changelog

so far this month

The first days of October went to steadier voice, cleaner texts, and fewer quiet failures.

improved

• textsren answers in its own words instead of echoing yours back, and a link ren didn't take from a real source is opened and checked before it reaches you.

fixed

• voiceIn-app voice is steadier. It no longer drops when a notification arrives or a call or Siri interrupts (it pauses and picks back up), the mic recovers when you connect or remove AirPods, and if a session ends, ren tells you why.
• accountsIf your Google connection can only read your calendar, or can't send from Gmail, the app asks you to allow it, instead of ren failing quietly later.
• appNotes and itineraries ren writes open as formatted pages instead of raw symbols.

an inbox, a memory book, and a new look

The busiest month yet. ren got its own email address, a memory book you can read, routines, and a to-do list. It can text people for you and bring back their reply, iMessage gained photos, files, and voice memos, and the app took on a look that follows the clock. The month closed with a privacy pass: deleting your account erases far more, disconnecting an account cleans up after itself, and more of what ren looks up stays on your iPhone.

new

• textsren can text people for you, like a contractor, a host, or a friend. The text says it's on your behalf, and ren waits for the reply and brings it back. Say “ask my sister if she's free Saturday,” and ren finds her in your contacts, texts her, and reports back.
• accountsren has its own email address for your errands. It writes to businesses and support desks from there and receives confirmations there, so they stay out of your inbox, and replies come back to the right task.
• memoryA private memory book shows what ren knows about you, in pages like now, goals, people, projects, and how you like to work, each with its sources. ren keeps it current, and you correct it by telling ren. Find it in settings, under memory.
• tasksSet up a routine just by asking, like “every weekday at 7am, send me my calendar, the emails I owe replies to, and the weather.” It runs in your time zone, and you can pause, resume, or change it the same way.
• memoryMention something on your plate, in the app or by text, and ren adds it to a to-do list it keeps for you. Ask what's outstanding any time; items clear once they're done.
• appAttach photos and files, like PDFs, to a chat message, up to four at a time.
• textsPhotos, files, and voice memos go both ways over iMessage. ren reads the photos you text and remembers what they showed, listens to voice memos and answers, and can send photos, screenshots, and files into the thread, or a long answer as a text file when you ask.
• textsAsk ren over text to remind you about something at a set time, like “ask me about this Friday night,” and it texts you then. List, change, or cancel reminders the same way.
• textsText ren a link and it reads the page. When a web task you started by text finishes, ren sends screenshots of what it did as a small gallery.
• voiceA “Talk to Ren” shortcut starts a voice conversation with ren from the Action Button, Siri, or the Shortcuts app.
• proactiveIf your Gmail is connected, ren may text you once a day, between 8am and 8pm your time, about something it noticed in your calendar or inbox, like two plans that overlap, and offer to handle it. It double checks each point before sending and won't repeat an offer within two weeks.
• proactiveren notices emails about a delayed, held, or lost package from major carriers and flags it with a link to the carrier's own tracking page, offering to sort it out.
• accountsLet ren search your own text messages by sharing them through a “Sync Messages to Ren” shortcut. It's off until you turn it on, the messages stay on your iPhone, and you can delete them all in settings.
• accountsren's saved-login vault can hold a site's authenticator key, so ren makes the two-step codes itself instead of waiting on a text or an email.
• privacyNew autonomy settings let you tell ren, for each connected account and for web browsing, what it can do on its own and what to ask you about first. Saved site logins moved to a vault in the profile menu.
• privacyOn iPhones with Apple Intelligence, passwords, one-time codes, and card numbers you type to ren in the app are swapped for a placeholder on your phone before the message leaves it. The real value stays on your iPhone, so a secure sign-in can offer it back with a tap.
• tasksWhen ren needs to see something only you can show it, like a label, a receipt, or what's in your fridge, it asks with a card that opens your photo picker, and the photos go straight into the task.
• tasksAsk for a picture, like a birthday card or a poster, and ren makes one and attaches it to the task. Ask for trivia and ren runs a game right in the chat, in the app or over iMessage.
• tasksQuestions with a deadline can carry a safe default and a countdown, so a held table or fare isn't lost if you don't answer in time. Purchase approvals show a clear card with the merchant, the amount, and buttons to approve or edit.
• memoryren can search your past conversations with it, like “what did I tell you about the wedding,” from the app or over iMessage, instead of asking you to repeat yourself.
• callsBefore calling a business, ren checks whether it's open. If it's likely closed, ren waits and calls when it opens instead of ringing an empty line.
• callsWhile ren is on hold, the call card estimates the wait from past calls to the same line, and a “request callback” button has ren ask for a callback as soon as someone picks up.
• webAsk ren for a picture of something and it searches the web for one. Over iMessage it sends the images into the thread; in the app they appear as a strip linked to their sources.
• appIn chat, ren can look things up on the spot, like searching the web, reading a link, or checking restaurant availability, without starting a full task. When you ask it to send a text or an email, a card lets you send it with a tap, and a stop button cuts off a reply you no longer need.

