for older, less in-demand ebooks and audiobooks, or for when I don't have anything particular in mind and just want to browse the catalog to see what jumps out at me. It lets you link multiple library cards, meaning you potentially have a huge pool to pull from, and since you're borrowing books rather than buying them, it's entirely free. Libby also connects with Kindle, and you can have your titles automatically sent to your ereader. Some Kobo devices support OverDrive (the distributor behind Libby) too.
While using an app may not be quite as satisfying as perusing the stacks IRL, I really like Libby's tag system, which lets you organize your borrowed books and To Be Read titles in whatever way works best for you. You can have a dedicated TBR tag, or create several different tags to group things by genre, mood, etc. Libby is also a great place to find magazines.
Moon+ Reader (Android only)
Moon+ Reader is the best app I've used yet for instances where I have the actual file for a book or document. It supports a ton of different file types — including ePUB, PDF, AZW3, MOBI and many more — and allows you to highlight and annotate text, in addition to offering auto scroll and text-to-speech so the text can be read aloud to you. It's really customizable, too. You can choose things like font, font color, background, margin width, line spacing and more for each document, and save the final build as a theme so you can use it again later. Designwise, the app feels almost like a relic of a bygone digital era, organizing all of your books in a skeuomorphic virtual bookshelf, and I love it. There are a few style options for the bookshelf too, or you can turn off the bookshelf and just see your books in a standard grid.
There's both a free and paid version of the Moon+ Reader, and this is a situation where getting the paid version (Moon+ Reader Pro) is actually worth it. It's a one-time purchase of $10, and going that route will get rid of ads and open up more customization options. In addition to importing your own files into the app, Moon+ Reader has Project Gutenberg integrated so you can directly access that library of over 75,000 free books.
The Storygraph
Naturally, I need a way to keep up with all the reading I'm doing, and that's where The StoryGraph comes in. The StoryGraph is a data-focused app for keeping track of everything you're currently reading, everything you've read and the ever-growing list of titles you want to read. It even allows you to mark books as "did not finish." I love that I can have five in-progress books logged at a time, and can even update each entry to note how far along I am, which is nice for those I'm dragging my feet on completing.
When you leave a review, you have the option to be really detailed about it, going beyond a star rating and a blurb. Reviewers can indicate whether the book would appeal to readers who like a particular mood, with over a dozen options. You rate the pace and answer basic questions about the plot and characters, like whether there's character development or if the characters are even likeable. There's also the option to add content warnings.
Where The StoryGraph really shines, though, is in the stats. There are tons of actual graphs built into the experience to show you a comprehensive breakdown of your reading habits, from the genres, moods and pacing you prefer, to how much fiction you've read versus nonfiction. You can set challenges for yourself, like a yearly reading goal, and you'll be shown a Reading Wrap-up at the end of the year. It'll tell you how long it takes you to finish a book on average, and compare your reading stats to previous years.
There is a mild social component to the app, but it's tucked away in its own tab and not shoved in your face, which I appreciate as someone who tends to shy away from those things. If you want, though, you can participate in or create readalongs, start buddy reads and book clubs (and even write out a code of conduct for the latter) or just see what other people with similar interests to yours are reading. The StoryGraph team also really seems to take users' feedback into consideration, and is constantly adding new things to the app and tweaking existing ones to improve the experience, which is always nice to see.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/the-best-apps-for-reading-tracking-and-listening-to-books-120047705.html?src=rss
There's finally a Snapchat app for watchOS, bringing the social media platform to Apple's line of wearables. This has been a long time coming, given that the first Apple Watch graced our wrists over a decade ago.
The app lets users preview incoming messages and reply by using the keyboard, scribbling with a finger, voice dictation or sending out an emoji. Apple Watch wearers could already preview a Snapchat message by enabling them on an iPhone, but there wasn't a way to respond until now.
Snapchat says the app will be useful when doing things like alerting friends when arriving at a restaurant or when sending out a quick reply during a run. A company representative told us that it's good for people who want to "keep active conversations going while they're on the go."
They also indicated that previewing a message on an Apple Watch will not mark it as "read" on the mobile or web app, as it only shows the first 100 characters. The app cannot be used to view images or videos, but the company plans to "evolve the experience over time."
Despite coming ten years after the Apple Watch first launched, Snapchat has still outpaced many of its rivals. There isn't a dedicated Facebook app for the wearable, or a WhatsApp release. Facebook Messenger did have an app once upon a time, but it was pulled.
Snapchat's watchOS app comes just ahead of this year's WWDC event. Rumors indicate that Apple is planning on some major announcements throughout the event, including a complete redesign of its various operating systems and new Apple Intelligence features that I'm sure everyone will just love.
Jim Lanzone, the CEO of Engadget’s parent company Yahoo, joined the board of directors at Snap on September 12, 2024. No one outside of Engadget’s editorial team has any say in our coverage of the company.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/snapchat-finally-has-a-watchos-app-after-a-decade-163733916.html?src=rss
Microsoft will begin testing its Copilot for Gaming app in a beta version that launches on mobile devices today. The intelligent gaming assistant was announced earlier this year and promised to help make players faster and sharpen their skills. The app that was launched today allows players to ask the gaming assistant questions about in-game strategy and controls using voice or text. Users can also ask for game recommendations and specific questions about their Xbox accounts and subscriptions.
AI-assisted gaming has been a hot topic as companies like Microsoft and Razer have entered the space. These tools could replace strategy guides as they help walk you through a particularly tough spot in a campaign or advise you on tactics during a raid in an MMORPG.
The app’s launch on mobile is designed to serve as a second screen while playing your game on Xbox. Taylor O’Malley, principal program manager at Xbox, said, “The companion knows what game you’re playing and understands your Xbox activity, so it can answer any questions about the games you’re interested in, provide links to more information when its response includes web sources or answer questions based on your account, play history and achievements.”
The early preview version of Copilot for Gaming will be initially available through the beta version of the Xbox app in over 50 regions. Android and iOS users who already have Xbox beta downloaded will be able to give feedback on Copilot for Gaming by grading responses and marking incorrect ones.
Android users who don’t already have the Xbox beta app downloaded can do so through the Google Play Store. iOS users can no longer download the Xbox beta app if they don’t already have it. Microsoft says that the Copilot for Gaming beta will also be coming soon to Game Bar on Windows PCs, with wider availability planned for the full Xbox app in the future.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/microsoft-launches-copilot-for-gaming-in-mobile-beta-183344187.html?src=rss
Texas is the latest state to adopt an age-verification law for app stores. Despite lobbying from big tech, reportedly including a personal call from Apple CEO Tim Cook, Governor Greg Abbott has signed a bill that requires app stores to verify users' ages and obtain parental approval for a minor to download software or make in-app purchases.
The sponsors of the Texas bill said it was intended to protect children and teens from inappropriate content. "This puts tools in the hands of parents to make decisions for their own children," said bill author Angela Paxton. The Republican state senator is married to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
Utah was the first state to enact legislation that places responsibility on app store operators to check users' ages. Similar to the Texas endeavor, Google also petitioned Utah's governor for that bill to be vetoed. Apple and Google have pushed back against these age-verification measures, arguing that they pose privacy risks for all users by creating a new infrastructure where they need to submit personal information. "We believe there are better proposals that help keep kids safe without requiring millions of people to turn over their personal information," Apple said regarding the new Texas law.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/texas-enacts-age-verification-law-for-app-stores-190603522.html?src=rss
Apr 4, 2024; San Antonio, Texas, USA; A detail shot of the Texas flag at the first hole during the first round of the Valero Texas Open golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports
The wait is (finally) over. There's an official WhatsApp release for Apple iPads. It only took 16 years, as WhatsApp first entered the scene all the way back in 2009. As a matter of fact, the messaging platform predates the iPad itself, which launched in 2010.
