Apps
TikTok is testing the ability to restrict livestreams to viewers who are 18+
TikTok is testing a new setting that lets users restrict their livestreams to viewers who are 18 years of age and above. The company confirmed to TechCrunch that the new setting is currently in limite
TikTok reportedly drops plans to expand its live e-commerce ‘Shop’ venture to the US
TikTok has reportedly dropped plans to expand its live e-commerce “TikTok Shop” initiative to the United States and additional parts of Europe, according to the Financial Times. The compan
Reddit acquires natural language processing company MeaningCloud
Reddit announced Friday that it’s acquiring MeaningCloud, a natural language processing company, for an undisclosed amount. The MeaningCloud team has joined Reddit and will support machine learn
Short video app Triller confidentially files to go public
TikTok rival Triller has confidentially submitted to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission paperwork for an initial public offering of its Class A common stock. The announcement comes as the com
Instagram tests ditching video posts in favor of Reels
Instagram is testing a change that turns video posts into Reels, the company confirmed to TechCrunch. The company says the change, which is currently being tested with select users around the world, i
TikTok tests a dedicated Shop feed that highlights products you can buy now
TikTok is testing a dedicated “Shop” feed tab that lets users browse and purchase products from a number of different categories, such as clothing and electronics. The company confirmed to
Google’s Switch to Android app for iOS users is now compatible with all Android 12 phones
Google announced today that its Switch to Android app for iOS users is now compatible with all Android 12 phones. The iOS app, which launched earlier this year, makes the transition between the mobil
Facebook Groups gains a new channels feature to enable users to connect in focused settings
Facebook announced today that it’s introducing new features for Facebook Groups, including “Channels” that will let users connect with each other in smaller settings. Admins can crea
Spotify’s latest feature lets you imagine a supergroup consisting of your favorite artists
Spotify announced today that it’s launching a new “Supergrouper” in-app feature that lets you create a supergroup consisting of up to five artists. After you create and name your gro
Meta introduces Instagram Reels APIs for developers
Meta announced that starting tomorrow it’s introducing Reels APIs to several endpoints on the Instagram Platform for developers. The company says it’s introducing the new Reels APIs after
Google starts prompting remaining Hangouts users to move to Chat
Google has announced that starting today, people who are still using Hangouts on mobile will see an in-app prompt asking them to move to Chat in Gmail or the Chat app. The company says the new prompt
Twitter rolls out its closed caption toggle on iOS and Android, tests new ways to start Spaces
Twitter announced this week that it’s introducing a few new features for users. Most notably, the social media giant is rolling out its closed caption toggle to all users on iOS and Android. Twi
Apple Music is raising the price of its student plan in the US, UK and Canada
Apple Music has quietly increased the price of its student plan in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. In the United States and Canada, the price for the plan has increased from $4.99 to
Hinge’s new feature makes it easier for you to be upfront about your dating intentions
Hinge is introducing a new “Dating Intentions” profile feature that is designed to encourage users to be upfront about their expectations. With the launch of this new feature, users can se
Twitter officially rolls out its long-form content ‘Notes’ feature
Twitter announced today that it has begun testing “Notes,” a way to write and publish long-form content on the social media platform. The official announcement comes a day after TechCrunch
Courier lands $35M to build a service for app notifications
App notifications, well intentioned or no, have become a part of daily life. A 2018 study out of Duke University estimated that — aside from email and work app alerts — the average person
Meta is cracking down on fake and irrelevant reviews on Facebook
Meta is launching an updated Community Feedback Policy in the United States to ensure that reviews on Facebook are based on real purchasing experiences. Although the company has already taken steps ag
Meta to roll out new monetization tools on Instagram and Facebook, including a creator marketplace
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced today that the company is rolling out more ways for creators to make money on Facebook and Instagram, and is also expanding some of its current monetization tools to
This Week in Apps: Apple’s Sherlocks, Instagram’s ‘nudges’ and a TikTok-Oracle deal
Welcome back to This Week in Apps, the weekly TechCrunch series that recaps the latest in mobile OS news, mobile applications and the overall app economy. The app industry continues to grow, with a re
Marc Lore’s food delivery startup Wonder raises $350M at a $3.5B valuation
New York-based Wonder, a mobile restaurant delivery service led by Marc Lore, has raised $350 million in Series B funding. The company is now worth about $3.5 billion, according to The Wall Street Jou