AppStories

What’s Next for Apps in 2026

This week, Federico and John look ahead to 2026 and what it will mean for apps, smarter Siri, and more. On AppStories+, Federico and John update listeners on their latest app experiments and holiday hardware projects. Subscribe here. We deliver AppStories+ to subscribers with bonus content, ad-free, and at a high bitrate early every week. To learn more about an AppStories+ subscription, visit our Plans page, or read the AppStories+ FAQ. Links and Show Notes App and Apple Preditions and Trends for 2026 Vibe Coding & AI Development Trends for 2026 Mentioned: Google AI Studio [Swift Playground](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/swift-playground/id908519492 Manus AI Wabi Claude Code Codex The junior bet has gotten better iPhone Opening Up to Wireless Wearables Index 01 Ring Android AI Agents & Computer Use Google Gemini Research Apps & NotebookLM Alternatives NotebookLM EXA API Parallel AI API Perplexity’s iPad app focuses on research tools Siri with App Intents & Apple Intelligence MCP on Mobile MCP (Model Context Protocol) Rumored MCP bridge in development for iOS 26 Leave Feedback for John and Federico AppStories Feedback Form Follow us on Mastodon AppStories Federico Viticci John Voorhees Follow us on Bluesky AppStories MacStories Federico Viticci John Voorhees

The 2025 MacStories Selects Awards

This week, Federico and John reveal the winners of the 2025 MacStories Selects Awards, which celebrate the exceptional design, innovation, and creativity of apps across the iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch. On AppStories+, John has some Apple Music discovery tips for Federico, and they reveal the iPhone features they don’t use. Subscribe here. We deliver AppStories+ to subscribers with bonus content, ad-free, and at a high bitrate early every week. To learn more about an AppStories+ subscription, visit our Plans page, or read the AppStories+ FAQ. This episode is sponsored by: RevenueCat – It’s the easiest way to add in-app subscriptions and native paywalls into your mobile apps, and getting started is free. Links and Show Notes MacStories Selects 2025 Read More on MacStories here: MacStories Selects 2025: Recognizing the Best Apps of the Year The winners: Best New App: Quick Reviews Runner-up: Wispr Flow Runner-up: Activas AI Best Mac App: Bloom Runner-up: Supercharge Best Watch App: Athlytic Runner-up: µBrowser Best New Feature: Matter’s TTS voices Runner-up: Bridges Runner-up: Longplay MCP Best Design: Sequel 2.6 Runner-up: Not Boring Camera Readers’ Choice Award: Alfred App of the Year: Drafts Runner-up: Athlytic The MacStories Selects 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award Read more on MacStories: The MacStories Selects 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award The winner: Lifetime Achievement Award: Unread Leave Feedback for John and Federico AppStories Feedback Form Follow us on Mastodon AppStories Federico Viticci John Voorhees Follow us on Bluesky AppStories MacStories Federico Viticci John Voorhees

Vibe Coding Your Own Productivity Tools

This week, Federico and John explain how they go about creating personal productivity tools with the assistance of AI and walk through some of what they have created. On AppStories+, we talk about our Black Friday tech purchases. Subscribe here. We deliver AppStories+ to subscribers with bonus content, ad-free, and at a high bitrate early every week. To learn more about an AppStories+ subscription, visit our Plans page, or read the AppStories+ FAQ. Links and Show Notes Vibe Coding Personal Productivity Tools Simon Willison’s blog Harper Reed Vibe coding apps and startups: Vibecode Wabi Bitrig Leave Feedback for John and Federico AppStories Feedback Form Follow us on Mastodon AppStories Federico Viticci John Voorhees Follow us on Bluesky AppStories MacStories Federico Viticci John Voorhees

Designing for Liquid Glass: Outstanding Indie Apps

This week, Federico and John dig into some of their favorite apps that have adopted Apple’s Liquid Glass design language. On AppStories+, it’s John’s 10th anniversary at MacStories, so he and Federico look back at the last decade. Also available on YouTube here. Subscribe here. We deliver AppStories+ to subscribers with bonus content, ad-free, and at a high bitrate early every week. To learn more about an AppStories+ subscription, visit our Plans page, or read the AppStories+ FAQ. Links and Show Notes Liquid Glass Apps Denim Locally AI Longplay Matter Gentler Streak Unread Todoist Also Mentioned: Manus AI Leave Feedback for John and Federico AppStories Feedback Form Follow us on Mastodon AppStories Federico Viticci John Voorhees Follow us on Bluesky AppStories MacStories Federico Viticci John Voorhees

The Ever-Changing App Store

This week, Federico and John explore current changes to the world of apps through the lens of its past evolution. On AppStories+, we build “money’s no object” holiday wish lists for ourselves. Also available on YouTube here. Subscribe here. We deliver AppStories+ to subscribers with bonus content, ad-free, and at a high bitrate early every week. To learn more about an AppStories+ subscription, visit our Plans page, or read the AppStories+ FAQ. Links and Show Notes The Evolving App Store Some of our 2025 coverage about the changing app environment: Apple Recreated the App Store on the Web with No Way to Download or Buy Apps Apple Removes ICEBlock and Similar Apps From the App Store Under Pressure From the DOJ EU Sets DMA Compliance Deadline in App Store Anti-Steering Dispute Developers and Platforms React as App Store Rules Change in the U.S. A Breach of Trust Apple Held in Contempt Over App Store Rules Leave Feedback for John and Federico AppStories Feedback Form Follow us on Mastodon AppStories Federico Viticci John Voorhees Follow us on Bluesky AppStories MacStories Federico Viticci John Voorhees