The iPad offers much more screen real estate than a smartphone, and Meta seems to have made good use of the extra space. The app takes advantage of the tablet's multitasking features like Split View and Slide Over, so users can view multiple apps at once. This lets folks, for instance, browse the web as they chat with a friend.
The iPad version of the app also works with Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil, which should speed up conversations. It allows for video and audio calls with up to 32 people, and integrates with both the front and rear cameras. Just like other versions of WhatsApp, chats sync across devices. WhatsApp for iPad is available right now via the App Store.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/whatsapp-finally-launches-an-official-version-for-ipads-165608577.html?src=rss
Microsoft says Apple's App Store rules are to blame for the continued delay of the Xbox mobile app store it announced last summer. In an amicus brief filed this week first spotted by The Verge, Microsoft expressed support for Epic Games in the company's long-running bout against Apple. The company also expressed concern that Apple could succeed in overturning the injunction that has opened the floodgates for payments outside of apps that circumvent Apple's 30 percent fee.
"Among its other provisions, the order challenged in this appeal would prevent Apple from requiring consumers and app developers (like Microsoft) to use Apple’s in-app payment processing system as the exclusive means for the purchase of digital goods or services for use within iOS apps available for download on the Apple App Store, Microsoft said in the brief. "In part as a response to the district court’s injunction issued over a year ago, Microsoft undertook significant work to prepare new consumer offerings. However, Apple’s evasion of the injunction has hampered Microsoft in delivering these offerings."
The offering in questions would have allowed Microsoft to direct users of its apps like the Xbox app or games like Candy Crush and Minecraft to "separate platforms for payment." That's exactly what Spotify and Amazon's Kindle app has started doing in recent weeks, letting those companies avoid Apple's standard in-app purchase fees.
"The district court’s injunction allows Apple to maintain its in-app exclusivity but at least should have enabled Microsoft to offer consumers a workable solution by launching its own online store — accessible via link-out — for in-app items to be purchased off-app and used in games or other apps," the brief reads in part. "And that is what Microsoft wants to do. But even this solution has been stymied by Apple."
Apple filed an appeal against the injunction earlier this month, and just a few days later it asked the Ninth Circuit to halt enforcement of the original ruling while it works through its appeal. Microsoft, for its part, is urging the court to enforce the injunction while the courts handle the appeal. The company points out that Apple itself has said that the policy changes it made in response to the injunction "can be undone," raising concern that without firm enforcement by the courts, Apple could pull the rug at any given moment.
While things are moving quickly, with apps like Fortnite already returning to the App Store in the US, Microsoft remains in a holding pattern awaiting a firm outcome in the case. It seems they want to avoid a situation where the Xbox mobile store is released, only to be taken down should Apple win on appeal.
Update, May 21, 2025, 3:42PM ET: This story has been updated with a link to the amicus brief that Microsoft filed and now includes more details from that filing.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/microsoft-blames-apple-for-xbox-mobile-store-delays-162413207.html?src=rss
A spokesperson told Bloomberg that Apple "did not take any action to remove the live version of Fortnite from alternative distribution marketplaces," and that the company wants Epic's European branch to resubmit the latest gameupdate for publishing, "without including the US storefront of the App Store so as not to impact Fortnite in other geographies."
Apple has blocked our Fortnite submission so we cannot release to the US App Store or to the Epic Games Store for iOS in the European Union. Now, sadly, Fortnite on iOS will be offline worldwide until Apple unblocks it.
While that sounds like a denial of wrongdoing, it does imply Apple specifically doesn't want Epic to relaunch Fortnite on the US App Store. The company submitted Fortnite for publishing on May 9 following a victory in court that forced Apple to allow developers to support alternative payment methods for apps on the web. At the time, Epic CEO Tim Sweeney was hoping to use the change as justification to bring Fortnite back entirely, after only offering the game through streaming platforms on mobile.
Fortnite was originally removed from the App Store because Epic started directing players to circumvent Apple's in-app payment system to buy in-game currency. The move was part of a larger plan from Epic to push back on Apple and Google's tight control over their respective platforms and storefronts. That plan has partially worked. Thanks to Epic's court win, multiple app developers are now offering alternative payment methods in their apps, but it obviously hasn't changed how Apple feels about the game developer.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/apple-claims-its-not-blocking-epic-from-offering-fortnite-in-the-eu-175423021.html?src=rss
The popular video game "Fortnite" by Epic Games is pictured on a screen in this picture illustration August 14, 2020. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/Illustration
After winning a court case pretty decisively against Apple, developer Epic submittedFortnite to the US App Store and suggested it would soon be back on iOS. However, according to the Fortnite team, Apple has blocked the game on both the US App Store and the EU's iOS version of its own Epic Games Store.
Fortnite had been available on iPhones in Europe since August last year due to EU rules that allow third-party iOS stores.
Epic CEO Tim Sweeney suggested that Apple didn't have any particular reason to refuse the application. "Apple’s App Review team should be free to review all submitted apps promptly and accept or reject according to the plain language of their guidelines," he tweeted. "App Review shouldn’t be weaponized by senior management as a tool to delay or obstruct competition, due process, or free speech." Apple has yet to comment on the matter.
To recap: this entire kerfuffle between Apple and Epic has been over, essentially, rent-seeking, and who gets to profit from it. Apple thinks it should keep getting a cut of sales through its App Store; Epic, naturally, would like to keep lining its own pockets. This fight initially opened up the option for developers to use third-party app stores for iOS apps, though a portion of their sales were still flowing back to Apple's coffers. The most recent court ruling attempted to close that apparent loophole.
The latest Fortnite version submitted by Epic included payment systems for Apple along with external payment via Epic's own store. Fortnite was originally banned from the App Store in 2020 after it submitted a version that included an external payment system that violated Apple's rules at the time — a decision subsequently backed by a court decision in 2021. To that end, Apple may not be legally obligated to reinstate Epic, despite the fact that the rule originally broken by the developer no longer existed.
This fight is, of course, ongoing. Apple appealed the most recent ruling and asked the court to halt App Store changes until a final decision is made.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/fortnite-is-offline-on-ios-around-the-world-131535163.html?src=rss
UKRAINE - 2021/09/23: In this photo illustration a Fortnite logo is seen on a smartphone screen with an Apple logo in the background. (Photo Illustration by Pavlo Gonchar/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Years after the Federal Trade Commission sued Meta in a bid to halt acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp, the trial that will shape its future is finally underway. The trial kicked off last month when CEO Mark Zuckerberg took the stand, and it’s expected to last several weeks.
Facebook’s 2012 acquisition of Instagram is a central part of the FTC’s case against Meta. The government says Zuckerberg bought Instagram to neutralize it as a competitor. When Instagram’s cofounder and former CEO Kevin Systrom took the stand, he didn’t exactly defend the move. While Zuckerberg had testified Meta had helped Instagram grow, Systrom testified Zuckerberg saw Instagram as a “threat” to Facebook’s growth and intentionally withheld company resources.
Further still, Facebook’s decision to pay $1 billion for Instagram — an app with no revenue and just a handful of employees — seemed like an incredible sum. Sheryl Sandberg thought Zuckerberg had overpaid for Instagram. In an exchange between the two from 2012, she said, “Yes, of course it’s way too much.”
There are more nuggets, too. Like how Meta sees TikTok as an earnest threat, how Europeans aren’t buying the ad-free subscriptions (duh), and why Zuckerberg thought about nuking users’ friend lists annually to boost engagement. Read Karissa Bell’s full breakdown of the FTC v. Meta antitrust trial so far.
