Apps

BPI app: 4 tips to master online banking

To ensure their customers’ money and information are safe

Published

February 9, 2024

GadgetMatch

Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) clients have seen numerous versions of the BPI app throughout the years.

BPI says it’s to ensure their customers’ money and information are safe. To keep it the same way this 2024, here are four pro tips to master online banking.

Always keep your BPI app up-to-date

Make sure you’re running the BPI app’s most up-to-date version. The BPI app only runs on secure devices, including those on iOS 14 and Android 8 or higher. Moreover, the app is not compatible on jailbroken, modified, or rooted devices.

For Android users, you can set the “Developer Options” to off on the device’s general settings. These restrictions help safeguard the BPI app from those who might want to tamper with security measures in place.

Register the device with BPI-registered mobile SIM

When you download the BPI app and log in for the first time, you will be prompted to register your device. This is another security feature that BPI has recently implemented.

To do this, follow these simple steps:

Make sure your SIM has enough load to send at least one (1) SMS
Follow the step-by-step instructions on the app to register the device
Data-only SIM cards are not capable of sending SMS, so you can’t use these for registration
In case you want to use the BPI app on a device with a different number, you’ll need to change your registered mobile number first
Your new number may only be activated at the nearest BPI branch ATM after logging in over at online.bpi.com.ph.

Activate Mobile Key

Having Mobile Key turned on lets you authorize transactions quickly and securely. Mobile Key acts like a virtual PIN, eliminating the need for an OTP.

The Mobile Key also works as a second layer of security so BPI knows it’s really you trying to access your account.

Furthermore, the BPI app will always ask for Mobile Key confirmation every time you update, switch devices, or browse online via a web browser.

Pay straight from the app

Lastly, the BPI app also supports a pay via QR feature, letting users scan any QR Ph code. There is no need to load up e-wallets or cash in. The quick-access QR icon is located at the top right of the screen.

To use this feature, tap the icon, scan the QR code, login to your account, and choose the account you’d like to pay from. You can try it out in thousands of stores nationwide that accept QR Ph. Best of all, there is no additional transaction fee.

Apps

The No-Nonsense guide to mid-year shopping

Let AI do the heavy lifting for you this Lazada 6.6 Super WOW Sale

Published

June 5, 2026

MJ Jucutan

The mid-year sale season is here, but the days of mindless impulse buying are over.

Shoppers are shifting toward intentional, value-driven decisions, focusing on quality, authenticity, and actual utility over flashy, low-quality gimmicks.

From 8:00 PM on June 5 until 11:59 PM on June 8, 2026, the Lazada 6.6 Super WOW Sale is dropping major discounts. But the real win is using the platform’s tools to maximize your budget.

Lock in the baseline discounts

Before diving into specific items, map out how to stack the core offers.

You can stretch your money by hunting down LazFlash Deals for up to 90% off, collecting up to PhP 3,000 in stackable vouchers, and ensuring every order qualifies for the free shipping offers available throughout the event.

True value comes from combining these three layers of savings on things you already need.

Jisulife: One of the participating, trusted brands you can get from LazMall

Filter for authentic value

Shopping smart means avoiding the trap of “too good to be true” counterfeits that end up in the trash.

Data shows a massive consumer shift toward trusted quality, with LazMall growth vastly outperforming standard listings during major sales.

To ensure your money goes toward genuine products with real warranties, restrict your browsing to official, brand-certified stores.

If you are upgrading your tech, parenting gear, or wardrobe, look to trusted names anchoring the sale like UGREEN, JisuLife, ANTA, Maserati Watches, Momcozy, and O.TWO.O.

UGREEN: One of the participating, trusted brands you can get from LazMall

Outsmart the noise with built-in tech

Don’t waste hours scrolling through endless listings or guessing which product is better.

The smartest way to navigate a massive mid-year event is to let the platform’s built-in features cut through choice paralysis.

Tools like AI Lazzie and AI Picks allow you to instantly compare similar items, analyze prices, and get personalized recommendations based on actual data rather than generic marketing hype.

Smart Shopper Tip: True value is a mix of the right price, verified authenticity, and a seamless return policy. Use this sale period to stock up on everyday essentials and high-quality upgrades rather than panic-buying items you’ll regret later.

Apps

Meta adds subscriptions for Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp

Published

May 28, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Is your wallet buckling from the weight of so many subscription services? Well, Meta has a trio of new subscriptions for you to sink your hard-earned cash towards. If you have a few dollars, here’s Facebook Plus, Instagram Plus, and WhatsApp Plus.

All three subscriptions are designed to add new features which can enhance the experience for those who practically live on these apps. Among the three, Instagram Plus is the meatiest. It offers users the ability to view other people’s Stories without showing up as a viewer, create more tailored audiences outside of Close Friends, and extend the duration of a Story beyond 24 hours, among others.

View this post on Instagram

Since it shares similarities with Instagram, Facebook Plus offers much of the same features. WhatsApp Plus, however, offers more customization options including new themes, ringtones, and stickers.

If that’s not enough, Meta has also released a new subscription system for Meta AI. Though the basic use of the AI is still free, the new Meta One Plus and Meta One Premium plans offer more capacity and performance for power users. The company is also testing new creator-focused plans, Meta One Essential and Meta One Advanced.

Of course, the new AI-based plans are more focused on those who actually use the AI software. Meanwhile, the three app plans are more for regular users. Facebook Plus and Instagram Plus will cost US$ 3.99 per month. Meanwhile, WhatsApp Plus will cost US$ 2.99 per month.

Apps

Meta quietly launches Forum app for Facebook Groups

The app highlights discussions from Facebook Groups.

Published

May 22, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Since the rise of other platforms, Facebook Groups haven’t enjoyed as much popularity anymore. Despite this (or maybe even to help with this), Meta has unleashed an all-new app called Forum.

Designed specifically with Facebook Groups in mind, Forum collates discussions from Groups that the user might be interested in. Much like the websites of the same name from the 2000s, the app wants to feature conversations, rather than canned content that the algorithm shoves towards users on the main Facebook feed.

Users can also ask questions. Forum will sift through real discussions to find an answer. The closest analog today is searching Reddit for troubleshooting questions to get answers based on human experience. The main feed of the new app, however, feels more in tune with Quora’s concept.

That said, it’s a refreshing way to bring social media back to human-made feeds. It’s also a stark admission that the main Facebook feed (and, frankly, Instagram too) is just too inundated with content that users are not interested in.

Lately, Instagram also made the same admission by launching its own “lightweight” app called Instants. Like Forum, Instants was made to recapture the essence of Instagram before the rise of the almighty algorithm.

Forum, however, was launched with much less fanfare than Instants. There was no announcement. Rather, it’s just a casual drop from out of nowhere. The app is available now on the App Store and the Play Store.