Apps

Google’s Allo messaging app hits the App Store and it logs all your chats

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 22, 2016

At the annual I/O developer conference in April 2016, Google previewed two new mobile apps: a one-to-one video calling app called Duo, which released in mid-August, and a messaging software called Allo, which surfaced on the App Store this morning as a free download.

It sports features commonly found in messaging apps and includes a built-in Assistant, Google's conversational artificial intelligence helper, an Incognito mode and more.

While Google originally promised Allo would only store messages transiently and in non-identifiable form, the firm's had a change of heart as Allo logs all chats by default.

How to save drafts of Instagram posts to work on later

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated March 18, 2021

With Instagram drafts, you can save any half-finished photo edits and work on them later, which is handy for those times you get too busy to post right away. And if you run an Instagram account for your business, letting your social media manager save a post as a draft makes it easy for you to review it in advance of publishing.

Media, polls and quoted tweets no longer count against Twitter’s 140-character limit

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated February 27, 2018

In May of this year, Twitter promised it would be stopping counting media and other non-text content against its 140-character limit. Today, the company announced that embedded photos, videos, GIFs, polls and quoted tweets no longer count toward your 140 characters.

Twitter originally promised to also stop counting user mentions like @iDownloadBlog, but didn't specify today when it'll drop @usernames from the character count.

Hardbound, Couchy, RAW and other apps to check out this weekend

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 9, 2024

It's been a crazy week, what with the iPhone 7 launch and all. So we know everyone is ready to kick back and relax this weekend with some fun new apps and games. The latest edition of our Apps of the Week roundup includes a unique reading app, a TV series manager, and a new raw camera app. Plus we have a couple of new games for you to check out.

Apple’s free app of the week: Super Phantom Cat

Cody Lee ∙ September 15, 2016

Apple on Thursday updated its App of the Week promotion with the game Super Phantom Cat. This means that for the next 7 days, you can download this popular retro platformer for both iPhone and iPad for free—a solid savings of $2.

This charming side scroller is beloved for its beautiful retro graphics and whimsical character design, retro styling, and easy Mario-esque controls. It also features an awesome chip tune soundtrack, unlockable characters, and bonus levels.

YouTube for iPhone picks up 3D Touch shortcuts

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 14, 2016

To say that YouTube, one of my favorite mobile apps from Google, has poor 3D touch support would be an understatement: it's been now a full year since the iPhone 6s introduced the world to 3D Touch and yet support for the technology is literally non-existent in YouTube for iOS.

Conveniently ahead of the iPhone 7's arrival, Google yesterday moved to assuage some of the concerns of users who have been craving for 3D Touch in the app, releasing a small update which enables some interesting shortcuts on the Home screen.

WhatsApp rolls out its iOS 10 update with Phone/Siri support & more

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 14, 2016

WhatsApp is one of the showcase apps for CallKit, Apple's new framework allowing VoIP calls to integrate with iOS 10's Phone app and behave like cellular calls. Today, WhatsApp has rolled out its anticipated update which enables integration with Phone and Siri on iOS 10 while bringing out half a dozen other features and improvements like forwarding multiple chats at once, a new iOS 10 widget that lets you go to a recent WhatsApp chat or see which chats have unread messages, and more.

15 iMessage apps and sticker packs to download on iOS 10

Cody Lee ∙ Updated March 17, 2019

One of the headlining features in the just-released iOS 10 update is the new Messages app. It now includes support for iMessage animations, sketches, enhanced emoji, and third-party apps and sticker packs.

As such, there has been a number of app updates and new releases today with a focus on the new iMessage platform. And we thought it'd be handy for our readers if we rounded up 15 of our favorite downloads.

Super Mario Run stickers now available on the iMessage App Store

Cody Lee ∙ Updated May 17, 2018

Nintendo on Monday released its Super Mario Run sticker pack for iMessage. The company announced the move during its surprise appearance at Apple's keynote last week, promising the stickers would be available on day 1 of the iOS 10 launch.

Folks running iOS 10 beta on their device can install the sticker pack for free via the iMessage App Store. Simply open the iMessage App Drawer, tap on the Store icon, and search for 'Mario.' The pack includes 12 fun Mario-themed sticker images.

Instagram rolls out keyword-based comment filtering

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 12, 2016

Instagram today announced it has rolled out a new anti-harrasment comment moderation tool in its refreshed mobile app for iOS and Android. This feature requires Instagram 9.3 for iOS, available at no charge from the App Store. In addition to comment moderation, Instagram 9.3 includes an enhancement for Stories where you can add color to your text by swiping the colors above the keyboard to revel more. Or, simply tap and hold a circle to select a custom color.

Google’s new app lets you capture three-dimensional panoramas on your iPhone and iPad

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 12, 2016

Google today released a brand new camera application on the App Store, allowing iPhone, iPad and iPod touch users to take three-dimensional panoramas in 360-degree freedom. The interactive VR photography app is called Cardboard Camera and in addition to capturing 360-degree images, it also lets you share VR photos online and enjoy them in virtual reality with Google's Cardboard and similar accessories along with VR photos taken by other people.

Bubo, Café Wifi, Odio and other apps to check out this weekend

Cody Lee ∙ Updated October 16, 2018

It's been a long week here at iDB, with Apple unveiling the long-awaited iPhone 7, and pre-orders going live on Friday. So now that it's the weekend, we're ready to kick back and relax, and what better way to do that than checking out some new apps and games?