Samsung is ready to finally launch its slim iteration of the S25. It says it’ll offer a look at “the next evolution of Galaxy” devices and unveil “more about the latest addition to the Galaxy S series.” Then the teaser coaxed something “beyond slim.” So it’s the S25 Edge, even if Samsung isn’t saying the S25 Edge. The Unpacked event will kick off May 12 at 8PM ET.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has warned the National Weather Service of possible attacks from an armed conspiracy group. According to a report from CNN, the group Veterans on Patrol is going after government radars because it believes they’re being used as “weather weapons.” Despite its cooler-than-average name, the NEXRAD or Next Generation Weather Radar is fairly mundane, used by NWS to detect precipitation in the atmosphere. NEXRAD plays a vital role in locating thunderstorms and tornados. National Weather Service staff have been advised to buddy up when working at remote radar sites and report anything suspicious to the authorities.
Google I/O 2025 should be one of the more exciting tech keynotes in recent memory. Plus, for the first time, Google has spun out a dedicated Android showcase a whole week earlier. What can we expect to see in Android 16? We’ve had lots of hints at an upcoming design change to the platform, reportedly called Material 3 Expressive. A leaked blog post discusses the research behind Material 3 Expressive and how the visual overhaul led to action elements standing out more and greater responsiveness on the users’ part. Then there are Gemini AI updates, more Google service updates and everything else. We break down what we’re expecting to see.
WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 14: Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg departs E. Barrett Prettyman United States Court House on April 14, 2025 in Washington, DC. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has begun an antitrust trial against Meta over the company's acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp and allegations that the company holds a monopoly over the social networking market. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Google is once again crossing the great divide between rival tech giants, at least with artificial intelligence. The company has launched a dedicated iPad app for its Gemini AI assistant. In addition to natively running on Apple hardware, Gemini's iPad app can take advantage of the tablet's split view, so that the AI assistant is open on the screen at the same time as another program for easier use. The app is available today from the App Store in all countries where Gemini is currently available.
Gemini has been a huge focus for Google's recent announcements as it works to put its service in front of more and more potential users. iPhones got their first native Gemini app last November. The company recently introduced a program for children to explore the AI assistant and it opened the Deep Research capability to all Gemini users. With Google I/O 2025 right around the corner, it's a safe bet that we'll be hearing about more features and integrations for the AI assistant later this month.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/google-launches-a-gemini-app-for-ipad-194047388.html?src=rss
This illustration shows the logo of Google's artificial intelligence (AI) application, Gemini, displayed on the screen of a tablet, which reflects a colorful illustration related to the technological flow field, in Paris, France, on February 6, 2025. (Photo by Samuel Boivin/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Amazon has finally streamlined the process by which folks can buy books via the iOS version of the Kindle app. The iPhone and iPad apps now include a "Get Book" button with each listed title. Hitting this button will bring up the corresponding Amazon page, along with the option for a 1-Click purchase. Once finalized, it directs users back to the Kindle app for some reading.
This isn’t as seamless as a simple in-app purchase, but it’s miles better than the old method. This would require Kindle users to buy titles on their own via a web browser. There was no portal within the Kindle app or anything like that. Basically, you’d have to jot down the name of the book and head to the web version of Amazon to look it up and make a purchase.
This move is, of course, thanks to a recent court ruling that banned Apple from collecting fees for digital items bought outside of the official App Store. This forced the company to update the App Store to allow for external payment options. As such, companies like Amazon can now experiment with new purchasing methods without forking over 27 percent to Apple.
It’s worth noting that the Kindle "Get Book" button still relies on a web version of Amazon. There’s no current way to buy an e-book on the actual Amazon app. Still, this is a definite step in the right direction.
Amazon isn’t the only company making adjustments based on the recent court ruling. Spotify now lets users subscribe on iOS devices via an external link, thus evading App Store fees. Epic Games is not only bringing Fortnite back to the iOS platform, but also announced its creating standalone webshops to support out-of-app purchases.
Apple isn’t exactly thrilled with this mad dash to avoid those lucrative App Store fees. It recently appealed the aforementioned legal ruling but the grounds for this appeal are unknown. It’s going to be an uphill battle for the iPhone maker, as the judge who issued the ruling called the App Store practices "anticompetitive" and a "gross miscalculation."
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/kindles-ios-app-now-has-a-button-to-make-it-easier-to-buy-books-154505235.html?src=rss
A hacker has exploited a vulnerability in TeleMessage to breach the service and steal data, according to reporting by 404 Media. TeleMessage is an Israeli company that provides modded versions of encrypted messaging apps like Signal and Telegram.
It was revealed last week that former US National Security Adviser Mike Waltz used TeleMessage’s modified version of Signal to archive messages. Today's report indicated the presence of other high-ranking government officials in archived chats on the app, including Marco Rubio, Tulsi Gabbard and Vice President JD Vance.
The unnamed hacker was able to access archived chats, but it doesn’t look like they got into any of Waltz's conversations. The hack does, however, prove that the app’s message archiving service is not end-to-end encrypted.
The hacker also accessed contact information of government officials, login credentials for TeleMessage and data pertaining to the US Customs and Border Protection agency. Some businesses who use the service, like Coinbase and Scotiabank, were also hacked. 404 Media spoke to the anonymous hacker, who said the whole thing only "took about 15-20 minutes" and that it "wasn’t much effort at all." TeleMessage's parent company Smarsh has yet to comment on the matter.
All of this happened after Waltz accidentally revealed he used TeleMessage during a cabinet meeting last week. This led people to question what kind of information was being shared on the app and how it was being secured. Now we know it wasn’t secured all that well.
TeleMessage gave a statement to Reuters saying that it was "investigating a potential security incident" and suspending its services "out of an abundance of caution."
Of course, it’s only been a few weeks since Signalgate, in which it was revealed that top US officials were using the messaging app Signal to discuss active combat operations. Prior to the Trump administration, government officials typically avoided consumer-grade messaging apps to hash out military plans. Instead, they used Sensitive Compartmented Information Facilities (SCIFs) and in-house encrypted communication channels.
Update, May 5, 2025, 3:38PM ET: Added a statement from TeleMessage to confirm they are investigating a security incident.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/telemessage-a-signal-clone-the-trump-administration-uses-has-been-hacked-183606147.html?src=rss
WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 30: National Security Advisor Michael Waltz attends a Cabinet meeting with President Donald Trump on Wednesday April 30, 2025 at the White House in Washington, DC. (Photo by Yuri Gripas for The Washington Post via Getty Images)
Last week a federal judge issued a scathing ruling over Apple’s handling of fees for in-app transactions. As promised, Apple has appealed the latest decision in the protracted lawsuit brought by Epic Games over the company’s anti-competitive App Store policies. The initial 2021 ruling attempting to loosen Apple’s grip on in-app sales was all but ignored, as the company went to great lengths in attempting to circumvent the decision.
While the company complied with the judges ruling, it has now filed its promised appeal after it made clear last week that it strongly disagreed with the court's decision. It remains to be seen if there is any chance for Apple to win the appeal, as Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers sternly reprimanded Apple in her latest ruling.
Her ruling in part read “Apple willfully chose not to comply with this Court’s Injunction. It did so with the express intent to create new anticompetitive barriers which would, by design and in effect, maintain a valued revenue stream; a revenue stream previously found to be anticompetitive. That it thought this Court would tolerate such insubordination was a gross miscalculation.”
