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The new Android iMessage app ‘Beeper Mini’ that became the first and only easy solution for Android users to communicate with Apple users via iMessage, recently started experiencing technical problems in just less than a week since its launch. More and more users started reporting being unable to send and receive their iMessages in the app. It is speculated that Apple may be responsible for Beeper Mini’s dysfunction.

 

Beeper Mini was developed as a result of massive efforts that went into figuring out the entire process of how to register a phone number with iMessage, send messages directly to Apple’s servers, and have messages sent back to the device natively inside the app. The toughest part of it, according to CEO of Beeper Mini, Eric Migicovsky, was cracking Apple’s code that detects if the connected device is a legitimate Apple product.

Apple Might Have Stopped the Android App for iMessages from Working



After launching generative AI ad creation tools for Facebook and Instagram, Meta is taking AI integration on Instagram forward with more features that it is currently working on. These, according to app researcher Alessandro Paluzzi, include a generative AI sticker creation tool, visual editing tools, an AI-powered message summary tool, as well as an AI chatbot.

 

The generative AI sticker tool will be found within Instagram Stories and posts and will enable users to create their own stickers using text prompts. This sounds like a fun way to get creative by turning your thoughts into stickers to add to your posts and Stories, instead of using pre-existing stickers.

 


Next, generative AI tools for visual editing; ‘AI brush’ and ‘Restyle,’ will provide users with creative control over their content. More specifically, during the creation process, you will be able to remove or replace elements of your uploads using these tools. With the AI brush, you will be able to fill in parts in your images, while the Restyle tool will let you change parts of your images with the help of text prompts. For instance, you could replace the background of your uploaded image with the kind of background you would like, by describing details of it.

 

Meta is Bringing a Bunch of Generative AI Features to Instagram - Editing Tools, a Chatbot, and More



WhatsApp has rolled out a new messaging option that enables users to send video messages to one another. These video messages will be 60 seconds long at maximum and appear in circles within chats. Describing the functionality, WhatsApp says that it is “a real-time way to respond to chats with whatever you want to say and show in 60 seconds.”

 

 

Users will be able to record their video messages by switching to video mode, then holding to record the video. Like audio messages, video messages can also be recorded hands-free by swiping up and locking to record. WhatsApp ensures that video messages will be kept safe and secure in chats as they are end-to-end encrypted.

WhatsApp Launches New Messaging Feature ‘Video Messages’



Telegram has launched a new offering for Premium subscribers that it had been testing for a while. This is a new Stories feature, the function of which is similar to that of Stories on Snapchat, Instagram and other popular social platforms.

 

A new plus icon will be displayed at the top of a subscriber’s chat list, from where they can post their Story. Telegram Stories will automatically disappear after a duration of 6, 12, 24, or 48 hours, depending on the user’s choice. Users can also choose to permanently keep their Stories on their profile by pinning them, and can later take them off too. Each story will have its individual privacy setting too, for allowing only certain people to view it.

 

In addition to regular photos and videos, users of the functionality will also be able to capture pictures and videos from both their front and rear cameras simultaneously; a feature similar to BeReal’s, which was also temporarily adopted by TikTok.

Telegram Launches Stories as a Premium Feature



LinkedIn has launched a new DM engagement feature ‘Pages Messaging,’ that will allow Company Pages to send and receive DMs. People will be able to directly get in touch with companies via direct message, and Page admins will in turn be able to respond as the Page.

 

Up until now, the direct messaging functionality was only limited to LinkedIn members to interact with other members. However, seeing the rise in activity of Company Pages on LinkedIn, the platform decided to extend the DM functionality to companies, so people could engage with them directly.

 

Pages Messaging was first spotted last month on LinkedIn, and has since been available to selected users on the platform. The feature has now started to roll out to all users.

LinkedIn Makes it Possible for Users to Interact with Company Pages Via Direct Message and Vice Versa



WhatsApp is beta-testing screen sharing, a username feature, and a new business feature for the platform. The features have been spotted in the beta version of the app.

 

It looks like WhatsApp is introducing a username feature in the app, which means that every user will be able to create their own username in the app that will be linked to their account. Similarly, people will be able to search each other with usernames, even if they don’t have the contact number of the user they want to search.

