Apple's Copycat Moves: What's New in 2025?

Apple has a habit of taking features from other apps and making them their own. This practice, known as "Sherlocking, " has been a part of Apple's strategy for a while. It all started back in the late '90s with a search app called Sherlock. This app let users search the web and their local files. Around the same time, there was another app called Watson, made by Karelia Software. Watson had some cool features for searching the internet. But then, Apple released Sherlock 3, which had similar features to Watson. This move forced Karelia to shut down Watson. Fast forward to 2025, and Apple is still at it. At the recent WWDC event, Apple showed off some new features that look awfully familiar. For instance, the new Spotlight app on macOS seems to have taken a page from apps like Raycast and Launchbar. These apps help users find and launch programs quickly, and they offer a platform for developers. Spotlight now does all that and more, with "Actions" that let users do things like schedule events or create folders. It even lets users access menu items from active windows and set up shortcuts for specific tasks. Plus, developers can add actions from their own apps using the Intents API. Another example is the flight tracking feature in iOS 26. Apple's Wallet app now lets users see and share flight status through Live Activities. This is something that apps like Flighty have been doing for years. Flighty even won an Apple Design Award for its flight tracking features. But now, Apple is integrating similar functionality into its own Maps app, which will guide users through airports with details like gate information, security checkpoints, and more.

Apple is also making waves in the coding world. The new Xcode 26 tool will have ChatGPT as its default assistant, and developers can connect other AI models using API keys. This move targets apps like Alex for Xcode, which helps developers with tasks like searching codebases and running terminal commands. Apple is also stepping into the podcasting game with a new Local Capture feature on the iPad. This feature lets creators record videos using any video calling app and share the recordings. It's a move that could affect apps like Riverside, which has been helping users record and edit podcasts for years. On the Apple Watch, the Notes app finally made its debut with the WatchOS 26 update. This update puts several third-party note-taking apps out of the running. Additionally, iOS 26 introduces a Call Assist feature that can screen calls from unknown numbers, note the caller's details, and let users choose to accept or reject the call. This feature is similar to what apps like Robokiller and Truecaller offer, along with SMS spam protection. Apple's Wallet app is also getting an upgrade with parcel tracking. Using Apple Intelligence, the app can track and summarize order status by studying emails from merchants or delivery services. This feature puts several package tracking apps in the crosshairs. So, what does this all mean for third-party app developers? Well, it's a mixed bag. On one hand, Apple's implementation of these features can make users more aware of certain capabilities. On the other hand, developers have found ways to adapt. For example, apps that were previously "Sherlocked" have released new versions with more features for specialized use cases. It's a constant game of catch-up, but developers are finding ways to stay in the race.