It's not clear what Apple’s legal arguments will be or on what grounds the company is asserting its appeal. While the issue continues to be fought out in court, companies with a large presence on iOS like Epic Games and Spotify have moved quickly to establish external payment methods for their apps. There is every chance that this legal battle could continue for years as Apple continues to defend one of its prime revenue streams and insist on its authority to take a commission from any transactions originating in apps from the App Store.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/apple-appeals-recent-ruling-against-anticompetitive-app-store-practices-191536385.html?src=rss
App Store icon is seen displayed on a phone screen in this illustration photo taken in Poland on August 8, 2024. (Photo by Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Google I/O is where we learn about many major features and updates that are coming to the company’s ecosystem, including on the Android front. The company is doing something a little different this year. Just ahead of I/O, it will provide a deep dive into the future of Android with a special edition of The Android Show.
This is the first time that Google has held such a showcase before I/O. The company says that people have been asking for more ways to learn about how the Android experience is changing and giving the ecosystem its own spotlight ahead of the main event is one way to do that.
Google says it has “so many new things to share" regarding Android, hence this edition of The Android Show (a series that the company has been running for developers on YouTube for a while). The presentation will feature Android Ecosystem president Sameer Samat. Android will still be featured at I/O, where Google is promising to reveal “even more special announcements and surprises.” Multiple Android keynotes are scheduled for the event.
The Android Show: I/O Edition will air on May 13 at 1PM ET. Google I/O takes place a week later, starting on May 20. As ever, we’ll bring you all the important news and updates you need to know from the event right here on Engadget.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/google-is-giving-android-its-own-showcase-a-week-before-io-160035457.html?src=rss
A statue of the Android mascot is displayed in front of the Google house at CES 2024, an annual consumer electronics trade show, in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. January 10, 2024. REUTERS/Steve Marcus
Perplexity has rolled out an update for its iOS app, giving iPhone users access to its AI voice assistant that was initially released for Android users earlier this year. Its voice assistant can perform tasks for the user by browsing the web or accessing other apps for them. If they ask the assistant to find them a table for a specific restaurant, for instance, Perplexity can launch the OpenTable app with the number of people, the date and the time already filled out. The user still has to perform the final action and book a reservation, but it's already laid out for them — all they have to do is click the button.
Users can also ask the assistant to draft emails for them for specific contacts, which they'll have to send themselves, and create reminders for them on the calendar. They can ask it to recommend them spots they could visit, such as restaurants serving food they want to eat, and Perplexity will mark locations on the map. Of course, they can ask the assistant to do web searches for them, such as finding specific videos that Perplexity can open on the YouTube app.
As The Verge notes, Perplexity's voice assistant works on older iPhones, unlike Apple Intelligence that only works on the company's more recent models. The iOS assistant also doesn't have the capability to look at the world for the user and tell them what they're seeing yet, though the feature is already available on Android and could make its way to iPhones in the future.
Introducing Perplexity iOS Voice Assistant
Voice Assistant uses web browsing and multi-app actions to book reservations, send emails and calendar invites, play media, and more—all from the Perplexity iOS app.
Earlier this year, right as TikTok and other ByteDance apps were temporarily pulled from Apple and Google’s app stores, Meta announced that it was working on a new video editing app tailored to Instagram creators. That app, called Edits, is now finally rolling out as Meta continues to try to leverage the uncertainty surrounding TikTok’s future to draw more creators to its apps.
As previewed in its earlier app store listings, Edits promises much more advanced editing tools than what’s been available in Meta’s apps. The in-app camera allows creators to capture up to 10 minutes of video and publish to Instagram in “enhanced quality.” It also features popular editing effects like green screen and Instagram’s extensive music catalog.
In keeping with Meta’s current focus on AI, Edits comes with a couple AI-powered features as well. The “animate” feature allows users to create a video from a static image, while “cutouts” enables video makers to “isolate specific people or objects with precision tracking.” And unlike ByteDance’s popular editor CapCut, Edits doesn’t export videos with a watermark of any kind (Instagram downranks videos with visible watermarks).
While Edits is launching months after CapCut came back online in the US, Meta is adding some Instagram-specific features to lure Reels creators. This includes in-app post analytics, as well as the ability to import audio tracks they’ve previously saved in the app. And it sounds like Instagram creators can look forward to more specialized features in the future. In a blog post, the company notes that the current version of the app is merely “the first step” for Edits, and that it plans to collaborate with creators on more functionality going forward.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/instagram-is-rolling-out-edits-its-capcut-competitor-163045930.html?src=rss
It's been over one year since Intuit shut down the popular budgeting app Mint. I was a Mint user for many years; millions of other users like me enjoyed how easily Mint allowed us to track all accounts in one place and monitor credit scores. I also used it regularly to help me track spending, set goals like pay my mortgage down faster and with general money management.
Ahead of Mint’s demise, I gave Credit Karma, Intuit’s other financial app, a try but found it to be a poor Mint alternative. So I set out to find a true replacement in another budgeting app. The following guide lays out my experience testing some of the most popular Mint replacement apps available today.
Our pick for best Mint alternative remains Quicken Simplifi, even this long after Mint being shut down, thanks to its easy to use app, good income and bill detection and its affordable price. But there are plenty of other solid options out there for those with different needs. If you’re also on the hunt for a budgeting app to replace Mint, we hope these details can empower you to choose which of the best budgeting apps out there will be right for you.
No pun intended, but what I like about Quicken Simplifi is its simplicity. Whereas other budgeting apps try to distinguish themselves with dark themes and customizable emoji, Simplifi has a clean user interface, with a landing page that you just keep scrolling through to get a detailed overview of all your stats. These include your top-line balances; net worth; recent spending; upcoming recurring payments; a snapshot of your spending plan; top spending categories; achievements; and any watchlists you’ve set up.
Another one of the key features I appreciate is the ability to set up savings goals elsewhere in the app. I also appreciate how it offers neat, almost playful visualizations without ever looking cluttered. I felt at home in the mobile and web dashboards after a day or so, which is faster than I adapted to some competing services (I’m looking at you, YNAB and Monarch).
Getting set up with Simplifi was mostly painless. I was particularly impressed at how easily it connected to Fidelity; not all budget trackers do, for whatever reason. This is also one of the only services I tested that gives you the option of inviting a spouse or financial advisor to co-manage your account. One thing I would add to my initial assessment of the app, having used it for a few months now: I wish Simplifi offered Zillow integration for easily tracking your home value (or at least a rough estimate of it). Various competitors including Monarch Money and Copilot Money work with Zillow, so clearly there's a Zillow API available for use. As it stands, Simplifi users must add real estate manually like any other asset.
Dana Wollman / Engadget
In practice, Simplifi miscategorized some of my expenses, but nothing out of the ordinary compared to any of these budget trackers. As you’re reviewing transactions, you can also mark if you’re expecting a refund, which is a unique feature among the services I tested. Simplifi also estimated my regular income better than some other apps I tested. Most of all, I appreciated the option of being able to categorize some, but not all, purchases from a merchant as recurring. For instance, I can add my two Amazon subscribe-and-saves as recurring payments, without having to create a broad-strokes rule for every Amazon purchase.
The budgeting feature is also self-explanatory and can likely accommodate your preferred budgeting method. Just check that your regular income is accurate and be sure to set up recurring payments, making note of which are bills and which are subscriptions. This is important because Simplifi shows you your total take-home income as well as an “income after bills” figure. That number includes, well, bills but not discretionary subscriptions. From there, you can add spending targets by category in the “planned spending” bucket. Planned spending can also include one-time expenditures, not just monthly budgets. When you create a budget, Simplifi will suggest a number based on a six-month average.
Not dealbreakers, but two things to keep in mind as you get started: Simplifi is notable in that you can’t set up an account through Apple or Google. There is also no option for a free trial, though Quicken promises a “30-day money back guarantee.”
