Apps

4 ways you can use TikTok to help during the COVID-19 crisis

You don’t need to dance sexily to help

Published

March 25, 2020

MJ Jucutan

As the coronavirus pandemic hits a fever pitch, the amount of TikTok users has been ballooning. A lot of people are currently stuck at home due to a quarantine and forced self-isolation, leading people to download the short-form video app to ease their boredom.

TikTok may be known for goofy and humorous videos but just like any other social media platform, it has other sides catering to different niches and personalities. From cooking, photography, and journaling, to sexy dance challenges, thirst traps, viral memes, and cringe-worthy videos bordering between silly and insanity.

And just like any social media platform, TikTok is also contributing to the fight against coronavirus, in its own, unique, entertaining way. If you spend a lot of time watching and/or uploading on TikTok, maybe it’s high time you participate in TikTok’s efforts seeing how you have a lot of time to do so.

Arm yourself with information

When somebody asks you about your ‘contribution’ in your government and your country’s fight against the coronavirus, you can always slap the taxes you pay, and the criticism and flaws you point out so the system can improve. But if you find it difficult to answer, you can respond with how you’re armed with information — which came from verified and trusted sources.

If you’re unsure where to access accurate and timely information, TikTok created a special page within the app for all things coronavirus — advisories, preventive measures, and Mythbusters debunking fallacies to fight misinformation. Yes, even as a TikTok user, you should be able to discern what is news and what is misinformation.

Don’t forget to wash your hands properly

If Mimiyuuuh can remind us to ‘drink your water’, you can be your own influencer and remind others to wash their hands properly. TikTok creators are using the platform to promote handwashing while singing their favorite songs for 20 seconds.

@tjmusicmonterde ##HandWashChallenge ##handwashtunes ♬ original sound – TJ Monterde

In Vietnam, the Ghen Cô Vy (English Version) was released to inspire hand sanitation. Through its groovy choreography, people have become cautious of the coronavirus. If you want to be an influencer, you can join TikTok’s #HandwashTunes challenge so you can encourage people to wash their hands properly. Remember, an influencer influences.

Spread love and happiness

This challenging time encourages us to spread positive messages of love and hope, not toxic positivity. Our social media feeds are always bombarded with news and the reality we live in.

If you find yourself scrolling on TikTok more often, take part in the #LoveInTheTimeOfCorona challenge instead of just dancing sexily. If you’re musically-inclined, you can bring some hope and compassion in your videos by using a new collaborative song entitled “Forever Beautiful: All for One Version”. The song features Eric Chou, Ben&Ben, and 13 artists across Asia.

@kuyaching ##loveinthetimeofcorona Good deeds should be done with intention, not for attention.@Swerab Smith @Keanne Go ##chingsters ##teamramen ##laughingjackz ♬ Someone You Loved – Lewis Capaldi

Keep your distance, but stay connected

If you’re reading this and you have a mobile phone, access to the internet, and you’re inside a house where you can sleep safe and sound, then congratulations! You’re blessed and you’re privileged enough compared to people who need to step outside for work so they can put food on their plates.

Use this privilege to stay at home because that will be your major contribution (if someone ever asks you again). Use this time at home to catch up with friends and family via social media, in case you’ve been ignoring them for weeks now. You can also try to improve yourself. Perhaps, you can learn a new language, a new recipe, develop new hobbies, and maybe do a home workout.

Whatever it is, don’t forget to share good vibes and entertain people, especially those who can’t handle self-isolation well. Maybe it’s also a good time for you to create more TikTok videos (which you can save as a draft for future purposes).

Let’s remember that we can maintain our distance to keep others safe while maintaining connections through social media platforms. Until then, stay safe!

As general rules, the CDC or The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention listed these to help with preventing the spread of COVID-19:

Stay home when sick
Cover coughs and sneezes
Frequently wash hands with soap and water
Clean frequently touched surfaces

Related Topics:coronavirus Covid-19 TikTok

Apps

Apple Creator Studio: Creative apps bundled into single subscription

All the tools you need, one payment

Published

January 14, 2026

GadgetMatch

Apple has officially streamlined its popular creative apps into one single subscription suite with the introduction of Apple Creator Studio.

