Meta adds a new label to show whether third-party WhatsApp chats are secure
New rules in Europe means that WhatsApp will have to offer interoperability with other messaging apps and platforms. This is something that Meta has already been talking about, having published its preference for third parties to use the Signal Protocol as the foundation for these E2EE communications.
Use of the Signal Protocol will not be a requirement for interoperability, but whatever protocol is used by a third-party messaging app or platform, it will need to show they offer "the same security guarantees as Signal". To communicate security to users, WhatsApp is introducing a new "end-to-end encrypted" label that will be added to secure chats.
Now you can edit Instagram DMs, pin messages and more
Meta has announced a series of updates to Instagram, all of which are likely to be welcomed by users. Perhaps the most significant change is the option to edit the DMs you've sent, but there are other notable new features -- including disabling read receipts.
The latest round of Instagram updates also sees the introduction of a message pinning option that makes it easier to access keys one-on-one or group chats. On top of all this, reply options have been upgraded, new themes have been added, and more.
Meta is deprecating Facebook News in the US and Australia, as it has done in Europe
Meta has announced that it is killing off the Facebook News tab in the United States as well as Australia. The company says that the decision has been taken because it believes "that people don’t come to Facebook for news and political content".
The Facebook News tab is set to be removed in April, and Meta says that it will be focusing "time and resources on things people tell us they want to see more of on the platform, including short form video". The dedicated tab for news has already been deprecated in France, Germany and the UK.
WhatsApp finally adds much-needed text formatting options
Catching up with just about every other messaging app currently available, WhatsApp has finally expanded the range of text formatting options it offers.
Before you get too excited, though, temper your expectations -- you're not being given access to word processor-like options. Joining the existing bold, italic, strikethrough and monospace options are new code, quote and list options complete with a new batch of text-based shortcuts.
Facebook stalwart Sheryl Sandberg to leave Meta's board of directors but will continue to serve as an adviser
Meta's former COO, Sheryl Sandberg, is stepping down from the company's board of directors later in the year. She has played a major role at the firm since joining Facebook when it was merely a startup, having previously spent time at Google.
Widely respected and seen as one of the most influential women in the world of technology, Sandberg served as Facebook's and Meta's COO for over 14 years and has agreed to remain a board member to help with the transition when she leaves the position. In a message posted to her Facebook page she says that "this feels like the right time to step away".
Threads is about to gain millions more users as Meta prepares for EU launch in a matter of days
Concern surrounding Elon Musk and his control of Twitter, or X as he decided to rename it, caused an exodus of users seeking a new social media home. The likes of Mastodon and Bluesky have proved popular, but it was Meta's Threads that generated the greatest levels of excitement.
Right from the offset, however, Threads fell victim to strict European data privacy regulations meaning it was unable to launch in the EU. Now this is set to change, with Meta counting down to an EU launch of Threads on December 14 giving the potential for millions of new user to access the service.
Imagine: Meta makes its AI image generator available as a standalone tool
Meta has separated Imagine, its AI-powered image generation tool, from its chatbot by giving the service its own dedicated website. In breaking the image generator out of its messaging apps, Meta will be hoping to see faster uptake and increased interest.
The idea behind Imagine is much like the plethora of other AI image generators. Using Meta's own Emu technology, it will create four images based on text prompts and descriptions provided by users. Images are securely watermarked to make it difficult to pass off an AI image as a photo or a human-made creation. But the launch of the service will prove controversial as it will forced interested users into creating a Meta account.
Hide and password-protect your private conversations with Secret Code for Chat Lock in WhatsApp
WhatsApp has launched a new way to help protect your sensitive conversations, extending the capabilities of Chat Lock which rolled out earlier in the year.
The newly added feature makes it possible to both password-protect and hide those chats you don't want anyone else to see. These hidden conversations can only be accessed by those who know of their existence and who have the necessary code to make them visible.
WhatsApp will let you sign into two accounts at once... but there's a catch
Life is about to get a little easier for WhatsApp users with more than one account. Many people have a work phone and a personal device, each associated with a different WhatsApp account. There are also plenty of users with two phone numbers for other reasons.
Simplifying living with more than one account, WhatsApp is introducing the ability to log into two accounts simultaneously. This eliminates the need to keep logging in and out, or having to carry two phones around to stay connected. So what's the catch?
WhatsApp adds passkey support to boost security
The Meta-owned messaging app WhatsApp has joined the growing legions of apps and services to support passkeys.
Initially available to Android users, the passwordless authentication feature makes it possible to secure a WhatsApp account with face recognition, a fingerprint or a PIN. It is a security feature that is billed as not only offering greater protection than passwords, but also being faster to use.
Facebook now allows you to create multiple personal profiles so you can maintain separate online personas
After a period of experimentation, Meta has finally decided to permit users to create multiple Facebook profiles. Each profile -- and you can have up to four -- can have its own connections, and will have its own customized Feed.
Meta suggests that Facebook users could use the new option to keep personal and professional relationships separate, but there are many reasons for wanting to maintain more than one Facebook profile. But while the change to allow multiple profiles is a big one, there are limitations and some things are not changing.
Meta unveils a new Facebook logo, reactions and more
Meta has launched what it describes as a "refreshed identity system for Facebook". This way of referring to a new logo should prepare you for an avalanche of further flowery language, and in this regard Facebook does not disappoint.
What is the purpose of the logo redesign? Meta says it has "a focus on fostering effortless, self-initiated exploration and connection across every touchpoint". The new logo is described as being "bolder, electric and everlasting", but it has already been the subject of some ridicule just hours after launch.
WhatsApp's new Flows feature lets you shop, book appointments and more from a chat with a business
Continuing its expansions in to shopping and eCommerce, Meta has announced WhatsApp Flows. The new feature allows businesses to give customers the chance to do things like book tickets and order items from within a chat.
Flows can be customized by merchants to meet the specific needs of a business, creating workflow-like purchasing experiences for customers. Launching globally over the coming weeks, WhatsApp has been testing Flows with partners in Brazil and India.
Soon you will be able to use WhatsApp to chat with people on other platforms
WhatsApp not only remains astoundingly popular, developers continue to refine existing features and add new capabilities at an astonishing rate. The latest beta version of the messaging app shows exciting signs that it may soon be possible to use WhatsApp to send and receive messages between other platforms.
This is an important -- and much-requested -- development because while WhatsApp has a colossal userbase, it is not yet ubiquitous. The fact remains that not everyone you may want to chat with is necessarily a WhatsApp user. In the future, this should not be a problem with the arrival of support for third-party chats.
Meta is killing off the Messenger Lite app for Android in a matter of weeks
For anyone with an older, cheaper and less powerful Android device, the Lite version of Messenger has been something of a lifeline. The stripped-back, resource-light version of its big sibling was specifically designed to run well on lesser hardware, but now Meta has decided to kill it off.
Messenger Lite, once known as Facebook Messenger Lite, has been around for a number of years, but Meta is giving users just a few weeks' notice about the app being discontinued. The closure comes despite the app having millions of users.
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