improved

• appA new look that follows the clock: dark with a moon from 6pm to 6am and warm paper by day, on every screen. Chat opens on one suggested errand, drawn from your calendar, email, to-dos, and past tasks, that you can send or skip, with two more ideas underneath.
• appTask screens are redesigned. Each task opens to one card for what's happening now, like the call with its last few lines, the web page, a quote board, a question, or the result, with the plan, ren's running thoughts, and simple rows for the rest. The tasks list shows each title with its state underneath.
• appLive Activities are redesigned around one big number and a color for each state, and they keep updating reliably, recover when the app relaunches, and show the right times.
• appChat replies start sooner and appear as ren writes them. App chat writes the way ren does over iMessage, with full reports when a task finishes, and lists, steps, and headings show as real formatting.
• appThe time machine lists every conversation, with a search that finds any of them by title, and older tasks are searchable too. Settings has a new layout, you can crop your profile photo, and call history is cleaner, with transcripts you can expand.
• appStarting a task from the tasks tab is instant: no proposal step, and the task appears in your list right away.
• voiceVoice mode can do anything chat can, with the same tools and the same confirmation cards. You see ren's words as live captions while it talks, and when you start a task by voice, ren follows it and tells you how it's going.
• textsTexting ren feels more like texting a person. It replies right away with a short acknowledgment while it works, keeps the typing indicator on, answers several quick texts at once, and helps in the thread instead of sending you to the app. Swipe-reply to any message and ren knows which one you mean.
• textsren's texts use more of iMessage: emoji reactions, the occasional effect, polls when you ask for one, and fixing a typo in its own last message.
• textsren's iMessage line moved to a new number. Texting the old one gets a pointer to the new one, and your conversation carries over.
• tasksren asks fewer questions before it starts. It fills in what your request already implies, checks your email, calendar, memory, and past chats first, and looks up business details itself. If a question form does come up, you can just answer in plain words.
• tasksWhen one route is blocked, like no availability, a login wall, or a call that rings out, ren thinks harder and tries another way before giving up: a different platform, the business's own site or phone line, or a waitlist.
• tasksren stops searching once it has an option that meets everything you asked, and recommends three checked options with a pick. Hotel searches apply your dates, budget, and free cancellation in one pass.
• memoryren puts what it knows to use. It saves details you mention more readily, preferences like an aisle seat or a diet shape every pick and are named so you can correct them, and it asks when a requested city clashes with a trip you already have.
• tasksren reads the attachments in your email, like PDF invoices, itineraries, and receipts, and documents you text it, so it works from what's actually in them.
• tasksEmail replies ren sends land in the original thread, and you can ask ren to draft an email that waits in your Gmail drafts without being sent. When you ask ren to write to someone you named, it sends without asking again and shows you a receipt.
• tasksLong-running tasks keep their place. ren reopens the exact email or step it needs, keeps filled-in forms and your answers across retries, and wakes up early when an email it's waiting for arrives.
• paymentsOnce you approve a purchase, ren finishes the checkout without asking you again, unless the total goes over what you approved or something you asked for changes.
• webren's web browsing was rebuilt to work through pages in fewer, larger steps, and it remembers what worked on each site, so repeat errands go faster.
• webren checks out as a guest whenever a site allows it, instead of stopping to ask you to sign in, and fills in your phone number and email itself.
• webWebsite tasks are faster and sturdier. Tasks on different sites run side by side, runs recover from crashes and connection blips without risking a double order, and card fields are filled and double checked on checkouts that silently drop them.
• accountsSigning in to a site is smoother. Connecting an account opens a secure sign-in card with the site's icon and your email or phone filled in, you choose whether the code comes by email or text, and accounts you sign into yourself stay connected. ren checks them daily and only bothers you when a site needs you.
• accountsGmail connects through ren's own verified Google connection, and ren can text you a private link that opens Google's permission screen for your account directly.
• accountsCalendar requests work better. ren reads your Google Calendar around the exact time you ask about, “block 30 minutes Thursday” adds a private block with nobody invited, and it can add all-day events.
• callsOn calls, ren makes sure every question it called about gets answered, asking for someone who can answer rather than taking a callback, and tells you which ones went unanswered.
• proactiveFewer interruptions. Instead of asking whether to send a sign-in prompt again, ren waits and picks the task back up once you've signed in or added a card, duplicate notifications are merged, and routine finishes and watch checks no longer buzz you.
• proactiveSuggestions are more considerate. ren keeps them away from grief, “not now” sticks instead of coming back next launch, and calendar suggestions can offer to keep a regular habit booked or watch for a hard-to-get reservation.
• setupSetting up a new account starts with your phone number, with Google or Apple sign-in linked afterward.
• privacySigning out of ren signs you out on every device.
• privacyDeleting your account now also erases your iMessage conversations with ren, call and voice transcripts, your ren email address and its mailbox, notification history, feedback, task records, and shared result pages, and it revokes ren's access to your Google account. Payment records are kept for accounting with your identity removed.
• privacyDisconnecting Gmail or Google Calendar deletes what ren learned from it, like profile summaries, saved facts, and the suggestions built on them, and revokes ren's Google access when no other connection needs it.
• privacyWhat ren looks up for you in app chat, like your contacts, calendar, health, and email, is stored on your iPhone instead of ren's servers, and older chats move over when you open the app.
• privacyThings that are meant to expire, like the sign-in links ren texts you, unsent drafts, and old suggestions, are deleted every hour.