 


There is not much information available on this feature, since it is still in development. However, according to a preview shared by WABetaInfo, the option to set up a username will be located in a dedicated section of ‘Profile’ within WhatsApp Settings.

WhatsApp is Developing New Features for the App Including the Option to Set Up a Username



Showcased earlier at its latest I/O Event, Google’s new AI-powered experimental messaging feature “Magic Compose” is now being rolled out in beta to a limited number of users. The technology has been designed to generate “stylized, suggested responses with the context of your messages,” according to Google.

 


While messages in Magic Compose are secured with end-to-end encryption, Google has mentioned on the Google App’s support page that up to 20 previous messages, including emojis, reactions, and URLs, will be sent to Google’s servers “to make suggestions relevant to your conversation.”

Google is Rolling Out its AI-Powered Messaging Functionality ‘Magic Composer’ in Beta



WhatsApp has released yet another practical option in the app – it allows users to edit their messages after having sent them in a chat.

 

While the app already has a ‘delete message’ functionality for times when you make an error in your sent message, the edit tool will make the ability to make corrections easier.

 

There is, however, a time limit on editing sent messages, so users will have only 15 minutes in case they want to make changes to their text.

WhatsApp’s Latest Messaging Tool Lets Users Edit Sent Messages



Some Twitter users in the US have recently spotted a voice recording feature in their DMs that has been in testing since 2020. The feature has been available to users in India, Brazil, and Japan, and seems to be expanding to more countries now.

 

What’s evident is that the voice recording tool isn’t entirely new to the platform, much like several other elements that Twitter has either revamped, relaunched, or delayed the roll out of, ever since Musk took over Twitter.

Twitter Expands its Lesser-Known Voice Recording Functionality in DMs to More Regions


Snapchat is making its AI chatbot “My AI” available to all users for free, after keeping it accessible to only paid subscribers for two months.

 

Snapchat’s chatbot can be customized by changing its name, looks, and adding a Bitmoji avatar - which is what users demanded the most after the integration first rolled out. My AI can also be added to group chats using “@.” You can ask the chatbot for AR filter recommendations, as well as places to visit from Snapchat’s map tab.

 



In the near future, Snapchat also plans to equip My AI with the ability to provide responses to visual messages / images.

Snapchat’s AI Chatbot “My AI” can Now be Accessed for Free by All Snapchatters



Collaborative Collection is Instagram’s latest DM feature that provides the ability to save posts in group chats. These posts can be added or removed by any of the group chat members.

 

Instagram has been attempting to increase social engagement on its platform, and this is one of the ways that it is doing so. By saving posts in a Collaborative Collection, users will have discussions around them, while creating a shared space for things they like.

 

Instagram’s Latest Engagement Tool Allows Users to Save Posts in Group Chats



LinkedIn has introduced a new messaging update to its platform that enables users to forward posts to multiple members at once.

 

When forwarding a post on LinkedIn, you can select more than one member to send it to. This can be done in two ways: by forwarding the post to each member separately or creating a new group chat with the selected members. Additionally, a typed message can be included with the post.

LinkedIn is Rolling Out the Option to Forward Posts to Multiple People at Once



A while back, Microsoft launched its Phone Link app for iOS that makes it possible to send and receive messages and calls via iMessage on Windows PC.

 

The way Phone Link works for iOS is that it sends and receives messages over Bluetooth. Apple then detects these messages and forces them to be sent and received via iMessage. Additionally, iPhone users can view and dismiss notifications on the Phone Link app. The app, however, doesn’t support other functions like mirroring phone display, running other apps, or interacting with group chats.

 

To set up a connection between an iPhone device and PC, you will be prompted to scan a QR code from your phone which will open an App Clip version of Phone Link and start the Bluetooth pairing process. Once the pairing is complete, you can then enable contact sharing by turning on “show notifications.” This will allow system notifications to be shared to your PC via Bluetooth.

Microsoft’s Phone Link App Can Now be Paired with iPhone on Windows 11



Meta is bringing two new features to WhatsApp as part of its Community tab: one that provides better privacy to community group chats, and another that makes it easier to find groups that users have in common.

