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Tonik digital bank launches in the Philippines

Offers up to 6% interest rate per annum

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It’s always been challenging to open a bank account for most Filipinos due to a number of factors. Tonik, an all digital bank, aims to reduce the hurdles in opening an account to encourage people to save more.

Anyone can open a Tonik bank account using only the Tonik App (available on Android and iOS), an ID, and a well-lit selfie. Accepted IDs are: Philippine passport, Philippine Driver’s license, UMID, SSS ID, PRC ID, and Firearms ID.

Don’t have any of these IDs? You’re still eligible to opening an account. The account will be active for 12 months with a maximum balance of PhP 50,000. That should be enough time to secure an ID.

After creating an account, a user can easily put money in through the following: Debit Card, Online via GCash, BPI, Unionbank, and Coins.ph, and over-the-counter partners like 7 Eleven, Cebuana Lhuiller, Mlhuillier, and SM Payment.

Savings, interest rates, stashes

Tonik’s aim, like most digital banks in their early stages, is to get people to save. There are plenty of ways to save to encourage people to do so.

Time Deposit

Earns as much as six (6) percent per annum. Starting amount can be set to as low as PhP 5,000. There are also no early withdrawal fees or penalties.

Savings Account

Every registered account has a one (1) percent base interest rate per annum. Pay out is monthly.

Stashes

This is the fun part. Stashes are essentially digital piggy banks for specific purposes. Say, you’re saving for a smartphone or whatever shiny new piece of tech you have your eye on, you can put money in a specific stash so you can easily monitor how well your savings are coming along.

A Solo Stash lets gets users a four (4) percent per annum interest rate. Meanwhile, a Group Stash lets you team-up with another Tonik user for your savings goals earning you a 4.5 percent interest rate. These can be withdrawn anytime without a lock-in period.

Virtual card

Digital banking is also a welcome development with the Coronavirus pandemic still terrorizing the planet. Plenty of merchants have adopted an all digital solution. Tonik also offers a virtual card that you can use for online purchases.

Is it secure?

Tonik is asking for some personal data and, of course, your hard-earned cash. Naturally, you’d want to know if it’s safe and secure.

First, the money concerns. Tonik is supervised by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and your money is insured by the Philippine Deposit Insurance Corporation (PDIC) up to a maximum of P500,000 per depositor.

For digital protection, the company outlines the following:

  • User account security is protected against fraud by the DAON server-based face check security feature. This ensures that no one can access a customer’s account by feigning his identity in case the account owner’s mobile phone is lost or stolen, even if the face ID is changed.
  • Passwords are safeguarded from the moment of their creation through RCA asymmetric encryption of account holders’ One-Time Pins and passwords. The level of encryption utilized for this feature is the
    same as that used by intelligence agencies
    and the military.
  • Customer data is stored safely in Amazon cloud with Advanced Cloud Security provided by AWSshield that effectively eliminates external threat like cyberattacks and data theft.
  • 256-bit encryption protection puts all transactions through secure channels that cannot be intercepted. Our security operations center monitors all customer-related activities for any possible external threats.

If you’re having any sort of difficulty navigating the app and its features, Tonik has the following customer support channels:

  • In-app chat
  • Tonik Digital Bank Viber chat
  • Customer Service email: [email protected]
  • Customer Service hotline: (02) 5322 2645

Why Tonik?

The name doesn’t immediately make you think of digital banking and the company says it’s intentional. Asked why they chose it during a media briefing, they said it’s easy to remember and doesn’t have any strong association with anything.

The company also has quite a nice and cool vibe to it. You’ll realize this with how things are worded when you interact more with the app.

PESONet transfers

As of April 27, 2021, Tonik users are able to transfer funds from a PESONet participating bank to their accounts. This service is initially available via RCBC, Landbank, PSBank and CIMB, with other PESONet member banks expected to add the service in the coming months.

Apps

Apple’s best feature to cure motion sickness is finally on Android

Google copies a good page from Apple’s playbook.

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As an Android user, I’ve been jealous of iPhone users for a while now, but it’s not for the reason you might think. See, I’m ridiculously prone to motion sickness when I’m not driving. So, when I discovered that Apple has a software-based cure called Vehicle Motion Cues, I wanted it immediately. Now, Android does have third-party apps that do the same thing, but they’re not as good as a fully native version. Well, those dark, nauseating days are about to come to an end. Android 17 is finally getting a similar tool called Motion assist.

Before that, let’s rewind for a bit. What do these features do? How can they cure motion sickness?

Whenever you open Vehicle Motion Cues or Motion assist, the interface spawns a series of dots on the screen. These dots respond to movement. For example, if the vehicle turns to the left, the dots also go to the left, mimicking the movement. Without cues like this, the stationary nature of the screen clashes with our brain’s perception of movement. The disparity creates that feeling of nausea. Basically, our eyes are desperately trying to focus on the static screen, but our brains are telling us that we should be seeing motion. Having moving dots reorients our brain and places the phone inside our perception of movement.

Now, you can enable the same feature on your Android 17 device through Settings > All services > Motion assist under Personal & device safety. You can also set it so that the feature turns on automatically when the phone detects that you’re in a moving vehicle. Finally, you can also tweak the shape, color, and opacity of these dots.