fixed

• tasksren is more honest about results. It names any requirement it couldn't meet, never calls something booked when the payment didn't go through, and waits for you to sign in instead of quietly dropping part of a request.
• reliabilityTasks are more dependable: a follow-up no longer closes a task and asks you to start over, results of reopened tasks get delivered, long tasks can take about twice as many steps, and a lookup that errors no longer derails the work.
• reliabilityFixed crashes on the home screen, in chat, in settings, and on iPhones that are nearly out of storage. Task pages update the moment their notification arrives, and Live Activities stop showing stale tasks.
• textsren no longer goes quiet on busy iMessage threads, and texting “START” after “STOP” fully turns its texts back on.
• webSites that ask for a passkey no longer stall ren. It moves straight to the password or emailed code option and never creates a passkey on your account.
• callsListening in on a live call no longer cuts out after ren uses the keypad to get through a phone menu.

retired

• setupThe list of proposals at the end of setup is gone; its ideas now show up as suggestions in chat.
• appThe card feed on the home screen is gone, replaced by chat's single suggested errand.
• callsListening in on a call now works only while ren is open on screen, and voice mode ends when you switch away from the app.

tasks that tell the truth

August was about finishing honestly. Finished tasks got a proper result card, failed ones say what happened and what to do next, restaurant availability checks went live for everyone, and texting ren became a remote control for every task.

new

• tasksRestaurant availability checks are on for everyone. ren reads live open tables at popular restaurants in about a second, before opening a browser, quotes the deposit and cancellation terms the venue lists, and can watch for a cancellation every few minutes.
• tasksIn San Francisco, ren starts restaurant requests from its own book of hard-to-book places. It knows how each one takes bookings and when its tables are released, and can set a watch for the exact drop.
• appFinished tasks open with a clean result card: the answer up top, the key facts, notes and caveats, choices you can tap, and buttons to add it to your calendar, get directions, or call.
• textsTexting ren works as a remote for all your tasks. Ask how anything is going, including tasks started in the app, steer it, answer its questions, reopen finished work, or cancel it, all by text.
• tasksWhen ren needs several details, it asks for them together in one card, with tap-to-pick choices and text fields, instead of one question at a time.
• memoryren learns your routines, favorite places, and the people you see most from your calendar history, refreshes that picture every couple of weeks, and draws on it in chat. Deleting your account deletes it.
• accountsConnect more than one Gmail account. ren reads across all of them, and you choose which address it sends from.
• setupSign up and sign in with Apple. Deleting your account also revokes ren's access to your Apple sign-in.
• setupSetup ends with a short list of things ren can take off your plate right away, found in your calendar and email. The recurring ones become standing tasks.
• appFinished tasks have a “chat about this” button that brings the whole task into chat, so you can ask about it.
• tasksAsk ren to reach someone and it finds them itself, in your contacts and email, allowing for nicknames and typos. It only checks with you when it isn't sure.
• accountsWhen a site you're connecting emails a sign-in code or link, ren finds it in your connected Gmail and uses it, so your phone doesn't buzz.
• accountsSign in yourself: log into a site inside the app with your own saved passwords, and ren keeps that signed-in session for future tasks without ever seeing the password.
• appThe archive of older tasks is searchable by title, request, result, or who was involved.
• tasksFinished tasks offer one next step: “book it,” when ren found something but didn't book it, or a button that opens the confirmation when it did.

