TikTok agrees to pay at least $100M in Alabama settlement

techcrunch.com Sep 26, 2026

TikTok agrees to pay at least $100M in Alabama settlement

Curated by Shubham · TechCapsules · Sep 26, 2026

AI-summarised brief · reviewed before publication

TikTok agreed to pay Alabama at least $100 million in a settlement over claims that the platform misled users about safety and was engineered to addict children. The case was set for trial on Monday, but the agreement caps the minimum payout at $100 million, with a potential total of $300 million depending on conditions. TikTok will also enforce a two‑hour daily limit for users under 18, add parental controls, ban overnight use, and restrict cosmetic filters. Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall said the deal provides real protections for children. TikTok’s settlement follows a $400 million DOJ settlement over child‑privacy violations.

💡 Why It Matters

· The deal signals a growing legal push to curb social‑media addiction among minors, forcing platforms to adopt stricter usage limits and parental oversight.
· It also sets a precedent for state‑level enforcement that could influence national regulatory approaches.

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Indie App Spotlight: ‘QuillCue’ levels up your Siri AI experience with stored…

QuillCue, an indie iOS app highlighted in 9to5Mac’s weekly Indie App Spotlight, adds a custom keyboard that stores and inserts user‑created prompts into Siri AI, which debuted with iOS 27. By swiping down, selecting the keyboard, and tapping a saved prompt, users can reuse complex queries—such as locating coffee‑friendly workspaces—without retyping. The app supports folders, import/export of prompt libraries, and works on iPhone models running iOS 27.0 or later, though it is currently limited to U.S. users. QuillCue is free on the App Store, contains no ads or in‑app purchases, and is developed by Parker Ortolani, who shares updates on X. It offers quick location‑based prompts, boosting remote‑work productivity for users. The tool aims to streamline repetitive Siri interactions absent native “skill” learning.

💡 Caching Siri queries transforms a one‑off voice assistant into a repeatable productivity layer, speeding routine tasks for iOS 27 users.

thethaiger.com · Sep 26

THIM app to add visa extensions, 90-day reporting online

Thailand’s Immigration Bureau launched the THIM app on August 1, offering a digital gateway for foreign visitors to submit the Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) and access travel services. The app, available on major app stores, already records over 600,000 downloads and 580,000 active users. It will expand to include queue booking, visa extensions, 90‑day reporting, and visa‑on‑arrival at authorized checkpoints, aiming to streamline entry and stay procedures while maintaining security and data protection. The initiative responds to rising visitor numbers that strain airport and border facilities.

💡 By centralizing immigration tasks, Thailand reduces physical congestion and speeds processing, enhancing the country’s appeal as a tourist destination.

9to5google.com · Sep 26

Google combines Material 3 Expressive & Liquid Glass on the iPhone [Gallery]

Google has begun integrating its Liquid Glass translucency effect into iOS versions of its apps, pairing it with the Material 3 Expressive design language. In the latest update (v7.94), Google Photos now features a frosted bottom navigation bar, offering a “Default” translucency and a “More clear” setting that reveals more of the underlying image. The dark theme tints the tab indicator with blue accent. Liquid Glass treatments appear on top‑bar buttons, the bottom bar in Google Health, and the “Ask Coach” floating action button. While Docs, Sheets, Slides and Keep use the older Material theme on iOS, Google is phasing out that design. The company has not added Android‑style Dynamic Color to iOS suite, citing limited system access to wallpaper data.

💡 The move brings iOS apps closer to Android’s visual language, strengthening Google’s cross‑platform brand identity.

androidcentral.com · Sep 26

Google Messages gets a major gesture and menu refresh

Google Messages introduces a refreshed gesture system and a new floating long‑press menu that replaces the top toolbar. The menu now appears beside the selected bubble, offering Reply, Forward, Copy, Star, Delete, Select more, and Info, with image‑specific options like Save and Remix. Copying text is improved: a second tap lets users select a snippet instead of the whole message. Swiping left reveals timestamps and RCS encryption status; a right swipe on a bubble replies. The changes are rolling out via recent builds and are server‑controlled.

💡 The new gesture logic streamlines common messaging tasks, reducing the need to open message details and speeding up information retrieval in long threads.

9to5google.com · Sep 25

Google Messages rolls out new swipe for timestamps & reply gesture

Google Messages is being updated with a new swipe‑based interface that changes how users view timestamps and send replies. In the latest rollout, swiping left anywhere in a conversation reveals the sent time, read receipts and RCS encryption status, replacing the previous need to tap individual bubbles. Swiping right on a bubble now initiates a direct reply, requiring a more precise gesture than the former left‑swipe shortcut. The redesign also reverts to the older two‑circle icon set on the Details page and home screen, while a brief timestamp preview appears when a bubble is tapped to hint at the new behavior. The changes are distributed in version 20260910_03_RC02 and are being rolled out broadly across Android devices for millions worldwide.

💡 The new gestures let users access message metadata and reply faster, cutting down on taps and streamlining everyday texting.

techcrunch.com · Sep 25

Meta is putting its muscle behind Muse as the AI app takes…

Meta has accelerated the adoption of its AI chatbot Muse, pushing the app’s downloads from 2.5 million to over 3.4 million within a week after showcasing it at the Meta Connect developer conference. The event introduced new features such as video‑chat avatars, Mac support, a dedicated email address, partner integrations and future smart‑glasses compatibility. Market‑intelligence firms report varying totals—Sensor Tower cites 3.4 million installs, Apptopia 4.3 million, and Appfigures about 2.3 million—reflecting the app’s rapid rise in the U.S. and Canada. Daily active users jumped 27 % post‑conference, and Muse claimed the top spot on both the U.S. App Store and Google Play within weeks of launch, aided by Meta’s extensive cross‑platform house ads and external advertising that accounted for roughly 6 % of impressions.

💡 Muse’s meteoric climb demonstrates how Meta’s integrated promotion can fast‑track an AI product to market dominance, reshaping user expectations for conversational agents.