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Customer service chats are coming to Instagram DMs
Facebook is testing Messenger API support for Instagram messages.
Discord adds stickers to liven up chats
Discord has added sticker packs to spice up chats, although you'll need to pay for at least some of them.
Facebook wants users to be able to set Messenger as the default on iOS
Facebook wants you to be able to use Messenger as the default messaging app on iOS.
Judge blocks US ban on WeChat app downloads
A judge has blocked the Commerce Department's attempt to ban WeChat downloads, citing First Amendment concerns.
WeChat user alliance sues Trump administration over threatened ban
An alliance of WeChat users is suing the Trump administration over an executive order that could ban the chat app in the US.
Instagram starts merging chats with Facebook Messenger
An Instagram update has begun the process of merging chats with Facebook Messenger, although it's not completely ready yet.
Signal lets you see more info before you accept a message from a stranger
Signal lets you see a sender's profile before you accept, delete or block a message or call.
Google adds emoji reactions to Messages on Android
Google had been testing the feature since at least the start of March.
OnePlus Nord will rely on Google's calling and messaging apps
The OnePlus Nord will use Google's phone and messaging apps rather than leaning on OnePlus' own.
Discord is rebranding to shift away from gaming
It doesn't have a new name, but Discord is effectively rebranding away from being an app dedicated to helping gamers communicate with one another during a tense online match. Practically speaking, what the rebranding means for current and, more specifically, new Discord users is a "streamlined" onboarding experience and updated templates that make it easier to set up a server. "We will continue to take decisive action against white supremacists, racists and others who seek to use Discord for evil,” the company said.
Discord shuts down major 'Boogaloo' server over threats of violence
Discord has shut down the largest known 'Boogaloo' chat server over concerns members were inciting violence.
Google makes it easier to deregister your phone number for RCS messages
Google has quietly rolled out (via Android Police) a new tool that makes its much simpler to deregister the number you used for its first-party RCS-enabled Messages platform. You can already deregister your number in the Settings page of the Messages app by enabling “chat features off.”
Russia lifts its ban on Telegram
The app has become an important way to share official COVID-19 updates.
Twitter DMs will be easier to access in Android 11
Twitter DMs will be available from virtually anywhere in Android 11.
Telegram adds video editor and more creative tools
A robust Telegram update has added video editing to the messaging app, according to a recent blog post. The “most powerful photo editor to be implemented in a messaging app,” as Telegram described it, can now be used to make a variety of changes to video.
Google's more secure, 'multi-platform' Chat app requires Chrome
Google Chat, the service formerly known as Hangouts Chat, has a new app that works on any PC with Chrome. The messaging service has long had a desktop application, but this Progressive Web App version of it has broader compatibility with Windows, MacOS, Chrome OS and Linux.
T-Mobile customers can send RCS messages to Android users worldwide
It's taken a couple of years, but T-Mobile now fully supports the RCS Universal Profile protocol, which is good news for Android users on the carrier's network.
Google is working on end-to-end encryption for RCS texts in Messages
Google Messages code hints that plans are underway to secure RCS chats with end-to-end encryption.
Messages on the Mac may finally catch up to its iOS counterpart
Apple is reportedly preparing to give macOS' Messages app a long-overdue overhaul that provides parity with its iOS counterpart.
Slack's revamped mobile app puts key features within easy reach
Slack has overhauled its Android and iOS apps with quicker access to DMs, mentions, and other features you often use away from your PC.