The iOS 18.4 update is in beta right now, and it introduces a new option for users in the EU to set a default navigation app. This means no more pesky links opening in Apple Maps when you only use Google Maps — but it won’t be available for people in the U.S.
The EU’s Digital Markets Act is forcing Apple to make various changes to its services, but unfortunately not all of these perks make it over to the U.S. Apple has made it clear that it doesn’t agree with a lot of the rules the EU is setting, so a lot of the time, it only makes the changes when and where it absolutely has to.
So far, this applies to the option to choose an alternative app marketplace and the option to choose another app for contactless payments. As reported by MacRumors, when iOS 18.4 gets released, the option to set a default navigation app will be added to this list.
Not all of Apple’s new Default Apps settings are limited to the EU, however. iOS 18 lets everyone change their default browser app, calls app, email app, keyboards app, messages app, and passwords app. And with iOS 18.4, the ability to set a default translation app will become available worldwide as well.
Also, if it makes U.S. readers feel any better, there are downsides to being an Apple user in the EU, as well. For instance, it’s taking way longer for Apple Intelligence features to get green-lit for release in Europe. And, most annoyingly, we still don’t have access to the iPhone Mirroring feature on macOS — something I’ve been looking forward to since it was announced what feels like one million years ago.
Two new highly requested iCloud plugins just got added to ChatGPT, giving people who rely on Apple’s Mail and Calendar services a way to search emails, check appointments, and manage their schedules directly through the chatbot.
The integration is rolling out to all ChatGPT plans, including the free tier. You can access it on the web, desktop, and iOS.
Google Play is borrowing one of the Nintendo Switch’s most useful little tricks. A new Sidekick tool called Playbacks captures a short clip after something interesting has already happened, sparing players from running a screen recorder throughout an entire game.
Playbacks is part of Google Play Store v53.8 and keeps saved clips on the phone. Google first announced it earlier this month, but the new Play Store update marks its arrival for players. Anyone who has watched a perfect win vanish because the record button came too late already understands the appeal.
Samsung’s scandal over its Game Optimizing Service, or GOS, has returned with a bill attached. South Korea’s Fair Trade Commission has tentatively fined the company 20.1 billion won, or about $15.1 million, over gaming claims made for the Galaxy S21, Galaxy S22, and Tab S8.
The regulator says Samsung promoted the devices as gaming powerhouses without disclosing that GOS placed preset CPU and GPU limits on certain demanding games. Samsung disputes that conclusion, calling GOS a legitimate way to manage heat.