Apple's 'herlock' Apps Competing with Third-Party Developers
TapTechNews on June 13th. TechCrunch, a tech media, released a blog post yesterday (June 12th) stating that Apple introduces a batch of sherlock apps every year, meaning the official entry into making a certain app to compete on the same stage with third-party apps.
About sherlock
The New York Times disclosed Apple's sherlock behavior in 2019. Apple would poach employees and technologies from smaller potential competitors, integrate the ideas of third-party developers, and leave third-party apps with no way out.
This term refers to when Apple released a search software product named sherlock for macOS 8 in the late 1990s, helping users find files and conduct Internet searches on their Mac computers.
At that time, a company named KareliaSoftware had already launched a search app priced at $29 named Watson, which had features like plugins and could perform better web searches.
Apple released the Sherlock3 application in 2022, which has similar functions to Watson and quickly squeezed Karelia's application. Therefore, when Apple launched new features that have the same functions as existing third-party apps, the industry called this sherlock.
At that time, Apple released a software product named sherlock to help users find files and conduct Internet searches on their Mac computers.
In 2024, the apps sherlocked by Apple
Passwords apps: 1Password, LastPass, BitWarden, ProtonPass and other third-party apps.
Call recording/transcription: TapeACall, Truecaller.
Voice transcription in Notes: Otter, AudioPen, Voiceenotes.
iPhone mirroring on Mac: Bezel.
Window tiling on Mac: Magnet, Rectangle.
Custom emoji: Newji.
Custom map: Alltrails.
TapTechNews released a report in April 2023, attaching the following Apple sherlock applications at the 2022 WWDC: Camo: Allowing users to use the iPhone as a webcam, and Apple then launched the continuity feature.
Apps like Klarna, Clearpay, etc.: Apple launched the ApplePayLater service.
Remove.bg: Apple launched the VisualLookup feature.
Apps like MyTherapy, Pillbox, etc.: Apple sherlocked the medication recording/reminding function.
Apps like Figma's FigJam: Apple sherlocked the Freefrom collaboration application.
Apps like Oura, Whoop, etc.: Apple added the sleep tracking function in watchOS.