improved

• tasksWhen a task can't finish, ren says plainly what happened, gives you one clear next move, and lists what's still worth trying. When your bank asks to verify a charge, ren no longer calls it a decline; it tells you and offers another way to pay.
• textsAdd someone to a finished task and ren texts them the result right away, and name suggestions come only from your real contacts.
• tasksLong searches that keep coming up empty stop buzzing you with the same update, and check less often until something changes or you reply.
• callsWhen ren calls the same place again for a task, it knows what was said on the earlier calls, and on the phone it uses everyday words instead of the task's jargon.
• webFor flight check-in, ren goes to the airline's website first, finding your confirmation code in your email, and hands you the check-in link if the web route fails.
• appLive Activities are redesigned around one number you can read at a glance (a call timer, an arrival time, or a wait), one line of status, and one live graphic that moves during calls.
• voiceVoice mode lives in the composer bar: a speech wave runs along its top edge, and one tap starts or stops it.
• appText across the app follows your iPhone's text size, VoiceOver labels are clearer, limited contact access works, and the privacy policy is a tap away in settings.
• tasksIf you book something yourself while ren is still hunting for it, ren spots the confirmation in your email on its next check and wraps up instead of double booking.
• tasksren asks fewer, better questions. It bundles what it needs up front, carries a spending limit you approved across similar options, and stops repeating questions you already answered.
• accountsConnecting a site account shows the real sign-in page live, sized for your phone. ren signs in while you watch, asks only for what that page needs, and you can cancel any time.
• privacyren asks for less access: only the Health data it actually reads, location while you use the app, and limited photo access is fine.
• webren double checks the date at checkout before paying, because some booking sites swap in a different one, and it checks a business's hours before calling.
• appChat reads more comfortably, the time machine opens smoothly with an “open in chat” button, and each path still open on a finished task is one tap from a follow-up.
• textsLinks ren texts you arrive as their own message with a full preview.
• proactiveCalendar suggestions vary more and repeat less, with fewer birthday and gift nudges, and ren flags small catches that are easy to miss, like an unanswered invite that clashes with dinner.

fixed

• reliabilityTasks no longer stall or end silently. A late answer reopens the task, very long waits check in at least weekly, you hear when a watch ends empty-handed, and a double tap can't create two tasks.
• appTasks get short, proper titles instead of a cut-off version of your request.
• tasksSharing a task's result link no longer trips on false alarms. If a result looks personal, ren asks you to confirm instead of refusing.
• webPaying on sites with secure card boxes is more reliable: card numbers, two-digit expiry years, and security codes register instead of being rejected.
• setupThe texted code for verifying your phone number shows up for one-tap autofill.
• appNotifications stay in sync with your tasks: no stale done alerts after a follow-up, question alerts clear once answered, and tapping one opens the task as it is now.
• reliabilityFixed the app's most common crash, a flash of the sign-in screen when opening the app signed in, and chats failing after reading several long emails.
• tasksRestaurant shortlists no longer leave out places that only take bookings by phone, because ren can call them.
• accountsIf you connect Google but leave calendar access unchecked, ren no longer treats your calendar as connected; settings offers to connect it properly.

ren shows its work

ren started showing its plan before it works and a plain account after, put everything it's doing into one Live Activity, learned to talk hands-free in the app, and got better at staying on a task for days. It also got a new look.