Monarch Money grew on me. My first impression of the budgeting app, which was founded by a former Mint product manager, was that it's more difficult to use than others on this list, including Simplifi, NerdWallet and Copilot. And it is. Editing expense categories, adding recurring transactions and creating rules, for example, is a little more complicated than it needs to be, especially in the mobile app. (My advice: Use the web app for fine-tuning details.) Monarch also didn’t get my income right; I had to edit it.
Once you’re set up, though, Monarch offers an impressive level of granularity. In the budgets section, you can see a bona fide balance sheet showing budgets and actuals for each category. You'll also find a forecast, for the year or by month. And recurring expenses can be set not just by merchant, but other parameters as well. For instance, while most Amazon purchases might be marked as “shopping,” those for the amounts of $54.18 or $34.18 are definitely baby supplies, and can be automatically marked as such each time, not to mention programmed as recurring payments. Weirdly, though, there’s no way to mark certain recurring payments as bills, specifically.
Dana Wollman / Engadget
Not long after I first published this story in December 2023, Monarch introduced a detailed reporting section where you can create on-demand graphs based on things like accounts, categories and tags. That feature is available just on the web version of the app for now. As part of this same update, Monarch added support for an aggregator that makes it possible to automatically update the value of your car. This, combined with the existing Zillow integration for tracking your home value, makes it easy to quickly add a non-liquid asset like a vehicle or real estate, and have it show up in your net worth graph.
The mobile app is mostly self-explanatory. The main dashboard shows your net worth; your four most recent transactions; a month-over-month spending comparison; income month-to-date; upcoming bills; an investments snapshot; a list of any goals you’ve set; and, finally, a link to your month-in-review. That month-in-review is more detailed than most, delving into cash flow; top income and expense categories; cash flow trends; changes to your net worth, assets and liabilities; plus asset and liability breakdowns. In February 2024, Monarch expanded on the net worth graph, so that if you click on the Accounts tab you can see how your net worth changed over different periods of time, including one month, three months, six months, a year or all time.
On the main screen, you’ll also find tabs for savings and checking accounts (and all others as well), transactions, cash flow, budget and recurring. Like many of the other apps featured here, Monarch can auto-detect recurring expenses and income, even if it gets the category wrong. (They all do to an extent.) Expense categories are marked by emoji, which you can customize if you’re so inclined.
Monarch Money uses a combination of networks to connect with banks, including Plaid, MX and Finicity, a competing network owned by Mastercard. (I have a quick explainer on Plaid, the industry standard in this space, toward the end of this guide.) As part of an update in late December, Monarch has also made it easier to connect through those other two networks, if for some reason Plaid fails. Similar to NerdWallet, I found myself completing two-factor authentication every time I wanted to get past the Plaid screen to add another account. Notably, Monarch is the only other app I tested that allows you to grant access to someone else in your family — likely a spouse or financial advisor. Monarch also has a Chrome extension for importing from Mint, though really this is just a shortcut for downloading a CSV file, which you’ll have to do regardless of where you choose to take your Mint data.
Additionally, Monarch just added the ability to track Apple Card, Apple Cash, and Savings accounts, thanks to new functionality brought with the iOS 17.4 update. It's not the only one either; currently, Copilot and YNAB have also added similar functionality that will be available to anyone with the latest versions of their respective apps on a device running iOS 17.4. Instead of manually uploading statements, the new functionality allows apps like Monarch's to automatically pull in transactions and balance history. That should make it easier to account for spending on Apple cards and accounts throughout the month.
Monarch also recently launched investment transactions in beta. It also says bill tracking and an overhauled goals system are coming soon. Monarch hasn't provided a timeline for that last one, except to say that the improved goals feature is coming soon.
Copilot Money might be the best-looking budgeting app I tested. It also has the distinction of being exclusive to iOS and Macs — at least for now. Andres Ugarte, the company’s CEO, has publicly promised that Android and web apps are coming soon. But until it follows through, I can’t recommend Copilot for most people with so many good competitors out there.
Copilot Money for Web and Android!
Thanks to the support from our users, and the overwhelming positive reception we're seeing from folks migrating from Mint, we can now say that we'll be building @copilotmoney for Web and Android with a goal to launch in 2024.
There are other features that Copilot is missing, which I’ll get into. But it is promising, and one to keep an eye on. It’s just a fast, efficient, well designed app, and Android users will be in for a treat when they’ll finally be able to download it. It makes good use of colors, emoji and graphs to help you understand at a glance how you’re doing on everything from your budgets to your investment performance to your credit card debt over time. In particular, Copilot does a better job than almost any other app of visualizing your recurring monthly expenses.
Behind those punchy colors and cutesy emoji, though, is some sophisticated performance. Copilot’s AI-powered “Intelligence” gets smarter as you go at categorizing your expenses. (You can also add your own categories, complete with your choice of emoji.) It’s not perfect. Copilot miscategorized some purchases (they all do), but it makes it easier to edit than most. On top of that, the internal search feature is very fast; it starts whittling down results in your transaction history as soon as you begin typing.
Dana Wollman / Engadget
Copilot is also unique in offering Amazon and Venmo integrations, allowing you to see transaction details. With Amazon, this requires just signing into your Amazon account via an in-app browser. For Venmo, you have to set up [email protected] as a forwarding address and then create a filter, wherein emails from [email protected] are automatically forwarded to [email protected]. Like Monarch Money, you can also add any property you own and track its value through Zillow, which is integrated with the app.
While the app is heavily automated, I still appreciate that Copilot marks new transactions for review. It’s a good way to both weed out fraudulent charges, and also be somewhat intentional about your spending habits.
Like Monarch Money, Copilot updated its app to make it easier to connect to banks through networks other than Plaid. As part of the same update, Copilot said it has improved its connections to both American Express and Fidelity which, again, can be a bugbear for some budget tracking apps. In an even more recent update, Copilot added a Mint import option, which other budgeting apps have begun to offer as well.
Because the app is relatively new (it launched in early 2020), the company is still catching up to the competition on some table-stakes features. Ugarte told me that his team is almost done building out a detailed cash flow section as well. On its website, Copilot also promises a raft of AI-powered features that build on its current “Intelligence” platform, the one that powers its smart expense categorization. These include “smart financial goals,” natural language search, a chat interface, forecasting and benchmarking. That benchmarking, Ugarte tells me, is meant to give people a sense of how they’re doing compared to other Copilot users, on both spending and investment performance. Most of these features should arrive in the new year.
Copilot does a couple interesting things for new customers that distinguish it from the competition. There’s a “demo mode” that feels like a game simulator; no need to add your own accounts. The company is also offering two free months with RIPMINT — a more generous introductory offer than most. When it finally does come time to pony up, the $7.92 monthly plan is cheaper than some competing apps, although the $95-a-year-option is in the same ballpark.
You may know NerdWallet as a site that offers a mix of personal finance news, explainers and guides. I see it often when I google a financial term I don’t know and sure enough, it’s one of the sites I’m most likely to click on. As it happens, NerdWallet also has the distinction of offering one of the only free budgeting apps I tested. In fact, there is no paid version; nothing is locked behind a paywall. The main catch: There are ads everywhere. To be fair, the free version of Mint was like this, too.
Even with the inescapable credit card offers, NerdWallet has a clean, easy-to-understand user interface, which includes both a web and a mobile app. The key metrics that it highlights most prominently are your cash flow, net worth and credit score. (Of note, although Mint itself offered credit score monitoring, most of its rivals do not.) I particularly enjoyed the weekly insights, which delve into things like where you spent the most money or how much you paid in fees — and how that compares to the previous month. Because this is NerdWallet, an encyclopedia of financial info, you get some particularly specific category options when setting up your accounts (think: a Roth or non-Roth IRA).
