New Yorker: Taking Back Our Privacy. “Since Signal was released, it has evolved from a niche tool, touted by the privacy-minded and the paranoid, into a mainstream product recommended by the Wall Street Journal. Activists use Signal to coördinate protests, lovers to conduct affairs, workers to unionize, finance professionals to exchange sensitive information, drug dealers […]
TIME: The Inside Story of How Signal Became the Private Messaging App for an Age of Fear and Distrust. “Signal is an end-to-end encrypted messaging service, similar to WhatsApp or iMessage, but owned and operated by a non-profit foundation rather than a corporation, and with more wide-ranging security protections. One of the first things you […]
CNET: Facebook launches Tuned, a messaging app for couples. “Facebook has released a new app for couples to share a private space online, ‘even when you’re apart.’ Tuned allows couples to share photos, notes, cards, voice memos, music from Spotify and even their moods. There’s also a daily diary feature.”
TechCrunch: Facebook Messenger ditches Discover, demotes chat bots. “Chat bots were central to Facebook Messenger’s strategy three years ago. Now they’re being hidden from view in the app along with games and businesses. Facebook Messenger is now removing the Discover tab as it focuses on speed and simplicity instead of broad utility like China’s WeChat.”
Lifehacker: Facebook’s Messenger Kids App Now Has More Parental Controls. “Facebook has announced the launch of some new tools in its Parent Dashboard that should make it easier to monitor your child’s chat history, remove and report inappropriate images or videos, and log them out remotely.”
CNET: You soon will be able to Instagram DM from the web. “After years of limiting direct messages to its mobile apps, Instagram is finally opening up. On Tuesday the Facebook-owned site announced that it is in the process of testing direct messaging from its website, giving those who want to message friends on the […]
BGR: Sadly, you now need a Facebook account to start using Facebook Messenger. “A few years ago, Facebook made it possible for new Messenger users to start talking to their friends and family without registering for Facebook. That was actually a great way to stay off Facebook for anyone not happy with the intrusiveness of […]
The Next Web: FTC might put the brakes on Facebook’s plans to merge messaging apps. “A new report suggests the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) might file an injunction against Facebook, to keep it from integrating its messaging apps together. Doing so might make it harder to break up the company — which the FTC is […]
9to5 Google: Latest Google Messages beta rolling out ‘Verified SMS’ to cut down on SMS spam. “The latest Google Messages beta is now rolling out ‘Verified SMS’ which is aimed at protecting you from unwanted spam text messages or potential phishing attempts.”
CNET: Instagram could soon let you send direct messages on desktop. “You may soon be able to use Instagram Direct to ping one or more people on desktop. Tipster Jane Manchun Wong tweeted about the rumored feature on Tuesday, along with screenshots of what Direct for desktop could look like.” Jane Wong strikes again!
The Next Web: Instagram spins out Threads, its version of Messenger. “Instagram today revealed it’s launching Threads, an Instagram spin-off app specifically for private messages between friends — similar to Facebook’s Messenger. Whether it’ll actually last as long as Messenger has remains to be seen.”
Fossbytes: Google Researcher Finds Nasty iMessage Bug That ‘Bricks’ iPhone. “There are different character combinations that can render an iPhone useless. While Apple has been quick to fix such bugs, this time a Google researcher found a nasty one that ‘bricks’ Apple phones.”
BBC: How apps power Hong Kong’s ‘leaderless’ protests. “In a tiny room on the edge of a nondescript building complex sits an unlikely participant in Hong Kong’s protest movement. Behind his laptop computer, Tony (not his real name) monitors scores of groups on private messaging app Telegram and online forums. Organisers say volunteers like Tony […]
New York Magazine: PSA: Twitter Isn’t Notifying People If You DM Their Tweets. “There are several circumstances under which Twitter will send you a notification: If you get a new follower. If your tweet is getting attention in the form of retweets and likes. If you receive a direct message. There is one circumstance under […]
MakeUseOf: Make SMS Useful Again: 7 Services That Use SMS Messages Cleverly. “Thanks to instant messaging apps, you probably don’t use plain old SMS on your phone too often. Messengers like WhatsApp and Telegram are faster, more reliable, and have tons of other modern features SMS lacks. But SMS is around to stay on your […]