Siri can now read out your WhatsApp messages; along with other minor updates

Image: AFP

WhatsApp is not taking it slow with the pace of updates for its Android and iOS apps. The company is working on a number of small tweaks along with new feature additions for both the platforms. The Siri update being a major one, which gives Siri the ability to read out your messages.

The small tweaks are limited to user interface optimisation where the company can streamline and improve the existing interface. These features were uncovered by WABetaInfo, a pretty reliable source for all the new WhatsApp features

We have compiled a list of small changes that the company is working on and categorised them according to the operating system so that it is easier for you check that features that you can expect on your smartphone.

iOS

WhatsApp developers have added support for SiriKit which allows Siri to read and reply to your WhatsApp message on your behalf. Now you can ask Siri for any new messages on WhatsApp and Apple’s digital assistant will read them for you. The developers are working rigorously on revamping parts of the app in terms of UI design to be consistent with the system level apps. The developers have revamped the Contact details screen on WhatsApp to appear consistent with the logos corresponding to the test label of the setting. They have added a new ‘Chat History’ button in the contact details along with ‘Groups in common’ option.

Image Credit: WABeta Info

The developers have also added the ability for users to view and edit the contact information. This section has also gained shortcuts to quickly send a message, make a video and an audio call from the screen. The Calls section on the app now shows WhatsApp profile pictures along with, call type and a ‘+’ icon on the top right corner that can be used to make audio and video calls. Developers have also added shortcuts to quickly make video and audio calls. The next change allows users to select multiple statuses and forward them or delete them.

Image Credit: WABeta Info

WhatsApp is also testing a ‘Contact Cards’ section for the users who are not in your contact list. You can check all the contact cards sent in from others in this section. The company has also improved the app’s ability to download media directly from URLs without leaving the app. Most of these features are available in the iOS beta update and will roll out for everyone in the coming updates to the stable version of WhatsApp on the AppStore.

Android

WhatsApp developers have been working on the ‘Live Location sharing’ feature that was reported previously. The company has updated the feature for the location thumbnail to continuously update your location without the need to tap on the message and open the maps interface. The developers also tweaked the previously reported chats ‘Pin’ feature.

Image Credit: WABeta Info

The app no longer highlights the pinned Chats or Groups. They have improved another feature where if you exit a group that you have pinned on the top, the app will prompt you to unpin the group as you confirm the exit from the group. The interesting thing to note here is that both the features are hidden by default for the Beta users on Android.

Image Credit: WABeta Info

WhatsApp usually hides some features from the beta users so that the internal group can use the features and verify that the new features do not interfere existing functionalities in the app. The beta app gained a new UI for editing videos before you send the video.

Publish date: April 25, 2017 10:07 am| Modified date: April 25, 2017 10:32 am

WhatsApp to introduce photo albums, updates to text status and live location feature

Whatsapp is working on introducing an ‘Album’ feature for its users on Android and iOS, there is no word on the feature coming to Windows Phone. The ‘Album’ feature’ collapses all the photos to make them seem like the ‘Album’ post on Facebook where you can see the first four images at once. All other images are bundled inside with a numbered overlay on the fourth image informing about the number of images bundled inside.

Image Credit: WABetaInfo

Once you tap the Album, it will open to show you all the images that are part of the album. This feature will greatly reduce the flood of images in the conversation or groups if a person shared more than five images at once. This feature is hidden at the moment in the beta Android and iOS versions of the app but it is expected that this feature will be enabled soon as reported by WABetaInfo.

Image Credit: WABetaInfo

The second feature that the company is working on is the introduction of ‘Text statuses’ in the ‘Status’ tab. This comes as a welcome addition for users who would not want to post photos on their statuses. Currently, this feature allows you to change the background colour of the status updates and you can reply to the messages as usual.

Image Credit: WABetaInfo

Image Credit: WABetaInfo

The developers have also improved ‘Live Location’ sharing option so that you can see the locations of your WhatsApp contacts on a map. The interface also shows the speed of your contacts are they are moving. These new features come days after WhatsApp added support for SiriKit that allowed users to use Siri to check their new messages.