new

• tasksBefore ren starts, it writes a short plan you can see, printed like a receipt in chat and on the task, and checks off each step as it goes.
• appEverything ren is doing shares one Live Activity on your Lock Screen and Dynamic Island, led by whatever needs you most: a question, a live call, a delivery. It updates with the app closed, and you can answer a quick question right from it.
• voiceTalk with ren hands-free in the app. Tap the mic for a back and forth conversation that lands in your chat thread; it waits through your pauses and catches your first words.
• tasksEach running task gets a live view built for its job: a call transcript you can listen to or hang up, a quote board that fills in as businesses answer, a live browser view, flight and fare readouts, and payment moments.
• tasksFrom chat, ren proposes a mission on a card. Confirm it and the card becomes the live task; answer its questions right in the thread, and the result comes back to the conversation.
• proactiveren can keep a task alive and recheck on a schedule, for a table, a restock, or a reply. It stays quiet when nothing changes, tells you when it finds something, and checks in if it's been quiet for two days.
• paymentsAdd a card once in settings on a secure page, and Apple Pay works. When a task needs to pay or hold something, ren authorizes your card once for that task, charges only the real total once the purchase goes through, and notifies you at each step.
• appAsk ren something, send it on a mission, or open a task from Siri, Shortcuts, and Spotlight.
• appThe time machine becomes a day by day record of everything ren has finished for you, each entry with its own artwork. Swipe right from chat to open it.
• setupSetup can connect Google Calendar, so ren opens the first chat with a personal note and one-tap ideas from what's coming up.
• proactiveren looks ahead on your calendar and, at most twice a day, offers to finish something concrete for an upcoming event, like booking the table. Tapping only drafts the request; nothing happens until you send it.
• privacyDelete your account and your data from settings. Signing out also clears your information from the phone.
• webren can remember a login you give it, so later tasks sign in without asking again, and it keeps you signed in across tasks. Password and code AutoFill work when you enter a login for ren.
• accountsConnect accounts ahead of time in permissions: restaurant, airline, hotel, grocery, delivery, and ticket sites, or any site you name. ren signs in once, keeps the login fresh, and tells you if it needs you.
• accountsConnect more than one Google Calendar, like work and personal, and ren reads them together.
• tasksTasks can hand you real files: spreadsheets, calendar invites, contact cards, maps, PDFs, QR codes, and confirmation screenshots you can preview, save, or share.
• tasksAfter a flight check-in, or on any page with an Add to Apple Wallet button, ren grabs the pass so you can add it to Wallet with a tap.
• tasksWhen ren places a delivery order, it follows it on your Lock Screen and Dynamic Island with a live countdown until it arrives.
• tasksWhile a task runs, a short live line shows what ren is doing right now, in the task, in chat, and on the Live Activity.
• webWhen a site needs a choice ren wasn't given, like which time slot, ren asks you with tap-to-answer options and keeps the page open instead of starting over.
• appKeep sending messages while ren works. They queue up and go out in order, and a follow-up reaches a task that's partway through a website right away.
• tasksren's questions come with tap-to-answer choices, in chat and on the task.
• tasksSharing a finished task makes a receipt image: the goal, each step, and ren's time against yours, with a link.
• appNew widgets: one shows what ren is working on, one opens “ask ren,” and one on the Lock Screen starts a voice conversation in a tap.
• proactiveAsk ren to keep you posted on a topic and it sends a short brief on your schedule with the one most interesting new thing.
• webFor quick lookups, ren reads a page directly instead of opening a full browser, and for about 90 common public sources, like flight status and weather, it pulls the exact facts in about a second.
• textsAdd people to a task from your contacts and approve the message. When the task succeeds, ren texts each of them the result, and anyone can opt out for good.
• tasksA finished task can have a private, account-free result page you can share, with a map and add to calendar when it helps. Health, legal, money, and identity results never get one.
• accountsAfter you approve the exact event, ren can create a Google Calendar event and send real invitations to your guests.
• accountsEmails ren sends from your Gmail end with a small “sent with ren” line, which you can turn off in settings.
• appPull past the bottom of the chat to clear it and start fresh.
• setupNew users can watch a 30 second demo of ren handling a request before their first chat, and rewatch it from settings.
• voiceIn voice mode, ren can triage your Gmail and check your calendar. Before it starts a task, it shows a confirmation card you can stop by tapping or saying “wait,” and live captions show what you're saying.
• tasksWhen the only step left is one only you can do, like a signature or an identity check, ren hands it to you as a link on the task and keeps the task open instead of claiming it's done.
• tasksBefore a long task goes quiet, waiting on a callback or a release date, ren tells you what it has found so far.

