In-Game Phone and Apps

In-Game Phone and Apps

Grand Theft Auto VI features an updated smartphone system that plays a central role in how players interact with the game world. The phone's design has been upgraded to resemble modern iPhone models (post-iPhone 6 era), a significant visual jump from GTA V's iPhone 4S/5C-era iFruit. Both official trailers showcase the phone's social media features prominently, and NPCs throughout the game world are seen actively using their own phones.

Social Media Feed

Trailer 1 (December 2023) devotes a significant portion of its runtime to a short-form video feed that closely resembles TikTok or Instagram Reels. The interface displays vertical video clips with overlaid text, usernames, engagement buttons, and a "Follow" option. The specific in-game name of this app has not been officially confirmed.

The feed appears to be something Lucia scrolls through passively. In the trailer, none of the visible accounts have the "Follow" button selected, meaning she is not following any of them. The content shown through this feed establishes the culture and atmosphere of Vice City and Leonida.

Content visible in the social media feed includes:

• People partying in Vice City nightclubs

• A woman twerking on the roof of a moving car (tagged with the hashtag #have.a.vice.day)

• Someone wrestling an alligator before releasing it inside a store

• Dangerous car stunts and road rage incidents

• DJ sets and nightlife recordings

Visible Account Names

Several fictional social media accounts are visible in Trailer 1. After the trailer dropped, fans immediately registered these handles on real-world platforms.

WhatUp! (Messaging)

WhatUp! is an instant messaging app that parodies WhatsApp. It was first identified during the September 2022 leaked gameplay footage, when a notification reading "WhatUp! message received" appeared on screen during a scene set in the Jack of Hearts strip club. The app displays notifications as a feed on the right side of the player's screen.

In an official Rockstar screenshot of Lucia lying on a beach towel, a phone is visible beside her. The phone's home screen appears to show the WhatUp! app selected, with the "W" and exclamation point faintly visible. This marks the app's appearance in official, non-leaked materials.

Take-Two Interactive registered the domain what-up.app on May 27, 2025, providing additional confirmation. The leaked footage also showed what appeared to be a group chat format, suggesting the messaging system supports conversations with multiple characters at once.

Parody Domains Registered by Take-Two

On May 27, 2025, insider Tez2 discovered that Take-Two Interactive had registered several parody domains under its nameservers. These domains strongly suggest additional in-game apps and fictional websites, though Tez2 cautioned that "not all these addresses are guaranteed to appear in the final version." After fans discovered the registrations, the domains were moved to Mark Monitor, a domain protection service.

The RydeMe app, if it ships in the final game, could replace or supplement the traditional taxi-hailing system that has been a GTA staple since GTA III. The BuckMe app's exact function is debated; some outlets interpret it as an OnlyFans-style subscription platform, while others suggest it may function as a Venmo-style money transfer service.

Coast Guard Scanner

Cal Hampton, Jason's friend and a self-described conspiracy theorist, is officially described by Rockstar as someone who "feels safest hanging at home, snooping on Coast Guard comms with a few beers and some private browser tabs open." Whether the Coast Guard scanner is a phone app, a physical radio device, or simply a character trait mentioned in dialogue has not been specified. Cal works at a boatyard, which gives him proximity to maritime activity.

Phone Design and NPC Usage

The phones carried by both protagonists and NPCs resemble modern iPhones, continuing the iFruit branding from GTA V. The visual upgrade is substantial: GTA V's iFruit was modeled after the iPhone 4S and 5C, while GTA VI's version reflects phones from the iPhone XS and XR generation onward.

NPCs throughout both trailers are shown actively using their phones. People apply sunscreen while checking screens, take selfies at the beach, record videos of events and altercations, and argue while scrolling. The pervasive phone usage reflects a modern, social-media-saturated society and appears to be a deliberate part of the game's world building rather than just background animation.

Internet Browsing

While no phone-based internet browser has been explicitly confirmed for GTA VI, Cal Hampton's official bio mentions "private browser tabs," confirming that web browsing exists in some form. In GTA V, players could browse a full fictional internet from both in-game computers and their phone. Given the series' track record, a return of this feature is expected but has not been shown in official materials.

Comparison to GTA V