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Justin Bieber’s Viral Call-Out Hits Apple Over iMessage Dictation Pausing Music

The critique arrives during a week of leadership changes at Apple, intensifying scrutiny of its design choices.

Overview

  • Bieber posted on X and Instagram that iMessage’s dictation and voice-note controls keep pausing his music, warning in jest that he would put “everyone at Apple” in a rear-naked choke hold.
  • He shared a screenshot and argued that even with dictation off he still hits the voice-note control because it sits in the same spot as the send button.
  • The posts drew broad engagement from users and tech figures, including an invite to design critiques from OpenAI’s head of product design, Ian Silber, with shares and comments from others such as Joe Gebbia and Elon Musk.
  • Coverage links the flare-up to Apple’s tough week, noting John Giannandrea’s planned exit from AI leadership, Alan Dye’s move to Meta’s Reality Labs, and upcoming retirements for Lisa Jackson and Kate Adams.
  • Reports note that the dictation/send-button friction remains a common complaint for iPhone users, with India Today saying the issue persists in iOS 26.