The collection includes some of the most useful apps for today’s creators: Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, Pixelmator Pro, Motion, Compressor, and MainStage.

New AI features and premium content in Keynote, Pages, and Numbers also make the Apple Creator Studio an exciting subscription suite. Freeform will eventually be added to the lineup.

The groundbreaking collection is designed to put studio-grade power into the hands of everyone. It builds on the essential role Apple devices play in the lives of millions of creators worldwide.

The apps included cover video editing, music making, creative imaging, and visual productivity to give modern creators the features and capabilities they need.

Final Cut Pro introduces exceptional new video editing tools and intelligent features for Mac and iPad.

For the first time, Pixelmator Pro is also coming to iPad with a uniquely crafted experience optimized for touch and Apple Pencil.

Logic Pro, meanwhile, for Mac and iPad introduces more intelligent features like Synth Player and Chord ID.

Apple Creator Studio will be available on the App Store beginning January 29. In the Philippines, the rates are PhP 399 a month or PhP 3,990 annually.

There is also a free one-month trial which includes access to:

Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, and Pixelmator Pro on Mac and iPad
Motion, Compressor, and MainStage on Mac
Intelligent features and premium content for Keynote, Pages, Numbers, and later Freeform for iPhone, iPad, and Mac

College students and educators can subscribe for a discounted price of PhP 149 per month or PhP 1,490 per year.

Apps

Apple gives up on making AI, inks a deal with Gemini to power Siri

Gemini gets another feather in its cap.

Published

January 14, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

In the not-too-long-ago past, the biggest names of the tech industry competed to build their own AI software. Now, though some brands are still on the hunt, it’s easier to name certain software that have more successfully drowned users in a flood of AI-powered features. Today, Google gets another win by adding Apple’s Siri to its Gemini cap.

In the past, Apple peddled Apple Intelligence, an upcoming AI-powered system to compete against the giants of the industry. However, much like other features from other brands, Apple Intelligence came out half baked with features still lacking months after the initial launch.

Now, Apple has signed a deal with Google to use Gemini for a revamped Siri. The former plans to launch a new version of Siri later this year. Because of the deal, the voice assistant will start using Gemini as a foundation for its own services. Currently, Samsung’s Galaxy AI already uses Gemini.

Formerly a battleground between so many competing brands, it’s now looking like a battle between two major companies: Google and OpenAI. Google now has a huge grip, though. Both Samsung and Apple are no slouches when it comes to owning market share in the world’s smartphones.

Now, as consumers, Apple’s deal probably doesn’t mean much besides the continued influx of features that add little to no value to a smartphone.

Apps

Microsoft continues to shove Copilot where it’s not wanted

This time, it’s reportedly coming to File Explorer.

Published

January 14, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

If you look at a modern keyboard, you’ll find that the Copilot button is the cleanest one on the entire panel because no one ever willingly presses it. And yet, Microsoft still believes in the feature’s value. To show their odd commitment, the company is reportedly adding Copilot to File Explorer.

According to @phantomofearth from X (via Windows Central), a new Windows 11 preview build will add a button beside File Explorer’s navigation menu. Currently, the button is invisible and doesn’t do anything. However, the report says that the feature is tied to something called “Chat with Copilot.” It’s becoming clear that the system aims to add the AI software right inside the file organization app.

Besides revealing the potential addition of the egregious feature inside File Explorer, @phantomofearth also added mock-ups of a desktop with Copilot right on the taskbar, hinting at a potential nightmare of the feature lording itself over where it’s not wanted.

Thankfully, the preview build doesn’t always represent a final version of the system. There’s still a chance that Microsoft will not add the AI to the File Explorer.

As of late, Microsoft has received a lot of flak for persistently pushing Copilot onto users, regardless of how they feel about the feature. The company is also facing criticisms in the background for being a major proponent of AI data centers in the United States, which, in turn, have caused the prices of tech to skyrocket this year.