facebookmessenger
Latest
Apple Pay Cash leads Consumer Reports' first payment service test
Peer-to-peer mobile payment services are all the rage these days (eMarketer expects a 24 percent jump in US adoption in 2018), but which of them is actually the safest to use? Consumer Reports might have an idea. The publication has conducted its first head-to-head test of payment services, and it's clear that some services are better picks than others. While all of the payment platforms were "good enough to use," Apple Pay Cash was the victor due to its stronger-than-usual privacy and security.
Facebook might let you chat with your bank over Messenger
Facebook wants to incorporate your banking info into Messenger and has approached companies like JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Citigroup and US Bancorp over the past year, the Wall Street Journal reports. People familiar with the discussions told the publication that Facebook has sought data on card transactions and checking account balances and has proposed giving its users access to banking information such as account balances and fraud alerts through Messenger. The move comes as Facebook tries to boost engagement and banks grapple with how to reach more customers digitally. Since the original WSJ report, Facebook has clarified that while it may partner with banks so financial institutions can use Messenger for customer support, it doesn't have any interest in going beyond that.
Instagram reaches 1 billion monthly users
After surpassing 800 million monthly active users last September, we knew it was only a matter of time before Instagram would reach that coveted 1 billion mark -- and today is that day. The company has announced its latest milestone at an event in San Francisco, where it's also launching IGTV, its new standalone long-form video app. With 1 billion monthly actives, Instagram continues to grow at a tremendous pace since being acquired by Facebook in 2012, when it had just 40 million. If that's not impressive, then what is? Instagram now also joins other Facebook-owned social apps that have hit that remarkable number: Messenger (1.3 billion) and WhatsApp (1.5 billion). And then, of course, there's Facebook, which is at 2.2 billion and counting. Despite the privacy controversies of late, it's clear people love Facebook products, and Instagram's insane growth is only one of the many perfect examples of that.
Facebook Messenger adds World Cup-themed filters and games
From video games to sports broadcasters to Twitter, everyone's getting World Cup fever. So why not chat apps? Facebook Messenger is getting several features timed for the global soccer event, including camera and a few games to play with friends you're talking with.
Facebook and Nike just gave hypebeasts a reason to use Messenger
Nike hasn't been coy about how much it loves using augmented reality to sell hyped sneakers, since the technology can be used to fight the bots (automated systems) that are so beloved by resellers. And today, at the F8 developers conference, Facebook revealed a partnership with the sportswear giant that will let sneakerheads buy limited-edition pairs through the Messenger app... in AR. To show this feature off, Nike dropped a pair of Kyrie Irving signature shoes during the F8 opening keynote, which were dubbed the "Red Carpet" and sold out within minutes after the Facebook announcement.
Cambridge Analytica might have accessed private Facebook messages (updated)
Facebook just began notifying people if their information was accessed by Cambridge Analytica yesterday. Soon after, the social media company created a Help Center page that you can check to see if you were one of the affected members who logged into quiz app This Is Your Digital Life. Apparently, doing so not only shared your News Feed, timeline and posts, but also your private messages.
Facebook plans to allow everyone to ‘unsend’ messages
Facebook is obsequiously assuring everyone that it will be responsible with users' data and transparent with how it's shared. But evidence emerged yesterday that the company has been quietly deleting old messages Mark Zuckerberg and other executives have sent from recipients' inboxes. Facebook fessed up to TechCrunch that they'd been doing so for awhile. Now the company is promising to extend the feature to users in the coming months -- but until it's widely released, any messages from Zuckerberg et al won't be wiped away.
Facebook is changing the way it stores call and text history
Facebook published a blog post today detailing the changes it has made to how it manages users' data. You can read a broader summary of that report here, but among the new changes is a tweak to how Facebook collects and stores call and text history. For those using Messenger or Facebook Lite on Android, an opt-in feature compiles users' call and text history, which the company says is used to help it surface the contacts you talk to most frequently. In its blog post today, Facebook said that it has reviewed the feature and can confirm that it doesn't actually collect the content of any messages. Additionally, going forward, it will delete logs older than a year and only the data required for the feature's functionality will be collected, meaning no extra data, such as call times, will be stored.
Google team will bring Smart Replies to more chat apps
If you've wanted to use Google's canned Smart Replies in chat apps, you've been limited to using Allo or (if you're on the right carrier) Android Messages. But what if you're one of the many, many people using something else? Don't fret: Google's experimental Area 120 group is working on a Reply project that, as the name implies, will bring Smart Replies to many messaging clients (currently just for Android). Hangouts is logically on the list, but so are third-party apps like Facebook Messenger, Skype, WhatsApp and even Twitter's direct messages. You'd only have to tap a button in your notifications to confirm that you're on your way or say you're doing well.
