Welcome back to This Week in Apps, the weekly TechCrunch series<\/a> that recaps the latest in mobile OS news, mobile applications and the overall app economy.<\/p>\n The app economy in 2023 hit a few snags, as consumer spending last year dropped for the first time by 2% to $167 billion<\/a>, according to data.ai\u2019s \u201cState of Mobile\u201d report. However, downloads are continuing to grow, up 11% year-over-year in 2022 to reach 255 billion. Consumers are also spending more time in mobile apps than ever before. On Android devices alone, hours spent in 2022 grew 9%, reaching 4.1 trillion.<\/p>\n This Week in Apps offers a way to keep up with this fast-moving industry in one place with the latest from the world of apps, including news, updates, startup fundings, mergers and acquisitions, and much more.<\/p>\n Do you want This Week in Apps in your inbox every Saturday? Sign up here: techcrunch.com\/newsletters<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Image Credits:<\/strong> Jose A. Bernat Bacete (opens in a new window)<\/span><\/a> \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n As demand for Bluesky<\/a>, the Jack Dorsey-backed decentralized Twitter rival grows<\/a>, the former Twitter CEO took to the app to share his thoughts on Twitter\u2019s future, Elon Musk and the decision to take the company private. As TechCrunch\u2019s Darrell Etherington reported<\/a>, Dorsey responded to questions posed to him from other users and reporters on Bluesky, including one where he was asked if Musk has proven to be the best possible steward for the social network.<\/p>\n Dorsey said he had not:<\/p>\n No. Nor do I think he acted right after realizing his timing was bad. Nor do I think the board should have forced the sale. It all went south. But it happened and all we can do now is build something to avoid that ever happening again. So I\u2019m happy Jay and team and nostr devs exist and building it.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n However, the Twitter co-founder stressed that Twitter would have never survived as a public company and defended himself from an accusation that he was deflecting blame for Twitter\u2019s current situation.<\/p>\n Though Bluesky is having a moment, particularly as a haven for marginalized groups, sex workers<\/a> and trans users<\/a>, it\u2019s not the only Twitter alternative Dorsey is now backing. In fact, he\u2019s been more active in recent days on the social network nostr<\/a> (which he also financially backed), where he\u2019s also been critical of some of Musk\u2019s recent decisions. For example, as The NYT reported<\/a>, Dorsey posted last month \u201cThis is weak,\u201d<\/em> in response to Musk\u2019s move to stop Twitter users from linking to Substack after it launched a Twitter-like service for its own community of writers and readers.<\/p>\n Dorsey also touted his belief in these platforms during Block\u2019s recent earnings call, suggesting on his nostr profile this may be the first time the network\u2019s name had been mentioned during a public earnings event.<\/p>\n Image Credits:<\/strong> Jack Dorsey on nostr<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cOpen protocols represent another fork in the road moment for people and companies,\u201d Dorsey told investors. \u201cBitcoin, nostr, Bluesky, web5 and others are all working to level the playing field for competition and give individuals and organizations entirely new capabilities,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n Over the past few weeks, Bluesky has been gaining traction, but the network has been difficult to access due to its invite-only nature. That\u2019s turned Bluesky invites into hot commodities, where they\u2019re even selling for hundreds of dollars on eBay<\/a>, as most users have to wait to receive only one invite every two weeks.<\/p>\n Bluesky leadership will also sometimes gift a user with a larger number of invites in order to have them invite members of a specific community. Developers who can demonstrate they\u2019re building a Bluesky app may also request additional invites, we understand.<\/p>\n The network has received outsized press coverage relative to its size \u2014 just 50,000+ users \u2014 possibly because of the heavy infusion of tech journalists on there and Dorsey\u2019s name attached. But the reality is that Bluesky\u2019s future remains uncertain. The company, for now, is able to build and grow thanks to the $13 million in initial funds it received from Twitter, where it was incubated under Dorsey\u2019s leadership. It has since spun out into its own, independent company (a public benefit LLC). It\u2019s unclear how Bluesky intends to maintain its operations in the long term, not to mention its freewheeling culture and accepting community. Networks can often be pleasant and welcoming when small, like Bluesky \u2014 or early Twitter, for that matter \u2014 but face challenges once they scale to millions of users.<\/p>\n This week was IAB\u2019s NewFronts<\/a>, where digital media companies and social networks pitched their platforms to advertisers looking to reach online audiences. The event saw major brands introducing a range of new offerings, including both ad products and formats, as well as touting their latest features, in some cases, as Snap did with its My AI integration.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s what you may have missed from the app makers\u2019 NewFronts this week:<\/strong><\/p>\n Image Credits:<\/strong> Snap<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Image Credits:<\/strong> James D. Morgan \/ Contributor \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n After numerous cases of Bluetooth trackers like Apple\u2019s AirTag being used for stalking or other criminal apps, Apple and Google this week released a joint announcement<\/a>\u00a0saying they will work together to lead an industry-wide initiative to draft a specification that would alert users in the case of unwanted tracking from Bluetooth devices. The companies said they\u2019re seeking input from other industry participants and advocacy groups in the matter, and noted that other tracker makers like Samsung, Tile, Chipolo, eufy Security and Pebblebee have also expressed interest in the draft.<\/p>\n The companies submitted a proposed\u00a0specification<\/a>\u00a0as an Internet-Draft via a standards development organization, the\u00a0Internet Engineering Task Force<\/a>\u00a0(IETF). Other interested parties are now being invited to review and comment over the next three months. After this time, Apple and Google will offer feedback and will release a production implementation of the specification by year\u2019s end that will be supported in future versions of iOS and Android, they said.<\/p>\n The spec would build on the AirTag protections Apple had already released but also, critically, would ensure that users would be able to combat unwanted tracking by offering tools across both iOS and Android platforms.<\/p>\n Google\u2019s participation could signal more than a desire to protect its users \u2014 it\u2019s been rumored<\/a> the company may also be developing an AirTag rival.<\/p>\n Image Credits:<\/strong> Facebook<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The Fingo App. Image Credits:<\/strong> Fingo<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Image Credits:<\/strong> Reddit<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Image Credits:<\/strong> Amazon<\/p>\n<\/div>\nDorsey criticizes Twitter, Musk on the alternative social networks he\u2019s backing<\/h3>\n
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<\/p>\nNewFronts round-up<\/h3>\n
![\"Snap](\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Ads-in-Spotlight.png?w=680\")
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Apple & Google team up on Bluetooth tracker safety<\/h3>\n
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<\/p>\nApple<\/h3>\n
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Google \u2014 I\/O Preview<\/h3>\n
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Social<\/h3>\n
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AI<\/h3>\n
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Media & Entertainment<\/h3>\n
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Fintech<\/h3>\n
![\"Fingo\"](\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/4509CFE2-294C-4782-9974-47F78D519981.jpeg?w=680\")
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Messaging<\/h3>\n
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![\"\"](\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Screenshot-2023-05-05-at-12.38.30-PM.jpg?w=680\")
<\/p>\nTravel & Transportation<\/h3>\n
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Gaming<\/h3>\n
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Commerce & Food Delivery<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Inspire-Image-3.png?w=680\")
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Etc.<\/h3>\n
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