Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, does not intend to implement end-to-end encryption (E2EE) by default on Messenger and Instagram until 2023. Last year, the company merged Messenger and Instagram chats as part of its plan to build a unified messaging system across all of its platforms. According to The Verge, while…
In India, WhatsApp has added two new safety features: flash calls and message level reporting. Users can report accounts by flagging a specific message in the latter. The flash call feature is an addition to the SMS verification option required during the WhatsApp registration process. According to WhatsApp, these two features have been added to…
WhatsApp has rolled out new beta updates for both desktop and Android users. The desktop beta introduces new Privacy Settings for WhatsApp Web and WhatsApp for Desktop users. Privacy Settings have long been available on the WhatsApp app, and the feature has now been added to the desktop version as well. The desktop privacy settings…
Telegram has announced the introduction of Sponsored Messages on its platform, a tool that will allow anyone to promote their channels and bots. Sponsored Messages will be visible in Telegram public channels with over a thousand subscribers. It will also be limited to 160 characters. The feature is currently in testing mode. The app will…
A group of state attorneys general is investigating Instagram and its effects on children and young adults, alleging that its parent company Facebook — now known as Meta Platforms — ignored internal research about the physical and mental health risks it posed to young people. A bipartisan coalition of attorneys general from California, Florida, Kentucky,…
Google Meet has introduced new immersive backgrounds and styles, allowing Web users to change their backgrounds while on a video call. The platform has introduced two new animated backdrops, Cafe and Condo, to help users represent their current time zone and climate. Both interiors will have multiple iterations, including rain, sun, and snow, as well…
Facebook announced on Thursday that it is conducting a test that will give users a smidgeon more control over what they see on the platform. The test will be available for English-speaking users on Facebook’s app. It incorporates three sub-menus into Facebook’s menu for controlling what appears in the News Feed: friends and family, groups…
Instagram Badges has now officially started rolling out. The feature allows creators to earn money from their followers. Badges allow users to show support for creators during a Live video on the platform. Starting Wednesday, users aged 18 and above with more than 10,000 followers in select regions will be able to use Instagram Badges. Once…
TikTok has developed a bad reputation for harboring dangerous viral “challenges” in its application, which in the worst case, have resulted in serious injury or death, as in the case of the blackout challenge that prompted Italian regulators to take action. against the social network to remove underage users. More recently, the app has made…
Google Meet has been updated to support up to 500 participants in Premium Workspace video conferencing services. The company has updated the service, which has grown in popularity with the rise of teleworking during the COVID-19 epidemic, so that users using more expensive applications can have conversations with more participants. The new limit is still…
Facebook announced today that it’s rolling out new shopping features: Shops in Groups, product recommendations and a test of Live Shopping for Creators. Shops in Groups enables admins of Facebook groups to set up an online store on their associated Facebook Page. It’s up to the admins where this money goes — in the case…
Satya Siba Nayak, 15, uses a debit card to pay for YouTube Premium and Netflix, to download apps from Google Play, and to pay for things when he’s out with friends. Signing up for an app called FamPay enabled Nayak to have his own card for making offline and online payments. “My dad doesn’t live…
I-invest, a mobile application, has provided a secure and safe platform for millions of Nigerians at home and in the Diaspora, to invest in and secure their future. The application that was developed by the Parthian Partners, and regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and FMDQ, allows retail investors to conveniently buy and…
Twitter will no longer automatically crop image previews on the web after rolling out full-size image previews on mobile earlier this year. On Twitter for the web, images will now display in full without any cropping. Instead of gambling on how an image will show up in the timeline, images will look just like they did when you shot…
Instagram added two features to Reels yesterday: text-to-speech and voice effects. These features are popular already on TikTok, but now, creators can use them on Instagram too. This marks yet another effort from Instagram to keep up with TikTok when it comes to short-form video, as Instagram offers big reels bonuses to incentivize creators, Text-to-speech is a necessary accessibility…