 


Community group chat is a relatively new element in WhatsApp that was launched last year. Its purpose is to house multiple sub-groups of larger groups like organizations and schools, and it can hold up to 5,000 users, support video calls for up to 32 participants, and enable group-wide admin announcements.

WhatsApp’s Latest Features for Community Chats Improve Group Privacy and the Ability to Search for Groups



Microsoft is updating its Phone Link app to support iOS’ iMessage service, including making and receiving calls and messages, as well as viewing phone notifications; all within Windows 11.

 

iPhone users can connect their devices to a Windows laptop or PC via a Bluetooth connection, then access Phone Link to use iMessage. Through this functionality, one can message contacts that also have iPhones directly from their PC. However, this excludes the ability to send pictures as messages and interact in group chats.

 

iMessage conversations in Phone Link appear in a simplified format where only messages that have been exchanged using Phone Link are displayed. This means that users can not view their complete message history in the app. Moreover, there are no blue ticks and green bubbles as in the original iMessage format.

Microsoft is Testing an iMessage Integration in its Phone Link App



Instagram is releasing a new chat function called Channels, which works like a broadcast chat by keeping users up to date about specific topics. In the initial test, Channels will include messages regarding Meta’s upcoming technologies and products. Later, users will receive messages from their favourite creators and other people that Meta collaborates with on Channels.

 


The functionality is a part of Direct Messages, so once a user joins a Channel, the chat will be added to their existing list of Direct Messages. The messages sent in Channels support text, images, polls, reactions, and other IG tools. One thing to note about these chats is that users can only read messages and react to them, but can not write and send messages.

Instagram Rolls Out New Direct Message Integration ‘Channels’



LinkedIn has introduced a new addition to the Messaging tab recently, in the form of a ‘Focused Inbox’ display that divides into two tabs: Focused and Other. The ‘Focused’ tab will include more important messages while filtering out the less valuable ones to the ‘Other’ tab.

 

LinkedIn is Providing Users Better Messaging Experience Via New ‘Focused Inbox’



LinkedIn has launched a new ‘Focused Inbox’ update with a dual-tabbed display to help users filter the junk content out in their inboxes. Users will have access to two tabs: Focused and Other. The less important or unwanted messages will be shifted to the Other tab in the message stream.

 



In LinkedIn’s words, “Your most relevant messages will appear on the Focused tab while the rest remain easily accessible on the Other tab. You can also easily move messages between the tabs.” LinkedIn also adds that the update will learn and improve over time from the way members use their inboxes.

 

LinkedIn is also bringing a new addition to the Jobs tab called ‘Jobs at your company,’ which will assist members in discovering existing opportunities within the company that they currently work at, such as newly listed roles. This would be especially helpful for employees that work at big companies where it is easier to miss out on internal promotions, simply due to not being aware of them.

LinkedIn Announces New Updates Including a Focused Inbox, New Analytics Features and More



In an attempt to revive engagement across Facebook, Meta is launching a new Community Chat option for Messenger that it has created to facilitate topic-based discussion groups. “We’re building Community Chats as a new way to connect with people who share your interests,” says Meta. The social company is currently testing the option with a limited number of users.

 

Community Chats are sort of a mix of Messenger and Facebook Groups where users can connect with each other. More specifically, users can create Facebook Groups, start chats and audio channels, and invite others to join their groups from within Messenger via Community Chats.

 

Meta Launches New Engagement Tool for Messenger: Community Chats



Meta reports that over 20 billion messages are exchanged over Messenger each month between businesses and customers. This insight suggests that direct messaging has become a convenient way for brands and consumers to interact with one another.

 

To further understand how users in the APAC (Asia-Pacific) region are relying on messaging for brand queries, and how businesses can serve customers in a better way using messaging, Meta conducted a research in collaboration with the Boston Consulting Group, which consisted of surveying more than 6,500 respondents across the APAC region.

 

The analysis in the report shows some valuable information on the significance of direct messaging between brands and consumers. Some of the key points mentioned in the report are as follows:

Meta Shares New Insights on the Importance of Business Messaging Through Latest Survey Report

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