Besides me and the Kompakt, my family is iOS. Can’t get them to escape the gilded cage although one of my sons might be on the precipice.
Pulling from today’s iOS 26.5 reporting across MacRumors, TechRepublic, and Macworld, three changes are worth flagging. Apple quietly installed the legal and code-level groundwork for sponsored placements in Maps, with disclosure text indicating ads will be based on your approximate location, search terms, and current map view (no ads are running yet, but the paid program is expected to activate later this summer without requiring another iOS update). Maps also gained a new “Suggested Places” recommendation feed that surfaces venues based on your recent searches and what is trending nearby, meaning your search history and map activity are now being fed into a recommendation pipeline by default. And there is no single toggle to disable any of it. The only mitigation is disabling Personalized Ads under Settings, Privacy and Security, Apple Advertising, which reduces targeting but does not remove sponsored placements.
Only to say, these are just the latest reasons why I value my Kompakt as much as I do.
Are there inconveniences? Honestly, the more I use it the fewer inconveniences. I initially got a second line to make sure I could transition fully. No longer have a second line. One line. One phone. Kompakt. Most of the inconveniences are really other people wanting direct access, shared calendars, location tracking, or whatever else the gilded cage normalizes. Would I like recurring calendar appointments? Yes. Or more than 5 minute notifications for an event (the Kompakt caps event reminders at 5 minutes)? Yes. At the same time, after almost a year, it really does not bother me anymore.
I sideloaded two apps, CalmCast and QR. I do not want to be connected to the ‘infinite’ as the Light community might say. My music collection has grown exponentially, buying albums directly from Bandcamp or Qobuz. I have adjusted to Mudita’s Music app and ever since folders and playlists have been perfectly happy. My big wish there is songs in order within a specific album.
You can’t listen to Verdi’s Messa da Requiem out of order. Nipsey’s Victory, not really an issue.
We always want more, it’s our nature. We can do with less, often thrive with less. Personally, as I’ve adapted to the Kompakt and its limitations, it has made me a lot happier than I ever was back in iOS’s gilded cage.
The 2026 roadmap is on point. The community is superlative. The Kompakt is chill and liberating.
Thank you Team Mudita!