Publish date: April 25, 2017 12:48 pm| Modified date: April 25, 2017 12:57 pm

WhatsApp is working on a lot of minor changes for its Android and iOS apps

Image: AFP

WhatsApp is not taking it slow with the pace of updates for its Android and iOS apps. The company is working on a number of small tweaks along with new feature additions for both the platforms. The small tweaks are limited to user interface optimisation where the company can streamline and improve the existing interface. These features were uncovered by WABetaInfo, a pretty reliable source for all the new WhatsApp features

We have compiled a list of small changes that the company is working on and categorised them according to the operating system so that it is easier for you check that features that you can expect on your smartphone.

Android

WhatsApp developers have been working on the ‘Live Location sharing’ feature that was reported previously. The company has updated the feature for the location thumbnail to continuously update your location without the need to tap on the message and open the maps interface. The developers also tweaked the previously reported chats ‘Pin’ feature.

Image Credit: WABeta Info

The app no longer highlights the pinned Chats or Groups. They have improved another feature where if you exit a group that you have pinned on the top, the app will prompt you to unpin the group as you confirm the exit from the group. The interesting thing to note here is that both the features are hidden by default for the Beta users on Android.

Image Credit: WABeta Info

WhatsApp usually hides some features from the beta users so that the internal group can use the features and verify that the new features do not interfere existing functionalities in the app. The beta app gained a new UI for editing videos before you send the video.

iOS

The developers are working rigorously on revamping parts of the app in terms of UI design to be consistent with the system level apps. The developers have revamped the Contact details screen on WhatsApp to appear consistent with the logos corresponding to the test label of the setting. They have added a new ‘Chat History’ button in the contact details along with ‘Groups in common’ option.

Image Credit: WABeta Info

The developers have also added the ability for users to view and edit the contact information. This section has also gained shortcuts to quickly send a message, make a video and an audio call from the screen. The Calls section on the app now shows WhatsApp profile pictures along with, call type and a ‘+’ icon on the top right corner that can be used to make audio and video calls. Developers have also added shortcuts to quickly make video and audio calls. The next change allows users to select multiple statuses and forward them or delete them.

Image Credit: WABeta Info

WhatsApp is also testing a ‘Contact Cards’ section for the users who are not in your contact list. You can check all the contact cards sent in from others in this section. The company has also improved the app’s ability to download media directly from URLs without leaving the app.

Last but not the least, the company has also added new functionality to Siri which allows it to read and reply to your WhatsApp message on your behalf.

Publish date: April 21, 2017 12:44 pm| Modified date: April 21, 2017 12:44 pm

Offensive WhatsApp and Facebook posts can land group administrators in jail

Getty Images

Think twice before becoming administrator of a group on WhatsApp or Facebook as one is liable for prosecution if any rumour or fake news is circulated on it. Social media platforms allow a person to create a group on which members can share views, photographs or videos. Concerns have been raised about social media misuse as fake news, morphed photographs and disturbing videos with fabricated local narratives can easily be circulated that can trigger tension and even communal rift in an area.

In a joint order issued by District Magistrate Yogeshwar Ram Mishra and Senior Superintendent of Police Nitin Tiwari, it has been made clear that any factually incorrect, rumour or misleading information on a social media group could result in an FIR against the group administrator. “There are several groups on social media which are named on news groups and also groups with other names which are propagating news and information which is not authentic. These are being forwarded without cross checking,” it said.

Considering this issue, directives are being issued to social media groups, WhatsApp and Facebook group administrators and members, the order said. There are over 200 million WhatsApp users in India. It directed that social media group administrators should be ready to bear the responsibility and ownership of the groups. The administrator must include only those members who are personally known to him or her. If any statement is made by a group member which is fake, can cause religious disharmony, or rumour, the group admin must deny it on the group and remove the member from the group, the order said.

“In the event of inaction from the group admin, he or she will be considered guilty and action will be taken against the group admin,” it said. Such a post must also be reported to the nearest police station so that action can be taken against the member under the law, it said. The order, issued yesterday, says while freedom of expression on social media is important, it also comes with a responsibility. Varanasi is the Lok Sabha constituency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The administration has directed that no statement or post which can hurt religious sentiments should be forwarded to any other group or person else legal action will be taken. It also directs that case under cyber crime law, Information Technology Act and IPC will be filed in case of violation of these guidelines. The order also makes it clear that orders of the Supreme Court and various high courts will be considered while initiating action. It needs to be seen how Varanasi police which is facing severe staff crunch implements such an order as WhatsApp and social media are not limited to the boundaries of the district.

