Threads on Friday rolled out a new feature to help users understand about their posts and profile. Account Status, which was previously only available on Instagram, has been brought to the Meta-owned microblogging platform. With this feature, users will be able to see when their Threads posts are removed or demoted, in compliance with its community standards. If they think that their post’s removal or demotion is not justified, Threads provides an option to file a report too.

Slack, the work management and productivity platform, added 25 new artificial intelligence (AI) apps to its marketplace on Thursday. The newly added apps join the pre-existing more than 2,600 apps already available on the platform. Some of these apps are Asana, Adobe Express, Glean, Perplexity, Jasper, and Wiz. The company said that the availability of these apps within Slack’s interface will improve the productivity of professionals.

Google released a new report on Thursday, highlighting how it has been combating online scams across different products using artificial intelligence (AI). The report specifically focuses on how AI technology is being implemented in Search, Google Chrome, and Android. The Mountain View-based tech giant said that generative AI is enabling it to detect and stop even the previously unheard-of scams.

Threads announced its latest advertising initiative in the form of video ads at the Interactive Advertising Bureau NewFronts 2025 on Thursday. The Meta-owned platform says it has begun video ads as a way for businesses to expand their reach and engage a wider audience. Ad creatives will appear in between the organic content (user posts) in the Threads feed in multiple aspect ratios.

As Instagram has evolved to compete with TikTok with more video entertainment, so has the reason people come to the platform, platform’s chief Adam Mosseri told a federal court in Washington during the US antitrust trial against Meta. Only one in six posts to Instagram’s Stories feature are now from people engaging with their friends and family, he said.

WhatsApp recently announced that it was working on a secure "Private Processing" cloud technology for upcoming AI features. A feature tracker has now spotted a new feature that could utilise this system. The platform is also reportedly working on AI-generated chat wallpapers. Meanwhile, WhatsApp has begun testing a feature allowing users to add "prompts" to their status updates on both iOS and Android.

Google has rolled out the Gemini app for iPad globally, months after it debuted on iOS. It comes with the same capabilities the tech giant offers on Android and iOS versions, enabling users to generate images leveraging its multi-modal capabilities. Gemini also comes with the ability to find information across apps like Gmail and YouTube, and even accept image queries to solve problems. As per Google, the new Gemini app for iOS also brings its most notable feature — Gemini Live.

Spotify on Wednesday announced several updates which aim to improve upon the existing listening and playlist curation experience. The Queue option, which appears at bottom of the Now Playing view, is said to have received a design upgrade. Further, the redesign also brings easy access to controls like Smart Shuffle, Sleep Timer, and repeat. Spotify says listeners will now find Add, Sort, and other playlist management at the top of all playlists, enabling them to customise their track lists swiftly.

Apple is reportedly considering bringing artificial intelligence (AI) search options to the Safari browser. As per the report, the information was shared by an Apple executive during a testimony in the ongoing antitrust case against the US Justice Department. The executive highlighted that the Cupertino-based tech giant had held discussions with several AI service providers recently to add their web search capabilities as a non-default option in its browser.

Apple told the San Francisco-based 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals in a filing on Wednesday that it will be irreparably harmed if the April 30 order is not put on hold while the iPhone maker’s legal challenge is pending.

Netflix has unveiled a redesigned TV app homepage, aiming to improve user navigation. The streaming giant has integrated generative AI into its search, enabling natural language queries. Users can expect more personalized and responsive content recommendations based on their viewing habits. The updated homepage will also feature live and sporting events alongside its regular movie and TV series offerings.

LiveCaller has been launched as a free real-time caller ID application for iPhones and an alternative to Truecaller and Hiya. Leveraging Apple's iOS 18.2 framework, it displays caller details directly on the screen. The app offers free protection against spam, robocalls, telemarketers, and fraud. Unlike its competitors, LiveCaller doesn't require contact access or user account creation.

Google app for iOS is getting a new artificial intelligence (AI) feature that will allow users to help understand complex text in articles and web pages. The Mountain View-based tech giant began shipping the feature, dubbed Simplify, starting Tuesday. It is powered by Gemini AI models. Users can highlight the desired text to get an AI-generated rewrite that breaks down complex language, jargon, and subject area-specific technical terms.

iOS 18.5 is expected to roll out to users in the coming days, and Apple has already rolled out the iOS 18.5 release candidate to beta testers. The update will introduce changes to the Apple TV app on third-party devices and add new functionality to the iOS Screen Time feature. iPhone 13 users will gain access to satellite features through supported network providers.

Google is reportedly working on an expansion of Gemini Live by allowing it to connect to apps. As per the report, the Mountain View-based tech giant is working on a way to let Gemini Live perform certain app-based tasks without requiring intervention from the user. Gemini Live is a two-way, real-time voice conversation feature where the user can verbally ask the artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot queries.

