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A new ad campaign from Meta is aimed at the iMessage service from Apple

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In an advertisement that intensifies the business rivalries between the two prominent Silicon Valley tech companies, Meta has taken an aim at Apple’s iMessage.On Monday Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta shared a photo of an advertisement in New York’s Penn Station suggesting that WhatsApp from Meta is more private and secure than Apple’s iMessage and conventional text messages.

iMessage
Image Source: analyticsdrift.com

A billboard comparing WhatsApp’s “Private” bubble to the Green and Blue bubbles of Apple’s iMessage may be seen in the Meta CEO’s shared Instagram photo. Apple has consistently emphasized the privacy and safety of iMessage.

The blue and green bubbles in iMessage serve to distinguish between messages sent from an iPhone and those sent from an Android device. The blue bubble confirms that the recipient has an Apple device whereas the green bubble indicates that the receiver uses an Android device.

Zuckerberg made a post on Instagram stating, “WhatsApp is far more private and secure than iMessage, with end-to-end encryption that works across both iPhones and Android, including group chats. With WhatsApp, you can also set all new chats to disappear with the tap of a button. And last year we introduced end-to-end encrypted backups too. All of which iMessage still doesn’t have.”

End-to-end encryption refers to the design of the messaging system, which prevents the service provider from viewing the contents of the texts or providing them in compliance with a legal order. iMessage and WhatsApp are both encrypted.

On either service, however, messages and backups might be kept in a fashion that allows the company to access them. Wireless cellular carriers preserve SMS communications.

There are several factors for Meta to criticize Apple in this situation. Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and other social media businesses’ advertising has suffered since Apple’s ‘App Tracking Transparency’ tool was made available in April 2021.

By using this option, social media companies are prevented from tracking a user’s data on other websites or apps. According to one report, this Apple feature would cost Facebook nearly $22 billion alone in 2022. This feature debuted with iOS 14.5.

The Meta ad follows a previous effort by Google in which it attacked the blue bubbles used by iMessage. Google wants Apple to use Rich Communication Services(RCS), a newer text messaging technology that replaces SMS communications with enhanced capabilities and encryption.

Apple’s CEO Tim Cook advised users to just purchase one iPhone for each person they wish to interact with, indicating that the company currently has no intentions to do this. However, if WhatsApp becomes a serious competition in the US, it’s absolutely feasible that its stance may change.

Over 2 billion people use WhatsApp worldwide. In the US, it isn’t the default texting app. Meta seeks to increase WhatsApp’s US user base. Recently, Meta has promoted WhatsApp focusing on security and privacy.

Not just Meta, but other tech firms have criticized iMessage from Apple. A valid criticism of Apple’s privacy-focused iPhone advertising is the reality that iMessage still relies on SMS and cannot be used to safely contact people who use Android phones.

In the meantime, a recent update to WhatsApp, which is owned by Meta, allowed certain beta testers to create groups with up to 1,024 members.

1024 users

WhatsApp reportedly tested to increase group size up to 1024 participants

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There is good news if you enjoy WhatsApp groups but believe that their biggest drawback is that they never get big enough. The messaging service WhatsApp, which is owned by Meta, has announced a number of new features and is now enabling the addition of up to 1024 users to groups for certain beta testers.

1024 users
Image Source: androidcentral.com

When it pertains to group chat capacity, WhatsApp has traditionally been a bit stingy, but it’s getting better. The company expanded the group chat size to 512 individuals in May and added the capacity to exchange files with up to 2GB in storage. Users of WhatsApp’s most recent beta for iOS and Android can form groups with up to 1,023 members.

Only a small group of beta testers have access to the feature for now, but it’s reasonable to anticipate that it will soon be made available to more people to add 1024 users in groups. With this minor upgrade, WhatsApp moves a bit closer to the Telegram messenger, which supports big groups of thousands of users.

Pavel Durov, the developer of Telegram, recently claimed that the system’s encryption standards are pointless if it constantly has security problems and that WhatsApp has been utilized as a surveillance tool. He made these remarks after WhatsApp delivered a critical update that, as per reports, contained security weaknesses that exposed users to hackers,

Large groups are useless if one can’t effectively manage them, but there is also positive news in that regard. WaBetaInfo claims that WhatsApp is creating new capabilities that will provide administrators with additional choices for handling huge groups. To examine all of the applicants and approve them all at once, they include a membership approval process and a list of group members who are presently awaiting permission.

The move would improve the recently introduced Communities feature, which enables several groups to all be placed underneath a single Community umbrella. The messaging app has undergone a tonne of changes and additions this year, including emoji reactions, the option to hide the “Last Seen” status for specific contacts, more features for group phone conversations, and an enhanced native Windows client, in addition to the increased group chat member limit.