Publish date: April 21, 2017 8:43 am| Modified date: April 21, 2017 8:51 am

WhatsApp beta brings ability to revoke messages 5 minutes later; adds new formatting options

A WhatsApp beta update now allows messages to be revoked a whole 5 minutes after it has been sent. The update arrives for the for WhatsApp Web 0.2.4077 that basically works on improvements to do with the revoke feature. The feature however is turned off by default in Settings, so users will have to enable it to take advantage of the same.

Another new feature has showed up for the Android version of WhatsApp beta tagged as v2.17.148. The update thanks to @WABetaInfo is a new pop up menu that appears while editing or formatting text in the text field.

Upon selecting text, beta users are now seeing new formatting shortcuts including Bold, Italic, Monospace, and Strikethrough. Users on Android 7+ will already be able to see Translate, provided they have Google Translate installed.

Indeed these are updates that showed up on beta version of WhatsApp, so there’s no telling if or when they would be out.

The last update we saw from the beta community was for iOS. The iOS app saw a new Group Info page with a revamped design, new icons that got rid of the older or current spartan interface. For now it has not shown up on the public version of WhatsApp for iOS, so the above updates could indeed be a long way off.

Publish date: April 13, 2017 3:55 pm| Modified date: April 13, 2017 3:55 pm

WhatsApp is preparing to launch a UPI-based digital payment service this year: Report

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WhatsApp is reportedly working on a digital payment system using UPI. The service is expected to launch this year.

The report was published on The Ken and we haven’t yet been able to independently confirm the report. If the report is to be believed, however, WhatsApp is hiring someone to head a digital transaction business in India, someone with expertise in Aadhaar, UPI and Bhim. The report suggests that the WhatsApp-based peer-to-peer payment system will launch in about 6 months’ time.

Facebook-owned WhatsApp is among the largest digital communication platforms in India and is ubiquitous. With over 200 million users aboard the platform, digital transactions can only get a boost from such a move.

However, one must never forget that this is Facebook we’re talking about. Given the company’s incessant demands for user data, it’s quite possible that details of your transactions will be sent to Facebook for analysis, helping them to better target ads.

Regardless, yet another digital payment platform will be welcome, if only because WhatsApp’s popularity might eliminate the need to use some of the other, less popular apps. It’s also good to hear that WhatsApp is working on integrating Bhim and UPI rather than developing a payment service of its own.

Publish date: April 4, 2017 10:46 am| Modified date: April 4, 2017 10:46 am

WhatsApp now allows you to pick and send multiple contacts in one go

Image: AFP

WhatsApp has introduced the ability to pick and attach multiple contacts in one go without having to send the contacts one at a time. This feature is currently available in the beta version of the app, but it will roll out to other users soon.

Earlier, the app would force you to share only one contact at a time, making the process of sharing a large number of contacts very tedious.

This brings the attach contact section at par with other options like the Document and Gallery options, where you could select multiple documents, pictures, GIFs or videos to send them in a group or a conversation. I certainly wish that the company could do the same while sharing ‘Audio’ files or even ‘Location’. The company is working on introducing ‘Pinned Chats‘, an ‘Internal video player’, ‘Unsend‘, ‘Live locations‘, business tools and other features like ‘vCards indexing’ in future versions.

This update comes right after a report detailed that WhatsApp may be working on integrating UPI payments in the app to send money to friends and family without leaving the app. The last major update that WhatsApp introduced to its users was the ‘WhatsApp Status‘ which was panned by its users. The company had to bring back the ‘Text’ only Status in the form of ‘About’.

Publish date: April 4, 2017 1:40 pm| Modified date: April 4, 2017 1:40 pm

Snapchat introduces ‘Search’ option to lets users search content they’ve posted on the app

A woman wears Snapchat Spectacles on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. Image: Reuters/Brendan McDermid.

Few days after Facebook got a Snapchat-like “Stories” update that lets users add effects to their photos and videos, Snap Inc has introduced a “Search” option that would give users power to search through the content they posted on its app.