improved

• appA new look: editorial serif type, Liquid Glass controls, a pixel icon for every task, replies that ink in as they arrive, and a new app icon.
• tasksBefore ren calls a task done, it checks the result against what actually happened. A success it can't back up is reported as partial, like “found, not booked.”
• webLong web tasks, like airline check-ins, can run for about 15 minutes and recover from a stalled step instead of failing. ren also checks a site's order history before calling a checkout failed.
• callsCalls sound more human. ren waits for the greeting to finish, asks one thing at a time, shares your details only when asked, and reads confirmation codes and long numbers at a dictation pace.
• callsren remembers how to reach businesses it has called before, like menu paths and hours, so later calls get to a person faster.
• callsren redials a busy line right away and spaces out further tries, makes real follow-up calls when there's something new to say, and won't call back just to re-ask what it already learned.
• tasksMessages and answers you send to a task, in the app or over iMessage, reach it within seconds, even if it was waiting until later.
• privacyren stops asking for permissions you don't need. It answers with what it has, and offers in plain words when connecting something like Gmail would help.
• memoryLong chats stay coherent because ren keeps a running memory of earlier messages, and it can look up your recent calls with it.
• memoryren saves facts about you as tidy records it can update or retire when things change, and tasks and chat share the same memory.
• webThe browser agent does several steps on a page at once, follows links into new tabs, formats phone numbers the way forms expect, and won't call a task done while it's stuck in a queue.
• webren knows how common booking, travel, and delivery sites work, including when hard-to-get San Francisco restaurants release their tables, so a date that isn't released yet no longer reads as sold out.
• webren no longer asks you to solve a captcha or finish a step it couldn't get through. It tries another site, the venue directly, or a phone call.
• webren no longer stops a running task to ask you to sign in. It uses the logins you connected ahead of time, or finds another way.
• tasksQuick lookups like prices and hours come back in seconds because ren searches before opening a browser, and bookings move on to other good options instead of stopping at the first no.
• tasksTask details show ren's full answers instead of a clipped preview, and a follow-up no longer wipes out the earlier answer.
• tasksWhen ren offers to start a task from chat, it starts on its own after five seconds unless you stop or change it.
• tasksThe “what i did” list on each task reads as plain sentences about what ren actually did, and any step opens for the full detail.
• tasksTimes that belong to a place, like a reservation, a showtime, or store hours, are given in that place's time zone and named, while your own times stay in yours.
• tasksWhen a task truly succeeds, ren marks it with a small celebration and one success haptic. Partial and failed results don't get one.
• accountsBefore ren sends an email or changes who's invited to an event, it shows you the exact draft, and it acts only on that version, after you approve it.
• accountsFor tasks that need your email or calendar, ren uses your connected Gmail and Google Calendar directly, reads the full text of the emails that matter, and won't ask you to read your own inbox to it.
• proactiveAsk ren what it's watching or tell it to stop one, open a watch to see every check it ran, or tap “check now.”
• reliabilityAnswering, dismissing, and canceling respond instantly, and canceling a task reliably stops any calls, web steps, or payments it had in motion.
• setupSetup is one continuous film with haptics, and connecting your calendar no longer needs a second Google sign-in.
• appThe task list is redesigned: a small pixel icon for each task, rows in inset cards, and new results that glow until you open them.

fixed

• setupSign-up is smoother: sign out from phone verification, see a clear message when Google sign-in fails, and paste the texted code in one tap.
• tasksFewer duplicate call updates: a task that makes several calls shows one card and sends one notification.
• callsListening in on a live call sounds clean; ren's side no longer comes through choppy.
• callsWhen nobody answers or the line is busy, ren knows within seconds, and the task moves on.
• callsOn calls, ren no longer says its private notes out loud, and if something breaks when you call ren, you stay connected.
• webCard payments go through on checkout pages that put the card form in an embedded frame, like many billing portals, and ren can pick seats on visual seat maps.
• webren's browser no longer reports seat numbers, flight numbers, or codes it didn't actually read on the page.
• tasksA message about a different restaurant, store, or person starts a new task instead of redirecting one that's already running, and ren doesn't say “on it” unless it actually started.
• reliabilityWhen something goes wrong, chat and task details say so in plain words instead of raw errors, and a failed task invites a retry that actually picks it back up.
• appLong-running tasks no longer drop off your task list after a week, and task sheets no longer scroll sideways.
• appChat works even if you haven't granted Health, Contacts, Calendar, Photos, or Location access; ren asks for a permission only when a request needs it.
• privacyYour birthday stays blank until you set it, and “forget what ren inferred” now wipes those guesses.
• privacyDisconnecting a site signs ren out of it and clears that site's saved session.

retired

• appMoments, friends, and the old notification list leave the profile menu, which is trimmed to the essentials.

ren gets a number you can text

June put ren where people already talk. A new iMessage line can start real tasks from the thread, tasks got Live Activities, the first chat greets you by name, and the month closed with a new look.