WhatsApp unveiled a new calling function for its app last month. With its new Call Links feature, users may now join an audio or video call with just one tap. On the messaging network operated by Meta, users can post links to the corresponding calls for their family and friends. This virtual call service functions quite similarly to Google Meet or Zoom.

In the meantime, the platform launched WhatsApp Premium, a new tool for business accounts. Right now it is only available for beta testers in some nations.

Through WhatsApp Premium, businesses may take use of several cutting-edge features, including a better way to connect with clients and some advantages when connecting new devices. WhatsApp has recently started testing features that restrict users from taking screenshots of photographs transmitted with the “View once” option but only with a small group of beta testers.

WhatsApp Group has become the go-to spot for users to connect with various individuals on a single topic. The new update will increase its popularity and has a lot of potential.

WhatsApp

Users of WhatsApp On iOS May Soon Be Able To Search Messages By Date.

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WhatsApp is always working on various innovative updates which are in the best interest of its users. It made it seamless to make UPI payments on WhatsApp for Users last week. At present time, WhatsApp is also developing a new feature. Using this the WhatsApp users will be able to search for the messages in the chat according to the date they were sent. Users can swiftly go to a particular date to read messages from that time. This feature will be useful when the users want to find out which messages were sent on a specific date.

More details on “new feature”

This “search message by date” function is still under development. The instant messaging app Meta-owned WhatsApp is always working on different technologies to enhance the user experience by developing and integrating new features like the ability to react to a particular message using emojis, the feature to mute specific people on voice calls, and much more.

WhatsApp
Image Source: pragnews.com

According to a report by WaBetaInfo, it is still working to make it possible for users to search messages by date. The feature was initially found in 2020 by WaBetaInfo. However, at that time they did not make it available to the public after discarding the development. WhatsApp is planning to put this feature again after the test flight update is received for the WhatsApp beta (iOS 22.0.19.73).

“After releasing the WhatsApp beta for iOS 22.0.19.73 update from TestFlight, we discovered that WhatsApp is finally planning to release the feature in the future again,” the report stated.

Source: www.livemint.com

How will the WhatsApp “search by date” feature work?

While developers are still working on this feature, however, when it would be completed, WhatsApp users will see a new calendar icon on the left side of the screen when tap on the search button to search for a message in the chat. Users can quickly get to a particular date and read all the messages from that specific date with the help of a calendar icon.

By clicking on the calendar icon, they can set the date according to their needs and see the chats. Also, they can get rid of the date view by just scrolling through the chat. This feature will help out in extracting messages or media from a certain date. Currently, since it is not available to the public because it is incomplete, users can search for messages only using keywords. This is your old search feature.

The search feature enables WhatsApp users to search for chats using a keyword. Here are the steps involved:

  • Open your WhatsApp application.
  • Tap on the burger menu in the top right corner of your screen.
  • You will see the Search option showing up among others, click on it.
  • Enter the keyword of your chat you want to search and you’ll get your messages with that keyword to appear on the screen.

Apart from this, WhatsApp is also working on developing a new feature that would let the user send the message to himself while using the desktop version and also, the survey feature. In this WhatsApp survey feature, users can fill out various surveys about the latest products, innovative services, app reviews, and much more after receiving an invitation. It will bring a verified chat to send invitations for surveys.

It is not decided yet when these features will be available to the public, but soon users will be able to test these in the beta version of WhatsApp.

JioMart

JioMart Shopping Services Launched By Meta And Jio Platforms On WhatsApp.

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American Tech-Giant Meta and Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries subsidiary JIO Platforms declared an e-commerce venture which would be the first worldwide end-to-end shopping experience for consumers on WhatsApp where they can order from JioMart straight without leaving the WhatsApp chat. This association will allow the customers to browse through the JioMart catalogue, select them, add the products to the cart and do the purchasing all within the chat via the local payments track Unified Payments Interface (UPI).

WhatsApp, the world’s most renowned messaging application used by approx. a half billion Indian population every month achieved the approval to broaden its payments powered by Unified payment interface (UPI) services previously this year to about 100 million users in the country after numerous regressions and interruptions.

Mukesh Ambani, Chairman and Managing Director, Reliance Industries, said, “When Jio platforms and Meta announced our partnership in 2020, Mark and I shared a vision of bringing more people and businesses online and creating truly innovative solutions that will add convenience to the daily lives of every Indian.”

Mark Zuckerberg, Founder and CEO, Meta, said in a Facebook post, “Excited to launch our partnership with JioMart in India. This is our first-ever end-to-end shopping experience on WhatsApp — people can now buy groceries from JioMart right in a chat. Business messaging is an area with real momentum and chat-based experiences like this will be the go-to way people and businesses communicate in the years to come.”