Dana Wollman / Engadget
As a budgeting app, NerdWallet is more than serviceable, if a bit basic. Like other apps I tested, you can set up recurring bills. Importantly, it follows the popular 50/30/20 budgeting rule, which has you putting 50% of your budget toward things you need, 30% toward things you want, and the remaining 20% into savings or debt repayments. If this works for you, great — just know that you can’t customize your budget to the same degree as some competing apps. You can’t currently create custom spending categories, though a note inside the dashboard section of the app says “you’ll be able to customize them in the future.” You also can’t move items from the wants column to “needs” or vice versa but “In the future, you'll be able to move specific transactions to actively manage what falls into each group.” A NerdWallet spokesperson declined to provide an ETA, though.
Lastly, it’s worth noting that NerdWallet had one of the most onerous setup processes of any app I tested. I don’t think this is a dealbreaker, as you’ll only have to do it once and, hopefully, you aren’t setting up six or seven apps in tandem as I was. What made NerdWallet’s onboarding especially tedious is that every time I wanted to add an account, I had to go through a two-factor authentication process to even get past the Plaid splash screen, and that’s not including the 2FA I had set up at each of my banks. This is a security policy on NerdWallet’s end, not Plaid’s, a Plaid spokesperson says.
Precisely because NerdWallet is one of the only budget trackers to offer credit score monitoring, it also needs more of your personal info during setup, including your birthday, address, phone number and the last four digits of your social security number. It’s the same with Credit Karma, which also does credit score monitoring.
Related to the setup process, I found that NerdWallet was less adept than other apps at automatically detecting my regular income. In my case, it counted a large one-time wire transfer as income, at which point my only other option was to enter my income manually (which is slightly annoying because I would have needed my pay stub handy to double-check my take-home pay).
YNAB is, by its own admission, “different from anything you’ve tried before.” The app, whose name is short for You Need a Budget, promotes a so-called zero-based budgeting system, which forces you to assign a purpose for every dollar you earn. A frequently used analogy is to put each dollar in an envelope; you can always move money from one envelope to another in a pinch. These envelopes can include rent and utilities, along with unforeseen expenses like holiday gifts and the inevitable car repair. The idea is that if you budget a certain amount for the unknowns each month, they won’t feel like they’re sneaking up on you.
Importantly, YNAB is only concerned with the money you have in your accounts now. The app does not ask you to provide your take-home income or set up recurring income payments (although there is a way to do this). The money you will make later in the month through your salaried job is not relevant, because YNAB does not engage in forecasting.
The app is harder to learn than any other here, and it requires more ongoing effort from the user. And YNAB knows that. Inside both the mobile and web apps are links to videos and other tutorials. Although I never quite got comfortable with the user interface, I did come to appreciate YNAB’s insistence on intentionality. Forcing users to draft a new budget each month and to review each transaction is not necessarily a bad thing. As YNAB says on its website, “Sure, you’ve got pie charts showing that you spent an obscene amount of money in restaurants — but you’ve still spent an obscene amount of money in restaurants.” I can see this approach being useful for people who don’t tend to have a lot of cash in reserve at a given time, or who have spending habits they want to correct (to riff off of YNAB’s own example, ordering Seamless four times a week).
My colleague Valentina Palladino, knowing I was working on this guide, penned a respectful rebuttal, explaining why she’s been using YNAB for years. Perhaps, like her, you have major savings goals you want to achieve, whether it’s paying for a wedding or buying a house. I suggest you give her column a read. For me, though, YNAB’s approach feels like overkill.
PocketGuard is one of the only reputable free budget trackers I found in my research. Just know it’s far more restricted at the free tier than NerdWallet or Mint. In my testing, I was prompted to pay after I attempted to link more than two bank accounts. So much for free, unless you keep things simple with one cash account and one credit card. When it comes time to upgrade to PocketGuard Plus, you have three options: pay $7.99 a month, $34.99 a year or $79.99 for a one-time lifetime license. That lifetime option is actually one of the few unique selling points for me: I’m sure some people will appreciate paying once and never having to, uh, budget for it again.
From the main screen, you’ll see tabs for accounts, insights, transactions and the “Plan,” which is where you see recurring payments stacked on top of what looks like a budget. The main overview screen shows you your net worth, total assets and debts; net income and total spending for the month; upcoming bills; a handy reminder of when your next paycheck lands; any debt payoff plan you have; and any goals.
Dana Wollman / Engadget
Like some other apps, including Quicken Simplifi, PocketGuard promotes an “after bills” approach, where you enter all of your recurring bills, and then PocketGuard shows you what’s left, and that’s what you’re supposed to be budgeting: your disposable income. Obviously, other apps have a different philosophy: take into account all of your post-tax income and use it to pay the bills, purchase things you want and maybe even save a little. But in PocketGuard, it’s the “in your pocket” number that’s most prominent. To PocketGuard’s credit, it does a good job visualizing which bills are upcoming and which ones you’ve already paid.
PocketGuard has also publicly committed to adding some popular features. These include rollover budgeting, categorization rules and shared household access.
Dana Wollman / Engadget
Although PocketGuard’s UI is easy enough to understand, it lacks polish. The “accounts” tab is a little busy, and doesn’t show totals for categories like cash or investments. Seemingly small details like weirdly phrased or punctuated copy occasionally make the app feel janky. More than once, it prompted me to update the app when no updates were available. The web version, meanwhile, feels like the mobile app blown up to a larger format and doesn’t take advantage of the extra screen real estate.
Of note, although PocketGuard does work with Plaid, its primary bank-connecting platform is actually Finicity. Setting up my accounts through Finicity was mostly a straightforward process. I did encounter one hiccup: Finicity would not connect to my SoFi account. I was able to do it through Plaid, but PocketGuard doesn’t make it easy to access Plaid in the app. The only way, as far as I can tell, is to knowingly search for the name of a bank that isn’t available through Finicity, at which point you get the option to try Plaid instead. Like I said: the experience can be janky.
What is Plaid and how does it work?
Each of the apps I tested uses the same underlying network, called Plaid, to pull in financial data, so it’s worth explaining in its own section what it is and how it works. Plaid was founded as a fintech startup in 2013 and is today the industry standard in connecting banks with third-party apps. Plaid works with over 12,000 financial institutions across the US, Canada and Europe. Additionally, more than 8,000 third-party apps and services rely on Plaid, the company claims.
To be clear, you don’t need a dedicated Plaid app to use it; the technology is baked into a wide array of apps, including the budget trackers I tested for this guide. Once you find the “add an account” option in whichever one you’re using, you’ll see a menu of commonly used banks. There’s also a search field you can use to look yours up directly. Once you find yours, you’ll be prompted to enter your login credentials. If you have two-factor authentication set up, you’ll need to enter a one-time passcode as well.
As the middleman, Plaid is a passthrough for information that may include your account balances, transaction history, account type and routing or account number. Plaid uses encryption, and says it has a policy of not selling or renting customer data to other companies. However, I would not be doing my job if I didn’t note that in 2022 Plaid was forced to pay $58 million to consumers in a class action suit for collecting “more financial data than was needed.” As part of the settlement, Plaid was compelled to change some of its business practices.
In a statement provided to Engadget, a Plaid spokesperson said the company continues to deny the allegations underpinning the lawsuit and that “the crux of the non-financial terms in the settlement are focused on us accelerating workstreams already underway related to giving people more transparency into Plaid’s role in connecting their accounts, and ensuring that our workstreams around data minimization remain on track.”
My top Mint alternative picks
To conclude, you might be wondering what app I decided on for myself after all of this research. The answer is actually two apps: Quicken Simplifi, my overall top pick, and Copilot Money. For now, I am actively using both apps and still deciding, long-term, which I feel more comfortable with. I tend to prefer Copilot's fast, colorful user interface, but as I explained above, it's too lacking in table-stakes features for me to go so far as to name it the best overall option.
