Ivan Mehta for TechCrunch: The Apps That Apple Sherlocked at WWDC 2024

In 2002, Apple released Sherlock 3 with features similar to Watson, making Karelia’s app redundant. Since then, people in tech circles have used the term “Sherlocking” whenever they want to refer to a new feature from Apple that does the same thing as an existing third-party app.

Language is fluid, and I don’t want to be a stick in the mud who refuses to recognize change, but I have to admit I feel like we’ve gotten pretty loose with the word over the years. I know many people weren’t there at the time to see how directly Sherlock replicated Watson’s features, but it truly was a case where Apple’s solution was so similar to the third party option that even ardent fans of Watson really didn’t have a great reason to keep using it.

Today, “XYZ just got Sherlocked” gets thrown around whenever Apple does anything, it seems. As a tangent, it also reveals who seems to hate third party developers and who dreams of never supporting anyone besides the biggest corporation in the world, but that’s a tangent for another day.

And you don’t even need me to tell you the reasons that most of these apps that were “Sherlocked” will live happy, financially healthy lives for years to come because the TechCrunch article explains why most of these apps actually have numerous features that Apple’s solution doesn’t have.

However, most third-party apps in this space also offer apps and integrations across Android, Windows and Linux and can store other information like addresses and credit cards.

Still, third-party apps can do various other things […] So users will have to choose how much functionality they want out of voice transcription services.

third-party apps might still be able to retain their users by offering better customization features like different size options for windows, the ability to rearrange workspaces with one shortcut, hiding windows on the edge of the screen, and pinning an app to a side.

You had to use AllTrails to do all of that, but this app’s advantage might be that it already has a community. Plus, it offers routes beyond national parks in other countries, too.

Maybe “Sherlocked” just means, “Apple released a less feature-rich product than other options,” but it’s a change that’s bothering my elder millennial Apple nerd brain.