Source: economictimes.indiatimes.com

Meta formerly known as, Facebook, is a substantial minority investor or we say partner in Jio platforms, the largest telecommunication venture in India, providing their services to over four hundred twenty-one million subscribers. Also, Jio declared that it would be investing up to 25 million USD to introduce the 5G services in the country this year in October with its target to reach every town in the South Asian market by the end of the coming year.

JioMart
Image source: www.logisticsinsider.in

The launch of JioMart on Whatsapp tracks the JioMart and Meta starting to test a fusion with some selected users two years ago. If it were to be a success, a commerce platform could result in a great revenue increase for WhatsApp which has predominantly dodged serving ads to the app users. Also, it could be a prominent way to accelerate digital transformation in India through this innovative strategic partnership between these two renowned enterprises and offer people and businesses of all scales, be it small or large, promising opportunities to connect in several new ways and strengthen the economic growth of the country.

Chairman and managing director of Reliance Industries, Mukesh Ambani, said, “Our vision is to propel India as the world’s leading digital society. When Jio platforms and Meta announced our partnership in 2020, Mark and I shared a vision of bringing more people and businesses online and creating truly innovative solutions that will add convenience to the daily lives of every Indian. One example of an innovative customer experience that we are proud of developing is the first ever end-to-end shopping experience with JioMart on WhatsApp. The JioMart on WhatsApp experience furthers our commitment of enabling a simple and convenient way of online shopping to millions of Indians.”

Source: www.business-standard.com

Consumers can initiate shopping via WhatsApp on JioMart by just sending a ‘Hi’ message to the JioMart number, +917977079770, on WhatsApp and, explore the great deals on JioMart.

This announcement was part of the 45th Annual General Meeting also referred to as AGM by Reliance Industries limited administered by Mukesh Ambani himself. This innovative idea would open new gates of success for JioMart and WhatsApp.

WhatsApp

WhatsApp: Mark Zuckerberg Reveals New Privacy Features.

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The most well-known instant messaging application worldwide, WhatsApp, acquired by Meta, has declared a new set of privacy features that would add a layer of security to visibility and chats. As a user, you can now exit groups quietly, select who can or cannot see that you are online, and will possess the power to block the other people from taking screenshots of messages with view-once settings.

“New privacy features coming to WhatsApp: exit group chats without notifying everyone, control who can see when you’re online, and prevent screenshots on view once messages. We’ll keep building new ways to protect your messages and keep them as private and secure as face-to-face conversations,” Mark Zuckerberg, chief executive officer and founder of Meta, said in a statement.

The online status and group exit updates will be led to implementing for all users, including on Android phones and the Apple iPhone, later this month. However, the View Once screenshot block feature would take a little longer. “This feature is being tested and will be rolled out to users soon,” Meta confirmed.

Source: www.hindustantimes.com

The New WhatsApp Features: Status, Visibility, And A Quiet Exit

The first update among the three that certainly stands out is the feature to keep your online status hidden from your contacts and only show who you want to show. It is the successive development of its previous feature, which came out in December last year. It enabled WhatsApp users to keep their online status hidden from strangers. If you don’t want your WhatsApp contacts to know your online availability when you’re busy, are engaged in another conversation, or just simply don’t want to reply. This feature comes with a toggle option you can turn this feature off or on according to your needs.

WhatsApp
Image source: ichef.bbci.co.uk

Until now, when you leave a WhatsApp group every member of the group would be notified that you exited from the group making it a fairly public activity. This could become the cause of some major inconveniences as people may bombard you with questions about why you left the group. WhatsApp solves this problem by bringing in its new feature that will only allow the group admins to get notified when you leave a group. Users can quietly exit the group without the other members knowing.

Whatsapp introduced the view-once feature last year in August that was exceptional in the sense it enabled the users to share a media or message which can be deleted after the recipient has seen it and no trace of the message would be left. But there was one flaw or loophole that the user could take a screenshot of that view-once message before it disappeared.

The second of the three introduced features will correct or dismiss this flaw or loophole. It would block the ability to take screenshots on any smartphone, while the view message is still showing on the screen.

According to WhatsApp in another update, it will enable the user to delete the message even after two days

“At WhatsApp, we’re focused on building product features that empower people to have more control and privacy over their messages. Over the years, we’ve added interlocking layers of protection to help keep their conversations secure, and the new features is one way we continue to deliver on our commitment to keep messages private,” Head of Product at WhatsApp, Ami Vora, stated.

Source: www.thehindu.com

WhatsApp isn’t Slowing Down On Updates

The launching time of these features varies according to Meta. But they have assured us that the features will be rolled out soon.

The features will be launched this month beginning in the UK.

