Say Goodbye to Extra Apps? Apple’s 2025 Updates Bring Built-In Alternatives
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Apple unveiled iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS 26, and watchOS 26 earlier this month. As usual, the new operating systems include several new features that will not be greeted with open arms by third-party developers that offer apps with identical or similar features. Yep, Apple has “sherlocked” outside developers once again.
Apple’s history of “sherlocking” third-party developers dates back to when Apple unveiled a new “Sherlock” search tool in OS X, which included features Apple “borrowed” from a third-party search app called “Watson.” When the developers of Watson accused Apple of copying the features of their app without compensation, the phrase “sherlocking” became the term for Apple apps that remove the need for third-party apps.
Which Apps Were Sherlocked This Year?
Several third-party apps were sherlocked this time around, so let’s take a look at who took a hit from Apple’s new features for the iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch.
iPhone and iPad (iOS 26 and iPadOS 26)
Call Assist With Screening
Apple added several new features to the Phone app in iOS 26, and one of the biggest is Call Assist with Screening. The new feature silently fields calls from unknown callers, asks the caller’s name and reason for calling, then relays that information to you before allowing you to either accept or reject the call with a typed response. This new feature sherlocks two popular call screening apps, Robokiller and Truecaller.
Parcel Tracking in Apple Wallet
Multiple tracking apps got sherlocked with this new feature, one of which is the Packages app from ParcelsApp.com. Parcel Tracking in Wallet uses Apple Intelligence to automatically track and summarize the status of your orders by examining and analyzing emails from merchants and delivery services. The feature then adds the tracking numbers to the Wallet app, allowing you to easily keep an eye on the progress of your upcoming deliveries.
Flight Tracking in Live Activities
Flighty gets sherlocked by this new iOS 26 feature, as it allows iPhone users to track and share their flight status through Live Activities in the Wallet app. The new feature also offers navigation through airports, including gate and services information in the Apple Maps app.
Local Capture for iPad
iPadOS 26 brings a handy new feature that allows iPad users to locally record high-quality videos using any video conferencing app to share with other users once a call has ended. The feature is an excellent tool for podcast creation. Local Capture’s echo cancellation of other participants’ audio makes sure the user’s voice is kept front and center. Riverside takes the hit on this one.
Mac (macOS 26)
Spotlight with Actions
The Spotlight feature in macOS “sherlocks” apps like Raycast and LaunchBar, as this time around, Spotlight makes it easier for users to find things on their Mac, while also providing new ways to take action on tasks. When searching via Spotlight, all results are now listed together. This includes files, folders, messages, apps, events, and more. If it’s on your Mac, Spotlight will likely unearth it. All results are also ranked intelligently based on relevance to the user. 
Users can also directly take action from Spotlight, allowing them to send an email, create a note, and more, all without the need to switch between apps. Shortcuts and actions can be run from the menu bar in the app you’re currently in, without lifting your hands from the keyboard.
Spotlight Clipboard Search
macOS Tahoe’s updated Spotlight also allows users to search and view previously copied content from their clipboard history, such as text and images, allowing them to easily retrieve items copied earlier. This feature sherlocks Paste and Pastebot.
Allow in the Menu Bar
macOS Tahoe’s System Settings now allow you to control the third-party apps that will be allowed to display menu bar items. Bartender and Ice take the hit on this feature.
Xcode AI Model Integration
Alex for Xcode is the app that Apple “borrowed” features from in this instance, as the new feature defaults to ChatGPT as the assistant for Xcode 26, allowing developers to connect to other AI models for coding assistance.
Apple Watch (watchOS 26)
Several note-taking apps for the Apple Watch will be sherlocked by the Notes App for Apple Watch, which brings the official Notes app to the Apple Watch. This allows users to take notes directly on their wrist. 
Will These Sherlocked Apps Survive?
While the above new features do mimic the features found in the third-party apps that we’ve listed, most of the apps also offer additional functionality that outpaces the features Apple has “borrowed,” meaning the apps and their developers should be able to survive. In the past, developers who have had their apps sherlocked have found new ways to keep their apps attractive to users by adding new features and improving old ones.