new

• textsText ren on iMessage. Chat with it and start real tasks right from the thread, and it texts you the result. Anything ren did for you by text carries into your account when you sign up, and replying “STOP” opts you out.
• tasksSteer a task while it runs: send ren more details, reopen a finished task, stop a task, or end a call ren is on with one tap.
• tasksTasks get a Live Activity on your Lock Screen and in the Dynamic Island showing what ren is doing (thinking, on a call, on the web, or waiting), with an alert when it's your turn.
• setupAfter you verify your phone, you land straight in chat, where ren greets you by name and asks for your first task with a couple of examples suited to you. It asks for permissions only when a task needs them.
• privacySettings can make ren forget what it inferred about you when you signed up.

improved

• textsThe iMessage thread shows read receipts, shares ren's contact card so the number shows up with a name, and ren sometimes replies with a short voice note.
• tasksYou get a notification when a task finishes, with the result, or a note on why it couldn't finish.
• appA new look: a warm, dark editorial design with serif headlines, and navigation built around a tasks tab and an “ask ren” button.

fixed

• appThe location permission screen no longer pops up on every launch, and places ren finds always show as rich cards with photos.
• reliabilityFixed tasks that finished their work but still ended with an error, and a rare case where a slow task could repeat an action, like placing the same call twice.

ren starts doing the work

May is when ren stopped answering and started doing. It works websites while you watch, waits on hold, lets you listen in on its calls, and takes on missions with several steps that run until they're done.

new

• tasksSend ren on a mission: give it a goal with several steps and it works through them on its own, searching the web, calling, using websites, and waiting, then reports back. Each task opens to a plain summary and a step by step account, and when ren needs you, it asks right in the task.
• webren can do things on websites for you, starting with sites that don't need a sign-in, and you can watch it work live from your phone. Close the app and it keeps going, then tells you when it's done.
• callsren waits on hold for you, for up to 45 minutes, staying quiet through the hold music and jumping back in when a person picks up.
• callsLive listen: tap to hear a call ren is making for you, in real time. It's listen only, so the other side never hears you.
• tasksA new tasks tab gathers what needs your decision and everything ren is doing for you. Ask ren to call on a schedule or keep checking a website, and it shows you the plan to confirm, then runs it in the background.
• proactiveFlight check-in: when a confirmation from a major U.S. airline lands in your Gmail, ren offers to check you in when check-in opens, and one tap sets it going.
• setupHave ren call you. In a short call, ren learns how you like it to work, walks through what's coming up on your calendar and in your email, and suggests first tasks for you to approve. You can start it any time from settings.

improved

• callsren is better on the phone. It tells phone menus, voicemail, and real people apart, stays quiet until someone actually picks up, leaves at most one voicemail, and lets the other person wrap up before it hangs up.
• tasksBefore a call or a web task, ren pulls the details it needs from your profile, email, and calendar, like confirmation numbers and dates, so it doesn't have to ask you.
• tasksThe tasks tab is redesigned. Live calls show who ren is talking to and the latest line, web tasks have a watch live button, finished tasks open to the full result, and failures explain why in plain words.
• appren's replies show formatting like bold and italics, and links, including plain web addresses, are tappable.

fixed

• appYour profile photo sticks, across reinstalls and devices.

retired

• voiceThe hold-to-talk voice mode in chat, added last October, is gone.
• proactiveThe feed tab gives way to the tasks tab.

a real phone number, verified

A quieter month: phone verification for real, a way back into past conversations, and a keypad for your call PIN.

new

• appThe time machine: browse your past conversations with ren and pick any of them back up.
• tasksAsk ren for a ride and it opens Uber with your destination filled in.

improved

• setupSign-up verifies your phone number with a texted code, works with numbers outside the U.S., and lets you change your number later in settings.
• callsWhen you call ren, you can type your PIN on the keypad instead of saying it, and PIN checks are more reliable.

ren picks up the phone

ren got a phone line of its own. You can call it, it calls businesses for you and reports back, and it started looking ahead at your calendar and email for things worth doing.

new

• callsCall ren: dial ren's number and talk to it like an assistant. It knows you by your number, asks for your PIN before anything private, and can check your calendar and email or place a call for you.
• proactiveren looks ahead. It reads your upcoming calendar and recent email and surfaces what matters, first as suggested calls in chat, then as cards in a new feed tab.
• appA profile and settings screen: update your email and phone number, set a call PIN, and sign out.

improved

• callsren sounds more natural on calls, copes better when it's interrupted, and no longer reads raw data like IDs out loud.
• callsWhen ren finishes a call for you, the outcome lands in your chat, and a notification takes you to the call.