Android 17’s Motion assist is rolling out now to compatible devices.

SEE ALSO: These are the best Android 17 features (if you hate AI)

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Disney+ is moving to a global app experience

Disney+ is going global.

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Disney Plus | Marvel

Disney is rolling out its new Disney+ app to markets that have been using a separate, Hotstar-derived version of the service.

The change is already happening across several regions, with Southeast Asia among the markets affected. Disney+ subscribers in the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, and other countries will transition to the newer app experience as Disney works toward a more unified global platform.

For Philippine subscribers, Disney+ has confirmed that the migration will happen on October 7, 2026.

The company notified subscribers this week that the existing app will eventually be replaced by a new Disney+ app. No action is required yet, and subscribers can continue using the current app until Disney provides further instructions.

The migration is part of a broader effort to bring Disney+ users onto the same core platform.

From Hotstar to a global Disney+ app

The distinction between the old and new experiences goes back to Disney’s international expansion.

Disney used a Hotstar-derived version of its streaming platform in several markets, including the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, South Africa, and markets across the Middle East and North Africa.

That version provided a localized Disney+ experience, but it operated separately from the main Disney+ platform used across many other international markets.

Disney began simplifying its streaming brands in 2025. In Southeast Asia, Disney+ Hotstar was rebranded simply as Disney+, while the Star general-entertainment brand was replaced by Hulu. At the time, Disney said the rebrand would bring a more consistent Disney+ experience, although the available content would remain tailored to each market.

The next step is now happening at the app level.

Egypt began moving to the new Disney+ app on September 2, followed by Indonesia on September 3. South Africa is scheduled for September 9, while Thailand is set to follow on September 16. Malaysia and the Philippines are scheduled for October 7.

This makes the Philippine migration part of a much larger transition rather than an isolated local update.

A more familiar Disney+ experience

The new app brings affected markets closer to the current Disney+ experience elsewhere.

Disney redesigned the global app earlier this year with a new For You homepage, improved personalization, redesigned navigation, more prominent profiles, and additional content hubs. Depending on the market and subscription, the interface can also surface Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN sections.

Disney has also been expanding the platform’s international language support. In July, the company added 17 languages, bringing Disney+ to 58 audio languages, with the user interface available in more than 30 languages and subtitles or closed captions available in as many as 42. The expansion included Thai, Indonesian, Malay, Arabic, Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu.

The company has described these updates as part of its effort to make Disney+ a more accessible and localized service for audiences around the world.

The migration also brings practical changes for subscribers.

In the Philippines, Disney says existing subscribers can continue using their current account and subscription. However, profiles, watchlists, and viewing history will not transfer to the new platform. Philippine subscribers will therefore need to set up their profiles and watchlists again after moving to the new app.

The subscription itself does not require an additional charge because of the migration. Existing billing cycles will also remain in place.

The catalog will still depend on where you are

Moving to the global Disney+ app does not mean every country will suddenly receive the same library.

Disney continues to operate its streaming service according to regional content rights. Its own Help Center notes that content availability can differ by country or region, and that some titles may not be available in a subscriber’s current location.

That means a subscriber in the Philippines, for example, will still see a catalog determined by the rights Disney has for the Philippine market. The same applies to subscribers in Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, South Africa, or any other market making the transition.

What is becoming more global is the platform itself.

That brings Disney+ closer to the model used by other major streaming services, where subscribers can use a common app experience across markets while the actual catalog changes depending on where they are.

The distinction is particularly relevant for people who travel. Disney’s global Help Center says subscribers abroad can stream content available in the country or region they are visiting, meaning the service’s location-based availability rules still apply even on the unified platform.

Disney has been signaling this direction for some time. In 2025, the company said its redesigns were leading toward a “fully integrated unified app experience” in 2026. The latest migrations appear to be the next major step toward that goal.

For subscribers in the remaining Hotstar-derived markets, then, the biggest change isn’t necessarily what’s available to watch.

It’s where and how they access Disney+.

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Canva teams up with SB19 to turn A’TIN’s passion into creativity

Campaign lets fans access assets, editable templates, more

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Canva Philippines has joined forces with SB19 and Sony Music Entertainment to launch the “Kaya sa Canva” campaign.

This first-of-its-kind initiative is aimed at transforming the popular Filipino boy band’s fanbase into creators by giving them access to official design assets, exclusive templates, and powerful creative tools.

That’s of course as fans have a way of creating artwork, banners, and more outputs to honor their idols.

As such, the partnership enables the A’TIN (SB19’s fanbase) to access the Canva-exclusive SB19’s Creative Hub.

This dedicated space lets fans access assets, including SB19-inspired sticker packs, custom typography, and editable templates inspired by the group.

Fans around the world will initially have access to templates for photo-booth strips, wallpapers, posters, and videos.

The campaign will then expand with Canva-exclusive assets celebrating the group’s New Era, as well as their latest single, “Lawless”.

Meanwhile, the original song “KAYA” is accompanied with an upbeat music video, doubling as a love letter to A’TIN and a masterclass in Canva’s tools.

Every visual and animation is fan-inspired, a celebration of the creativity, passion, and dedication that’s defined in the community from day one.

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