How to import your financial data from the Mint app
Mint users should consider getting their data ready to migrate to their new budgeting app of choice soon. Unfortunately, importing data from Mint is not as easy as entering your credentials from inside your new app and hitting “import.” In fact, any app that advertises the ability to port over your stats from Mint is just going to have you upload a CSV file of transactions and other data.
To download a CSV file from Mint, do the following:
Sign into Mint.com and hit Transactions in the menu on the left side of the screen.
Select an account, or all accounts.
Scroll down and look for “export [number] transactions” in smaller print.
Your CSV file should begin downloading.
Note: Downloading on a per-account basis might seem more annoying, but could help you get set up on the other side, if the app you’re using has you importing transactions one-for-one into their corresponding accounts.
How we tested Mint alternatives
Before I dove into the world of budgeting apps, I had to do some research. To find a list of apps to test, I consulted trusty ol’ Google (and even trustier Reddit); read reviews of popular apps on the App Store; and also asked friends and colleagues what budget tracking apps they might be using. Some of the apps I found were free, just like Mint. These, of course, show loads of ads (excuse me, “offers”) to stay in business. But most of the available apps require paid subscriptions, with prices typically topping out around $100 a year, or $15 a month. (Spoiler: My top pick is cheaper than that.)
Since this guide is meant to help Mint users find a permanent replacement, any services I chose to test needed to do several things: import all of your account data into one place; offer budgeting tools; and track your spending, net worth and credit score. Except where noted, all of these apps are available for iOS, Android and on the web.
Once I had my shortlist of six apps, I got to work setting them up. For the sake of thoroughly testing these apps (and remember, I really was looking for a Mint alternative myself), I made a point of adding every account to every budgeting app, no matter how small or immaterial the balance. What ensued was a veritable Groundhog Day of two-factor authentication. Just hours of entering passwords and one-time passcodes, for the same banks half a dozen times over. Hopefully, you only have to do this once.
What about Rocket Money?
Rocket Money is another free financial app that tracks spending and supports things like balance alerts and account linking. If you pay for the premium tier, the service can also help you cancel unwanted subscriptions. We did not test it for this guide, but we'll consider it in future updates.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/the-best-budgeting-apps-to-replace-mint-143047346.html?src=rss
Apple’s new Passwords app (introduced with iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia) is a big leap forward in making password management simple and user-friendly for Apple users, even if it's not as robust as other password managers. If you’ve ever fumbled through Safari settings to find a saved login or toggled through iCloud Keychain menus to edit credentials, the Passwords app is for you. It’s designed to give you a dedicated home for all your saved login credentials, passkeys, Wi-Fi passwords and two-factor authentication codes, all in one secure, easy-to-navigate interface.
What is the Apple Passwords app?
The Passwords app is Apple’s standalone password manager. While Apple users have long been able to save passwords using iCloud Keychain, the actual management experience was buried within Settings or Safari. With the Passwords app, Apple has turned what was once a tucked-away feature into a full-fledged application that works across iPhone, iPad and Mac.
The app holds all your saved login credentials, plus passkeys, verification codes and Wi-Fi passwords. Everything is securely stored, synced via iCloud and protected by Face ID, Touch ID or your device passcode. With it, you can more easily search for logins, get security recommendations, share credentials with family members and store two-factor authentication codes all in one place.
Rob Webb for Engadget
How to access the Passwords app on iPhone
To access the Passwords app on your iPhone:
Make sure your device is updated to iOS 18 or later.
Find the Passwords app using Spotlight Search, the App Library or your Home Screen.
Tap the app icon and authenticate using Face ID, Touch ID or your device passcode.
Once you've opened the app, you'll see your saved accounts organized alphabetically. A search bar at the top makes it easy to find what you're looking for. Logins are grouped by category, including:
Passkeys (passwordless login credentials)
Codes (verification codes for methods like two-factor authentication)
Wi-Fi
Security (compromised or reused passwords)
Tapping any item shows detailed information, including login URLs, usernames, passwords and any associated notes.
How to add and edit passwords manually
Most passwords are saved automatically when you use Safari to log in to websites, but you can also add entries manually, including verification codes and passkeys. To manually add a login:
Open the Passwords app.
Tap the + icon in the bottom-right corner.
Choose New Password.
Enter the site or service name, username and password.
Add any optional notes using the Notes field.
Tap Save to finish.
To edit a saved password:
Open the relevant entry.
Tap Edit.
Update any details as needed.
Select Set up code (if required), where you will be prompted to enter a setup key or scan a QR code with the camera.
Tap Save to save your changes.
How to enable and use Autofill with the Passwords app
Autofill makes logging in fast and seamless. Instead of typing out usernames and passwords, your iPhone can automatically suggest saved credentials when you visit a login page.
To enable Autofill:
Go to Settings > Apps > Passwords.
View Autofill Settings.
Make sure Autofill Passwords and Passkeys are turned on.
Choose Passwords as your default autofill provider.
Once Autofill is enabled, Safari and many third-party apps will offer login suggestions from the Passwords app when you tap into a username or password field. If there are multiple logins for a site, you’ll be prompted to select the right one.
When creating a new login in Safari, you’ll also be asked to save the new password to the Passwords app. This ensures it’s available across all your Apple devices.
How to sync passwords to your devices with iCloud Keychain
The Passwords app uses iCloud Keychain to sync your saved credentials across your Apple devices. If you use multiple devices like an iPhone, iPad and Mac, enabling Keychain ensures your logins stay consistent everywhere. To enable iCloud Keychain:
Open Settings.
Tap your Apple ID at the top of the screen.
Tap iCloud > Passwords and Keychain.
Turn on Sync this iPhone (or iPad).
You may be prompted to authenticate or confirm your identity with a verification code. Once it’s set up, all your saved credentials will be securely synced via iCloud. This also allows the Passwords app to work in harmony with macOS and iPadOS, meaning you can view and edit your saved data from any of your Apple devices.
Rob Webb for Engadget
How to use passkeys and verification codes
The Passwords app supports two newer authentication features that improve both security and convenience: passkeys and verification codes.
Passkeys
Passkeys are a new way to sign in without using a traditional password. Instead, they use Face ID, Touch ID or a device passcode to confirm your identity. They are intended to be more phishing-resistant since they can’t be reused or copied across services.
If a website or app supports passkeys, Safari will prompt you to create one when signing in or registering. Once saved, the passkey is stored in the Passwords app.
To view and manage passkeys:
Open the Passwords app.
Tap Passkeys.
You’ll see a Passkey section if one has been saved.
Passkeys work across Apple devices and can even be used on non-Apple platforms by scanning a QR code when prompted.
Verification codes
Verification codes are used in two-factor authentication (2FA) systems. The Passwords app can now generate these codes automatically.
To set up a verification code:
Open the Passwords app.
Tap the login entry you want to edit.
Tap Edit > Set Up Code.
Scan a QR code provided by the website, or enter the code manually.
The app will generate a six-digit code that refreshes every 30 seconds. The code will also autofill when you log into a compatible website or app, saving you the hassle of switching to a separate authenticator app.
How to share passwords securely
You can share saved credentials with others using iMessage. This is helpful for families or teams who need access to shared accounts. The passwords are sent via end-to-end encrypted messages, ensuring privacy and security. To share a password:
Open the Passwords app.
Tap the entry you want to share.
Tap the Share button (a square with an arrow).
Choose a recipient in Messages.
How to check for weak or compromised passwords
Apple includes built-in security checks for your saved credentials.
To view security recommendations:
Open the Passwords app.
Tap Security.
