Apps

Wise unlocks Google Pay in the Philippines

Cardholders get a smoother and more secure tap to pay experience.

Published

November 21, 2025

MJ Jucutan

Wise has unlocked a new level of convenience in the Philippines by becoming the first global non-bank to offer Google Pay for its Wise Account and Wise Business cardholders.

If you rely on your Wise card for travel, cross-border expenses, or day-to-day spending, this update makes every transaction feel smoother and more secure.

Anyone with a Wise card can now add it to Google Wallet and use Google Pay across stores, apps, websites, and even public transport.

Everything works on Android devices, and the experience stays reliable whether you are paying locally or abroad.

It fully aligns with how Filipinos have embraced digital payments, with more people choosing mobile wallets over physical cards.

The feature goes beyond simple tap to pay convenience. Wise gives you more control by letting you add up to three digital cards inside Google Wallet.

Each digital card has its own unique card number which enhances privacy and safety. You can freeze or unfreeze a card instantly and track every transaction in real time. It also helps you organize your spending since you can assign specific cards for different categories.

The Wise account and card make global money management feel easy. You can hold, send, spend, and receive money in more than 40 currencies while enjoying mid-market exchange rates with no hidden fees.

You also get two free ATM withdrawals each month worth up to twelve thousand pesos each which keeps things flexible when you need cash on the go.

How to set up

Setting it up takes a few taps. Open the Wise app, head to the Card tab, choose the card you want to use, and tap Add to Google Pay.

Once your card is active, you can tap and pay anywhere Google Pay is accepted in the Philippines or abroad. It turns every checkout into a quick, secure, and reliable moment.

Wise entering Google Pay territory feels timely for anyone who wants a smoother way to manage money across borders. It gives users a simple way to pay with their phones while keeping every transaction protected and easy to track.

Apps

YouTube makes picture-in-picture mode free for everyone globally

The update is rolling out globally now.

Published

April 30, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Picture-in-picture (or PiP) mode is a godsend for multitaskers. The feature lets users watch videos in a tiny floating window while doing other tasks. However, the feature isn’t readily available for all users. Or wasn’t, at least. YouTube is now rolling out PiP mode for free globally.

Previously, PiP mode was exclusive to YouTube users who pay for Premium or Premium Lite. It was also exclusive to the United States.

Now, YouTube is making the feature completely free for users all over the globe. It will be available for both iOS and Android versions of the app.

There’s still a catch, though. The free version is available only for “longform, non-music content.” The same goes for Premium Lite subscribers. Music is still an exclusive feature for those who pay for the regular version of Premium. Basically, there is no change for paying users or users in the United States.

Using PiP mode is simple. All you need to do is load up a video you want to watch in the background. Then, just exit the YouTube app and go about your other tasks. The video will be inside a floating, resizable window while you look at other things.

There’s no timeline on when the update will reach your device. However, YouTube has promised that it will roll out globally within the coming months.

Apps

Google might be moving away from flat design

Bye bye, Material Design.

Published

April 27, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

It’s time to kindly shove off, flat design. After over a decade of Google’s Material Design, Android is finally showing signs of ditching flat, monotonous colors. In a series of logo redesigns, Google is reportedly trying out gradients as its latest reinvention.

As spotted by 9to5Google, Google is moving forward with incorporating gradients into its designs. Previously, the company started changing the icons of a few first-party apps including Photos and Maps. Now, it seems that the new design philosophy will reach the rest of Google’s suite.

In the obtained designs, the rest of Google’s plethora of apps will no longer look static. The splash of gradient adds the feeling of layering without losing the company’s roots in flat design. Docs and Sheets, for example, look like a light shining on pieces of paper.

Image source: 9to5Google

It’s unknown when Google plans to incorporate the new philosophy. However, with Google I/O coming fast, it’s fair to bet that an update might come out around that time, especially since that event’s logo already has gradients.

Google’s evolution is not without its precedent. Besides the company’s small trial previously, Apple’s iOS has also made inroads into more three-dimensional designs with the new Liquid Glass. However, unlike Apple, Google’s newest design is a far cry from the former’s return to Windows Vista aesthetics.

Personally, I don’t mind the transition to 3D, as long as it’s done well. Though still visually pleasing, flat design has started overstaying its welcome. It’s time to try something new.

Apps

Significantly better ChatGPT Images 2.0 launches

Stronger creative reasoning, better design output, more formats, improved overall experience

Published

April 22, 2026

GadgetMatch

OpenAI has launched ChatGPT Images 2.0. This updated image generation model has a meaningful jump over competitors and its current ImageGen 1.5.

Now available across ChatGPT, Codex and the API, Images 2.0 delivers stronger creative reasoning, better design output, more flexible formats, and a faster, more intuitive user experience.

Paid users (Plus, Pro, Business, and Enterprise) will benefit from a more advanced image experience (ImageGen Thinking 2.0). The state-of-the-art model can take on complex visual tasks and produce precise and immediately usable visuals.

ChatGPT Images 2.0 is likewise better for creative and professional use cases. It has a significantly better performance at producing text-heavy assets, infographics, product mockups, UI concepts, and more structured visuals.

Moreover, users can generate images in a wider range of aspect ratios. The outputs are limitless, from posters to comics or anime to detailed infographics to simple images. API users, on the other hand, will also have access to 4K resolution.

To try the upgraded image generation model, simply head to ChatGPT and select “Images” in the sidebar.

Users will be able to see the top five prompts as well, curated by OpenAI, for them to try. This is to highlight the capabilities of the new model.

Overall, ChatGPT Images 2.0 offers a more seamless experience on mobile, web, and desktop. The intuitive user experience includes improved prompt suggestions, loading states, editing features, and multi-output views.