Signal

People are switching from WhatsApp to Signal. Should you too?

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By now all of us have heard the name Signal for at least one time. We are hearing that people are switching from WhatsApp to Signal after WhatsApp announced the new privacy policy for the users. According to this new privacy policy, some of the users’ data in WhatsApp will be given to the parent company, Facebook. This became a big concern as privacy matters to the users when they are using a personal messaging app. So, here is everything you need to know about Signal and how secure it is, and should you too move from WhatsApp to Signal?

What is Signal?

Signal is a messaging app similar to WhatsApp where the messages are end-to-end encrypted. The security system of the Signal app is very strong and the code is accessible to all since it is an open-source application which any independent programmer or expert can view and contribute from time-to-time. Signal also claims that it does not collect any user data like contact details, messages, profile information, etc. There are only two details that Signal collects and those are how long Signal has been installed in someone’s phone and the last date of installation.

Signal
Image Source: play.google.com

Like WhatsApp, the Signal app is available on Android, iOS, Windows, Mac, and Linux. After downloading and signing up in Signal via phone, you can connect it to your Windows or Mac. Once linked with your PC, you can chat from your computer even if the phone is switched off.

Now, the question of the hour is why people are shifting from WhatsApp to Signal?

Why are people switching from WhatsApp to Signal?

A wave of fear rose among the WhatsApp users last week when a pop-up notification came on WhatsApp that it may share some of the user data with Facebook. This notification came with a yes or decline option to agree to the new privacy policy in WhatsApp. Since then a strong migration movement of the WhatsApp users to other messaging apps like Signal and Telegram increased gigantically. Telegram is mostly preferred for group chats while WhatsApp users are installing Signal for its highly secure system. If this migration continues, it will weaken the strength of big tech companies like Facebook and WhatsApp. A chain of messages has been spread that says Facebook could read the messages of WhatsApp users which increased the tension and fear among individuals. Though WhatsApp tried to reach out to people that they couldn’t see the encrypted chats or calls, it seemed like damage control.

Users are growing on Signal

Signal is witnessing the biggest number of new users in the past two years. Last year, Signal witnessed a download of 50,000 per day which rose to 1.3 million users on Monday alone. Among the new users, Signal said that India is one of the biggest areas from where most of the new users are coming in. After the news of privacy concerns broke out on the net last week, Signal became the top app in 70 countries for iOS users and in 45 countries for Android users. (The New York Times)

On the other hand, with the rising popularity of end-to-end encrypted messaging apps like Signal, it becomes hard for the government or similar authorities to investigate crimes. It becomes a safe hiding place for the criminals as law enforcement authorities can’t play any strong part in this. Louis Grever, head of the Association of State Criminal Investigative Agencies, said that these encrypted platforms “does allow groups that have an ill intent to plan behind the curtain.” So, the pros and cons of these highly encrypted messaging platforms have become a hot topic of debate for everyone.

Brian Acton, Founder of Signal and WhatsApp

Signal founder Brian Acton
Image Source: economictimes.indiatimes.com

Signal was created by an American cryptographer called Moxie Marlinspike which today is a part of the Signal Foundation. Signal Foundation is a non-profit foundation that was founded in 2018 when Brian Acton, the former co-founder of WhatsApp, loaned initial funding of $50 million to build this foundation and became the co-founder of Signal.

Privacy policy of WhatsApp

With the growing concern among WhatsApp users, the company has answered and cleared all the queries of the citizens. WhatsApp said that though the privacy policy of WhatsApp has been recently updated that does not affect the end-to-end encrypted chats among your friends and family. This new privacy update is especially for the business messaging in WhatsApp which is both optional and provides full transparency on how they collect the user data.

WhatsApp has made it loud and clear that neither WhatsApp nor Facebook can read out messages or hear our calls. WhatsApp doesn’t share our contact with Facebook and they cannot see our shared location as well. What WhatsApp is doing is providing an option for the business accounts to use a secure hosting service from Facebook. And, at times some data can be used for marketing purposes on Facebook. You can always know more if you check out the privacy policy website of WhatsApp.

Experts view on WhatsApp privacy policy

Many experts after studying WhatsApp’s new privacy policy have said that misinformation has been spread. Pranesh Prakash, Affiliated Fellow at Yale Law School’s Information Society Project has said that the new privacy policy of WhatsApp concerns business interactions thus giving new ways to handle transaction and payment data. He further said that privacy has been more tightened after Facebook acquired WhatsApp as the company willingly decreased its power to access chats and calls to identify business content.

So, now it is up to the users to choose the right app based on security concerns, privacy, and convenience. They shouldn’t decide by paying heed to the misinformation and rather get informed about it from genuine sources.