Google is reportedly working on a new feature for Google Lens that will allow users to share live camera feed from their devices. As per the report, the new feature will combine the functionalities of Google Lens and the recently released experimental feature of Search — AI Mode. The new feature is reportedly dubbed “Live for AI Mode”.

Google is rolling out a homescreen widget for Gemini on Android. The widget was already available on iOS, and it is now being added to Android as well. It is a highly resizable widget that can be placed in two different style configurations and multiple size-based configurations. The widget comes equipped with all the different tools and features that the Android app offers.

Google is adding a new quality-of-life improvement to Gemini. On Monday, the company rolled out an update which now allows users to upload up to 10 images or files in one go. Earlier, the artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot capped the limit at one image or file per prompt. The new feature is available on both the Gemini web client as well as the Android and iOS apps.

Walmart-backed PhonePe announced its ‘Made in India’ SmartSpeaker for merchants on Monday. It is a wireless speaker that can verify payments received over the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) instant payment system via real-time audio alerts. The device comes with a built-in speaker and is available in up to 21 language options.

YouTube is testing a two-person subscription plan for its Premium service. The company said that they are piloting the new tier in four countries, including India. It is expected to roll out to all users eventually. This is being seen as a move to push YouTube's subscription growth. Much like the Spotify Duo plan, the two-person YouTube Premium membership will allow two individuals to share a subscription. 

Apple in a court notice said it will ask the San Francisco-based 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals to review the April 30 ruling, which found the company in contempt of an earlier order in a 2020 antitrust lawsuit brought by Epic Games. Apple's appeal notice did include its planned legal arguments.

Microsoft will be retiring its legacy video-conferencing platform Skype today (May 5). It offered Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)-based video telephony, video-conferencing and voice calling capabilities. The announcement was made in February, with the Redmond-based tech giant prioritising Teams app as the main free consumer communications offering.

Spotify said on Friday its US app update has secured Apple's approval to show pricing information and external payment links. The Swedish streaming giant, along with several other tech firms, had been at loggerheads with Apple over its App Store policies, which required developers to pay a commission on in-app purchases, including subscriptions.

Apple is reportedly working with Anthropic to develop an artificial intelligence (AI) supported version of Xcode. The Cupertino-based tech giant’s official integrated development environment (IDE) for developing software across all its platforms was upgraded with an AI coding companion dubbed Swift Assist last year. But now, the company is planning to integrate AI capabilities much more comprehensively.

Gemini app will get new personalisation features to make users’ experience more immersive. A Google executive revealed that the company is working to upgrade the chatbot app with enhanced memory and the ability to draw upon information from users’ Google accounts. The AI app might also get new agentic capabilities similar to the Deep Research tool. These features will be unveiled at Google I/O 2025, the executive added.

Spotify claims to have submitted an app update to Apple with an external link to buy subscriptions. Both Spotify and Apple have been engaged in a longstanding and contentious rivalry, centered around the Cupertino, California-based company's App Store policies and their impact on the streaming company's business operations.

Google listed the Android and iOS apps of NotebookLM on Thursday. These apps are currently not available for download, but those interested can pre-register, and the app will be automatically installed once it is launched. On the App Store, the app page says that it will go live on May 20, which is also the first day of Google I/O 2025.

Google is expanding the artificial intelligence (AI)-powered native image editing feature to the Gemini app. Announced on Wednesday, this new capability will allow users to make specific changes to images without leaving the AI chatbot. This new capability was first unveiled in March within the Google AI Studio platform.

Apple violated a court order requiring it to open up the App Store to third-party payment options and must stop charging commissions on purchases outside its software marketplace, a federal judge said.

Duolingo announced the launch of 148 new language courses on Wednesday. These courses were generated using the company’s native artificial intelligence (AI) systems. The ed-tech learning platform introduced these new courses just days after the company CEO revealed shift to an AI-first strategy. These new courses were created within a year and they more than double the platform’s total offerings.

Samsung is reportedly working on a new artificial intelligence (AI) feature that will show summaries of videos to users. As per the report, the feature is part of the South Korean tech giant’s One UI 8 operating system (OS), which is speculated to be released later this year. The OS will introduce the AI video summarisation tool that is said to offer a text summary of any online video.

Google reportedly hinted that new Gemini features and capabilities will be unveiled at the Google I/O 2025. As per the report, the information was shared with Gemini Advanced subscribers in the April newsletter. The Mountain View-based tech giant teased a “more personalised assistant” and new productivity tools for users.

Nothing Phone 3a series was launched in India in March. Both the Nothing Phone 3a and the Phone 3a Pro models are promised to get three years of Android updates and six years of security upgrades. The company has released a software update for both phones in the lineup. It introduces the Privacy Space feature and support for 4K video recording on telephoto and periscope cameras.

Meta is introducing a new technology called Private Processing for WhatsApp that will allow users to access artificial intelligence (AI) tools in a private and secure environment. On Tuesday, the Menlo Park-based tech giant shared a first look at the technology and how it is ensuring both data security as well as transparency at the user level.