Snapchat will enable users to search for photos and videos known as “Snaps” posted to the “Our Story” option on the app, by creating new “Stories” using machine learning technology, the company said in a blog post on Friday.

For instance, users can use the search feature to find “Snaps” related to events such as local basketball games and topics such as puppies.

The search feature, which was rolled out in some cities on Friday, is an addition to curated “Stories,” where public “Snaps” about major events like Wimbledon or the Coachella music festival already appear.

First introduced by Snapchat, “Our Story” feature is a slideshow of user content that disappears after 24 hours.

Earlier this week, social media giant Facebook gave its users access to the new Facebook Camera feature in its app that lets them add effects to their photos and videos.

Facebook-owned Instagram and WhatsApp already got “Stories” update before Facebook rolled it out to its users.

After this update, the Facebook users could now share their content to a Snapchat clone called ‘Facebook Stories’ that appears above News Feed on mobile and works similar to Instagram’s 24-hour slideshows.

Publish date: April 2, 2017 10:41 am| Modified date: April 2, 2017 10:41 am

Google has finally added the ability to share files with Allo and make audio-only calls with Duo

Google said on Wednesday it would offer an audio-only option on its Duo video calls service to help users communicate using poor-quality connections, and was adding a feature to permit file sharing in group chats on its Allo messaging App. The company launched Google Duo in August, providing video calls for users on Android and iOS, pitting it against Apple Inc’s FaceTime, Microsoft Corp’s video-calling app Skype and Facebook Inc’s Messenger.

Google, owned by Alphabet Inc, said audio-only calls on Duo would be available from Wednesday in Brazil, and would be rolled out to users around the world in the coming days. The audio-only calls would work well on all connection speeds and be data efficient, Google Vice President for Product Management Mario Queiroz said in a blog post after he announced the moves at a Google conference in Sao Paulo.

With more than 139 million people online, Brazil ranks among the top five internet populations in the world. In response to requests from users in countries like Brazil, Google said that Android users everywhere would be able to share documents and other files (.pdf, .docs, .apk, .zip, and mp3) with friends on Allo in group chats.

It also said it was rolling out two new features for Google Photos on Android and iOS to make backup and sharing easier on low connectivity. “Now your photos will back up automatically in a lightweight preview quality that’s fast on 2G connections and still looks great on a smartphone,” Queiroz said in the blog post announcing the new features.

When a stronger Wi-Fi connection becomes available, backed up photos would be replaced with high-quality versions, he added. Google also said it was adding a new location sharing feature in Google Maps to allow users to let friends and family know where they were and when they would arrive at their destination. Users can stop sharing that information at any time, Queiroz said.

Reuters

Publish date: March 23, 2017 12:05 pm| Modified date: March 23, 2017 12:05 pm

Facebook Messenger is the latest app from the social network giant to ape Snapchat features

By tech2 News Staff /  10 Mar 2017 , 14:04

If you thought Facebook was done copying Snapchat features, think again. Today the company announced ‘Messenger Day’, which brings basic Snapchat story functionality to the Facebook Messenger. The company has copied a number features and brought them to Instagram and WhatsApp, and now the Messenger app from the social network gets the feature where a user can post photos and videos that disappear after 24 hours.

The announcement of the new feature comes just a day after Facebook added geostickers to Instagram where users can add stickers and illustrations into a story which is relevant to that particular location.

Here is how you can use the new Stories feature on Facebook Messenger:

You need to first make sure your Messenger app is updated to the latest version

Open Messenger, and tap on the camera ring at the bottom. This opens up a full-screen camera where you can take a picture. This can also be done by tapping the “Add to your day” button at the top of your inbox.

Take a quick photo or video

You can add effects and graphics by tapping the smiley face icon. You can also add text over your images by tapping the “Aa” icon, or even scribble by tapping the squiggly line in the top right corner.

Once you are done with editing, you just need to tap the arrow in the bottom right corner. This can be added directly to your day, saved to your phone or can be sent to a specific person or group of people.

With the feature launch, Facebook now has three apps that try to ape Snapchat, making it clear that it wants to bring it down by any way possible. This also brings in a lot of confusion to smartphone users who like posting ‘Stories’ everyday as now they now have multiple platforms to post.