You’ll see a list of passwords that are:
Reused across multiple accounts
Easily guessable
Involved in known data breaches
You can tap any entry to update the password directly. This feature helps improve your overall security hygiene with minimal effort.
How secure is the Passwords app?
Apple uses end-to-end encryption for everything in the Passwords app. That means your data is encrypted on your device and can only be decrypted by your device. Even Apple doesn’t have access to your credentials.
Accessing the app requires authentication via Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode. And if someone steals your device, your saved passwords remain locked behind biometric security.
Additionally, Apple participates in the FIDO Alliance, promoting secure, passwordless logins and helping drive adoption of technologies like passkeys.
Using the Passwords app on iPad and Mac
The Passwords app is also available on:
iPad tablets running iPadOS 18 or later
Mac laptops and desktops running macOS Sequoia or later
On iPad, the app works the same way as on iPhone, offering full management of your saved credentials. On Mac, you can find Passwords in System Settings or by using Spotlight Search.
Syncing is handled automatically through iCloud Keychain. If you're logged into the same Apple ID on all your devices, your passwords will stay in sync.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/how-to-use-the-apple-passwords-app-120026715.html?src=rss
On the heels of Razer pausing direct laptop sales in the US (thanks to those on-again, off-again, yet still very much on for Chinatariffs), the company has officially launched its remote game streaming app. Razer PC Remote Play, which the company rolled out in beta at CES 2025, is now officially available for iOS and Android.
Razer may be a bit late to the party here, and its app is hardly the only way to stream your PC games to other devices. (For example, Steam's version has offered similar functionality for six years.) But Razer's app has a neat trick: It automatically adjusts the game's resolution and frame rate to match your mobile device's. So, you can avoid the black bars you get with services that only stream games in a fixed aspect ratio.
Razer
The company says it works with all iOS and Android gaming controllers, and the iPad version has keyboard, mouse and trackpad support. It works with titles from multiple storefronts (including Steam, Epic, PC Game Pass and more). The app uses the AV1 video codec, which Razer says boosts quality and lowers latency.
Setup requires the Razer Nexus and PC Remote Play apps on your mobile device and Razer Cortex on the host PC. After signing in with your Razer ID, the two should pair automatically, and you can get down to business. You can download the app now from Google Play and the App Store.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/razers-pc-remote-play-app-is-now-available-182533832.html?src=rss
The official launch of Apple’s iOS 18 brought with it some fresh ways to customize your iPhone’s home screen. Rather than leaving unwanted apps hanging around like a bad smell in places you don’t want them, users can now take full control of app placement and make their home screen their own. Whether you're looking to add useful widgets, reorganize your apps or get rid of the ones you never use, customizing your iPhone home screen can help your device feel a little more unique. Here’s a simple step-by-step guide to everything you can do to make your iOS 18 home screen look better and work the way you want.
How to add, edit and remove widgets
Widgets provide a convenient at-a-glance view of an app’s data or functionality, giving you quick access to information and reducing the need to open the app itself. A well-placed widget allows you to check the weather, view your calendar or access music controls, all without opening an app, giving your thumb a well-earned rest. Everybody loves a good shortcut, and with iOS 18, you can add, edit, or remove widgets easily, letting you jump straight to the information that matters.
To add a widget:
Touch and hold an empty area on your home screen until the app icons start to jiggle.
Tap the Edit button in the top-left corner and select Add Widget.
Scroll or search for the widget you want, then tap it.
Swipe left or right to choose a size (some offer different layouts).
Tap Add Widget to place it on your screen.
Drag it to your preferred spot, then tap Done (top right).
To edit a widget:
Press and hold the widget you want to change.
Tap Edit Widget (if available). If Edit Widget isn’t available, you can cycle through the icons for different placement and layout options.
Adjust settings like what calendar it shows, which location for the weather, etc. These options will be unique to each app’s widget.
To remove a widget:
Press and hold the widget.
Tap Remove Widget, then confirm.
Rob Webb for Engadget
How to move apps and widgets on the home screen
Shuffling your home screen apps and widgets is also a cinch thanks to iOS 18’s customization overhaul. It’s a simple but useful way to personalize your iPhone’s home screen and declutter your wallpaper, so your loved ones' faces don’t become buried underneath a wall of app icons.
Tap and hold on any app to reveal a menu.
Select Edit Home Screen, where you can move the apps across pages by dragging them to the edge of the screen.
Tap Done when you're finished.
You can also stack one app on top of another to automatically create a folder (more on that below).
How to customize apps and widgets on the home screen
Moving your most-used apps into prime position is all well and good, but if you’re going for a particular aesthetic with your home screen, the default appearance of an app icon can sometimes spoil the overall look. Luckily, in iOS 18, you can exert more control over how your apps look, including the option to change app icon colors and how widgets are displayed.
To customize your app icon colors:
Press and hold on the home screen and tap Edit at the top.
Choose Customize to change background colors (like dark, light or a custom color) or apply a different layout.
However, bear in mind that not all app icons can change color. If these steps don’t work for you, you may be left with the odd rogue app icon, sticking out like a sore thumb. In which case, you can hide the app icon from view, while still being able to access it easily from the app library.
How to lock or hide an app
Security is a top priority, particularly when it comes to your smartphone. You might have certain apps you want to keep private and for your eyes only. If so, you’ll be happy to know that there are two ways in which you can prevent unwanted eyes on your apps. You can hide or lock an app behind a passcode or Face ID; this prevents unauthorized access and keeps your apps in a Hidden folder. Similarly, you can remove apps entirely from the home screen, still allowing you (and others if they have access) to view them in your App Library.
To lock an app:
Long-press the icon of the app you want to lock on the home screen.
Select Require Face ID (or Touch ID or Passcode).
Confirm your selection by pressing Require Face ID (or Touch ID or Passcode).
To hide an app:
Long-press the icon of the app you want to lock on the home screen.
Select Require Face ID (or Touch ID or Passcode).
Confirm your selection by pressing Require Face ID (or Touch ID or Passcode)
Tap Hide and Require Face ID (or Touch ID or Passcode), then tap Hide App.
How to organize your apps in folders
Folders are a great way to declutter your home screen and keep similar apps grouped together. If you’re the type of person who likes to keep things tidy and organized, storing your apps in folders is a good way to do it.
To create a folder:
Drag one app icon over another, and iOS 18 will automatically create a folder with both.
Tap the name to rename the folder (e.g., “Social” or “Work”).
Drag in additional apps if you want.
To remove a folder:
Move all the apps out of the folder, and it will disappear once it’s empty.
How to remove or delete apps
The struggle is real when it comes to app bloat, and sometimes a bit of a spring clean is needed. If your home screen needs a bit of freshening up, you can kick a seldom-used app to the curb, or at least kick it off your home screen.
To remove an app from the home screen (without deleting it):
Tap and hold the app icon.
Tap Remove App.
Select Remove from Home Screen.
When you want to use that app, navigate to the App Library (swipe left past your last home page) or swipe down from the top of your home screen to search for it.
To delete an app completely:
Tap and hold the app icon.
Tap Remove App.
Select Delete App, then confirm.
To re-download a deleted app:
Open the App Store, search for the app and tap the download icon.
Rob Webb for Engadget
A few more tips to personalize your home screen space
Widgets Smart Stacks: Using this feature, you can combine multiple widgets into a stack you can swipe through. To do this, just drag one widget on top of another of the same size.
App Library shortcuts: If you want a cleaner home screen, you can remove most apps and rely on the App Library (swipe all the way left) or the search tool to launch what you need.
Focus mode customization: Each Focus mode can have its own custom home screen. This is a useful tool for separating your work life from your personal life.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/how-to-customize-your-iphones-home-screen-in-ios-18-120100872.html?src=rss
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