fixed

• appYou stay signed in when you reopen the app, you can retry a failed message in place, and chat has autocorrect.

a quiet month

A quiet month on the surface: one fix to how calls connect.

fixed

• callsren's opening line no longer gets lost when a call connects, and keypad presses in phone menus go through reliably.

calls that get to the point

A smaller month. ren's calls got shorter and clearer, and the call screen got a redesign.

improved

• callsCalls get to the point: ren keeps each turn to a sentence, says up front why it's calling, and stops narrating the menu buttons it presses.
• callsThe call screen and its Live Activity are redesigned.

places, photos, and a new home

Place cards, photos in chat, a new home screen, and calls that sound more like a person.

new

• appPlace cards: ask for places and ren shows cards with photos, ratings, and distance. Open one for directions, the phone number, or the website, or have ren call them.
• appSwipe up in chat to send ren a photo. It can see the image and reply, and photos show right in the conversation.
• callsBefore ren places a call, it shows a card with the business and the number, and waits for you to tap “call.”

improved

• appA new home screen with three tabs (you for chat, moments for your day, and friends) and a profile menu for permissions and call history.
• callsCalls sound more natural, with a warmer voice and quick reactions, and ren waits its turn instead of cutting itself off when its own voice echoes on the line.

faster, and asking only when it matters

Replies got faster, permission requests moved into the chat and only when needed, and ren started gathering the details a call needs before it dials.

new

• privacyWhen a question needs data ren can't access yet, it shows a card to grant it right in the chat, and only when the question really needs it.
• appA notifications page lists what ren has sent you.

improved

• reliabilityReplies come back faster, especially when ren needs several lookups, which it now runs at the same time.
• callsBefore a call, ren looks through your email, contacts, calendar, and saved facts for details like order or account numbers, and only asks you for what it can't find.
• appChat polish: rotating tips in the message box, swipe down to dismiss the keyboard, and cleaner bubbles.

retired

• proactiveMoment nudges, daily reflections, and the “day at a glance” summary notifications are switched off.

ren talks back

ren learned to answer out loud, kept working after you left the app, and started turning your days into moments.

new

• voiceVoice mode: press and hold the message box to talk to ren and hear it answer out loud. It can check your calendar, contacts, and email, add events, or start a call.
• memoryMoments: ren turns the notable parts of your day into a timeline of short cards you can open, share, or ask about.

improved

• reliabilityIf you leave the app while ren is replying, it keeps working and sends a notification when the answer is ready.
• accountsGmail stays connected instead of quietly expiring.
• appren runs on iOS 17.5 and later, not just the newest iOS.

ren makes its first call

The month ren first picked up the phone for you, and Gmail joined the things it can read.

new

• callsren can make real phone calls for you. It collects the details first, dials, says why it's calling, presses keypad options to get through phone menus, and keeps a transcript you can ask about.
• callsCall history: every call ren made, with its status, its length, and the full back and forth.
• callsWhile ren is on a call, a Live Activity on your Lock Screen and in the Dynamic Island shows who it's calling, what stage the call is at, and a running timer.
• accountsConnect Gmail, and ren can search, read, and sum up your email, and help you draft and send replies.

ren gets an account

Accounts, a cleaner chat, suggestions for the moment, and the first social features.

new

• setupSign in with Google. Your profile and what ren remembers about you are tied to your account and come back when you sign in again.
• appWhen ren drafts a text or an email for you, a share button opens it ready to send in Messages, Mail, or another app.
• proactiveSmart suggestions: the chat offers a few tappable ideas picked for the moment, from the time of day and your calendar.
• appFriends: see which of your contacts are on ren, send friend requests, and invite people who aren't on it yet.

improved

• appA cleaner chat: a new dark theme, a typing indicator, haptic taps, and a new app icon.
• memoryren knows today's date and your profile, so questions about today or this week land right.

where it started

ren began as a chat on your iPhone that could answer questions about your own life, and remember what you told it.

new

• appren starts as a chat on your iPhone that answers questions about your own life: your Apple Health data, like steps, sleep, and workouts, your contacts, your calendar and reminders, and your photo library. It can add events and reminders for you, too.
• appren finds places nearby and gives directions and travel times.
• memoryren remembers what you tell it, like preferences, routines, and people, across conversations.
• privacyA permissions page shows what ren can access and lets you grant it in one place.

improved

• appren can chain several lookups to answer one question, like matching the trips in your photos with your activity in Health.
• appren texts like a friend: all lowercase, casual, and short.
• appThe app takes on the ren name, with a new chat design.