Meta released a standalone app for its artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot, Meta AI, on Tuesday. The new Meta AI app is available on Android via Google Play and iOS via the App Store. The Menlo Park-based tech giant has added a social element to the app where users can see others' posts and images in a Discover feed.

Reddit, the discussion forum-style social media platform, announced the expansion of its automatic translation feature on Monday. In September 2024, the company introduced a machine learning (ML) feature that automatically translates posts and comments on the platform to users’ preferred language. It is now expanding the feature to introduce the Hindi language. Additionally, the artificial intelligence (AI) feature will soon support the Bengali language, the company added.

Duolingo, the ed-tech platform focused on teaching languages, mathematics, and music, is making a decisive pivot towards becoming an AI-first company. On Monday, the company released an all-hands email from its CEO, Luis von Ahn, which highlighted the company’s vision for the near future. A major focus of this shift would be to phase out the company’s contract workers with artificial intelligence (AI) tools.

Spotify reported operating profit that missed estimates even as it saw a surge in subscribers in the first quarter. The profit miss overshadowed a stronger gain in subscribers in the first three months of the year, showing that the streaming service’s strategy of expanding beyond music into audiobooks and podcasts is luring more fans even as it raises prices.

OpenAI announced new capabilities for its ChatGPT Search feature on Monday. The San Francisco-based AI firm is adding a new experimental shopping experience to the artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot, which will showcase products in a more visual manner and share a direct link to buy. Additionally, the company is also adding several other utility features.

Google is expanding its artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot Gemini to younger users. Last month, the Mountain View-based tech giant announced allowing users younger than the age of 13 years (or the applicable age in the respective country) to access its AI chatbot across Android, iOS, and on the web. The company is also letting parents and school administrators manage and supervise their access to the AI chatbot.

WhatsApp launched emoji reactions on the platform long ago, which lets users express their feelings toward a message with six different emojis. Now, the Meta-owned instant messaging service appears to be taking a step ahead with message reactions to express yourself with stickers. WhatsApp is reportedly adding sticker reactions for messages and media files on its Android app. The feature has been spotted in WhatsApp for Android beta Android 2.25.13.23 update, which is available via the Google Play Beta programme.

OpenAI updated the GPT-4o artificial intelligence (AI) model on Saturday. The update was aimed at improving the intelligence and personality aspects of the large language model (LLM), which powers the default experience for those on the free tier of ChatGPT. However, on Sunday, the company found that the update had unexpected results, and the AI model’s responses became too agreeable.

Google Photos has a hidden shortcut that allows users to switch to the classic search experience from Ask Photos-driven search. Ask Photos was first unveiled at Google I/O last year and started rolling out to users in September 2024. The artificial intelligence (AI) feature allows users to make natural language queries to find relevant images from their images and videos stored in their Google Drive.

Google reportedly pays an “enormous sum of money” to Samsung to preinstall the Gemini app. As per the report, the Mountain View-based tech giant began paying the South Korean tech giant in January. The information was said to be revealed by a Google executive while testifying in the ongoing antitrust case against the US Justice Department.

OpenAI is expanding its artificial intelligence (AI) agent Deep Research to the free users of ChatGPT. Announced on Friday, the San Francisco-based AI firm is now offering a “lightweight” version of the tool to all users, including paid subscribers. This version of Deep Research will be powered by the o4-mini AI model and will be available with specific rate limits.

Apps developed by India-based developers were downloaded more than 75.5 crore times on Apple devices via the App Store’s 175 global storefronts in 2024. This resulted in the Cupertino-based tech giant’s ecosystem facilitating Rs. 44,447 crore in developer billings and sales in the same period, according to a recently published study. A 94 percent share of this revenue was accrued solely to developers and businesses, without any commission paid to Apple.

Motorola announced major upgrades for Moto AI, the company’s in-house artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot. Announced on Thursday, the Lenovo-owned brand is adding four new AI features to Moto AI — Next Move, Playlist Studio, Image Studio and Look and Talk. Additionally, the company is also partnering with major AI players such as Google, Meta, Microsoft, and Perplexity to integrate their offerings into Moto AI.

YouTube announced on Wednesday that it is testing a version of Google Search’s AI Overviews on its platform. The video streaming giant is experimenting an implementation of the artificial intelligence (AI) feature to show users clips from videos in a carousel which could be most relevant or helpful to the searched query.

Reddit is rolling out its artificial intelligence (AI) conversational chatbot to more users. Dubbed Reddit Answers, the chatbot is now available in India, and users can access it via the website, mobile web, as well as Android and iOS apps. The discussion forum-style social media platform first began testing the feature in December 2024.

Adobe announced a slew of new features and improvements at its annual Adobe Max conference on Thursday. The software giant announced new Firefly artificial intelligence (AI) models, support for third-party models, new Adobe Express features, a new Firefly mobile app, and more. The company also introduced a new Adobe Boards tool for storyboard creation, and a Vector model to let designers create editable vector-based artworks.