YouTube announced Wednesday the tally of “dislike” clicks on videos will no longer be visible to the public to protect creators from harassment and targeted attacks. A public count of likes — or dislikes — that social media posts rack up is regularly cited by critics as harmful to well-being, and Facebook as well as Instagram have allowed users…
Meta today announced the launch of Facebook Business Coach, an innovative and easy-to-use tool for SMB owners in South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, and other English-speaking countries to learn more about how to expand their business online with Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. The Facebook Business Coach, which is available on WhatsApp, is a free-to-use, low-cost educational…
Meta, formerly known as Facebook, for the first time on Tuesday disclosed the prevalence of bullying and harassment on its platform, saying such content was seen between 14 and 15 times per every 10,000 views on the site in the third quarter. The company, which recently changed its name to Meta, also said in its quarterly content moderation report that…
Twitter temporarily disabled the Trends feature in Ethiopia to make sure that the platform cannot be used to instigate violence in the conflict-torn country, the social media said on Saturday. On Thursday, the Ethiopian parliament declared a six-month state of emergency throughout the country to protect the population from the rebels of the Popular Front…
WhatsApp has started rolling out its anticipated multi-device support for a large number of users on both Android and iOS to let them use their account on secondary devices, without requiring their phones to be connected to the Internet. Users can leverage the new feature to connect WhatsApp on up to four devices simultaneously to…
Some Twitter users on iOS are starting to get access to a feature that makes it easy to search an individual user’s tweets. For those with access, when you navigate to a user’s profile, you’ll see a search icon in the top right corner of the screen on the user’s profile banner, next to the…
WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, and other Facebook apps have started showing the company’s new ‘Meta’ branding on both Android and iOS devices. The update comes a week after Facebook announced that it is changing its company’s name to Meta. The renaming is aimed at going beyond traditional social media and better reflecting the company’s ongoing investment…
Netflix on Tuesday released a set of mobile games playable for free by subscribers of the global streaming service as it strives to be the go-to venue for entertainment. Two of the games are based on the hit Netflix horror series “Stranger Things” and the remaining three are basic card or skill games, according to…
Microsoft SwiftKey keyboard app is getting a new Cloud Clipboard feature that allows users to copy and paste texts between Android and Windows. Microsoft has updated the SwiftKey Keyboard with version 7.9.0.5. Once the latest version is installed, users will be able to copy text to their Android smartphone or tablet clipboard and paste it…
Twitter is rolling out the ability for all iOS users globally to Super Follow select creators. The option was previously only available to users in the U.S. and Canada. Super Follows allow users to subscribe to accounts they like for a monthly subscription fee in exchange for exclusive content. It’s Super Following time –– everyone globally on…
YouTube is rolling out a designated “New to you” tab on its platform after testing the feature earlier this year. The new tab is now available on the YouTube homepage across mobile, desktop and TV devices. YouTube says the feature will help users discover new creators and content beyond the recommended videos they usually see. The new…
WhatsApp is reportedly getting a new method to view a business account’s status update. As per a new report by a WhatsApp features tracker, users can view a business account’s status updates by tapping the profile picture in the ‘business info’ page. The feature is currently being released for beta testers and is expected to…
Instagram is testing new tools for creators to earn commissions and form partnerships with brands on its platform. The Facebook-owned company is expanding its existing native affiliate tool, which launched in June and allows creators to discover products, share them with followers and earn commissions for sales driven by their posts. With this latest launch, creators can now…
Former U.S. President Donald Trump announced Wednesday he will launch his own social media platform, TRUTH Social, according to a press release by Trump Media and Technology Group (TMTG). Trump’s new social network is set to launch a beta version in November, which will be available to invited guests only. Its national rollout is expected in the…
Following moves by major tech platforms to better protect minors using their platforms, Snapchat is preparing to introduce its own set of “family engagement” tools in the coming months. Snap CEO Evan Spiegel teased the planned offering during an interview at the WSJ Tech Live conference this week, where he explained that the new product will essentially…