Facebook vows to simplify Messenger in 2018
Today, Facebook released an outline of its priorities when it comes to Messenger, and one thing is clear: The organization wants to simplify the service. Over the past few years, the company built many new features that it packed into Messenger, and now the app is cluttered. "Expect to see us invest in massively simplifying and streamlining Messenger this year," Messenger lead David Marcus explains. He says the end goal for Facebook is "to make Messenger the easiest and most delightful way for people to spend time together in happy and harder times."
Danish police charge 1,000 people following Facebook sex video
Facebook is no stranger to notifying police when there's clear evidence of a crime, but its latest action has had consequences on a much larger scale than usual. Danish police have charged 1,004 young people (some under 18) after Facebook notified authorities that Messenger users were sharing a video of two teens under 15 years old having sex, violating laws against the distribution of indecent images of children. Many of those who shared the video did so 'just' a few times, police said, but others shared it hundreds of times -- they knew what they were doing, even if they didn't realize it was illegal.
Facebook Messenger adds Snapchat-style AR objects
Facebook clearly doesn't want any significant Snapchat feature to go unanswered. It's adding World Effects to Messenger's camera that, to no one's surprise, serve as direct parallels to Snapchat's augmented reality objects. You can float an arrow in the world to point to a landmark, put word bubbles like "bae" or "miss you" over your head, or throw in a "celebratory" robot... because robots, that's why.
Facebook rolls out a Messenger app just for kids
It's no surprise that kids are using technology at a pretty young age these days, and a key part of that is using it to communicate with friends and family. But most kids tend to use tablets or iPod Touches that don't have phone numbers, so normal texting and video chats are a no-go (unless it's with mommy's phone, which isn't always great for mommy). Sure you could use an app like FaceTime or Hangouts, but most of them don't offer the kind of control that parents want, especially for really young kids. Facebook, however, has come up with a solution. It's called Messenger Kids and yes, it's basically a standalone child-friendly Messenger app with parental controls baked right in.
Now you can send PayPal invoices over Facebook Messenger
PayPal has spent the last few months adding more integrations to make sending money easier. Sure, some are gimmicky (like 'friendship gift cards'), but a new feature to keep track of group purchases is nifty. The platform also started allowing folks to send cash over Facebook Messenger -- and now you can send invoices on it, too.
Two airlines are bringing faster WiFi to their international flights
Two airlines have made moves to upgrade their WiFi offerings today. Cathay Pacific Group will provide GoGo's 2Ku satellite-based broadband technology starting in 2018 and Emirates has partnered with Thales to bring 50Mpbs connectivity to its Boeing 777X fleet in 2020.
The naked truth about Facebook’s revenge porn tool
Facebook has announced it's trialling a tool in Australia to fight revenge porn on its platform, one that requires victims to send the company a copy of the violating images. Amazingly, this is true, and not a Clickhole story. It's the kind of thing that makes you wonder if there are human people at Facebook, and do they even understand what words mean? Because as we unravel the details of this tool -- totally not conceived by actual robots or a company with a zero percent trust rating among users -- we realize it's a very confusing tool indeed.
Facebook's revenge porn prevention test has users upload photos
The Australian government and Facebook have teamed up in the fight against revenge porn. As the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reports, alongside Australia's Office of the eSafety Commissioner, Facebook has launched a pilot program aimed at not just curtailing the spread of revenge porn once it begins, but preventing it altogether.
Facebook Messenger plugin enables cross-platform customer service
While most of the billion-plus users on Facebook Messenger are individuals, the company has refined its messaging platform to be more business-friendly. Back in April, it introduced a Discover tab to better connect individuals with companies they'd enjoy, as well as improved chatbot functionality. All of these have focused on improving the business-customer relationship, and the newest addition is no exception. Today's update adds Customer Chat, a plugin that lets businesses carry on Facebook Messenger conversations right on their own website.
Instagram shopping is getting a big boost from Shopify
Shopify is providing its users with another way to sell their goods. Throughout the year, it has been testing an Instagram shopping feature, but it's now opening the tool up to thousands of additional merchants just in time for the holiday shopping season, TechCrunch reports. The feature lets sellers tag items in an Instagram post that are available for purchase and viewers can then click those tags to buy the items without having to leave Instagram.
Delta adds free messaging to its WiFi-enabled flights
Delta announced today that starting October 1st, it will offer free WhatsApp messaging on all of its Gogo-enabled flights, making it the first airline to offer free access to the messaging service. Facebook Messenger and iMessage will also be supported and all three messaging services will be accessible in flight through the airline's WiFi portal page.
