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The next major update for WhatsApp will add some real encryption for chat history in iCloud. That's not to say that WhatsApp was necessarily unencrypted in any other way in the past, but this newest update adds a key component to the mix, specifically for iOS user. There's also a QR code element that'll soon - we can only cross our fingers and hope - be added to the system to make the sending of user details faster and simpler.

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Uncertain and desperate times bring out the best and the worst of people. While there will always be those who will go out of their way to be humanity's brightest stars, there are others that exemplify mankind's biggest weaknesses. While we always need to be on guard against such malicious agents, it's not always possible to defend one's self against more cunning individuals. That's why Facebook is applying a dash of machine learning to give Messenger users a bit of confidence or at least warn them if something is a miss.

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There is no telling when the COVID-19 pandemic will really end but, when it does, it will be a very different world. Work alone is undergoing a shift and some tech companies are seeing a drastically different future at least for some kinds of jobs. Facebook, for example, thinks that computing and work will be not only remote but also virtual. And, of course, it's in a perfect position to push its social platform and products to be at the head of that new wave of computing.

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Today Facebook attempted again to get "small businesses" to jump onboard with a system called Facebook Shops. With this system, businesses will be able to sell items directly through Facebook or connect to their 3rd-party website. They're also introducing a more all-inclusive Instagram Shop experience in the very near future. Facebook suggested this is part of their effort to work more closely with partners like Shopify, BigCommerce, WooCommerce, ChannelAdvisor, CedCommerce, Cafe24, Tienda Nube, and Feedonomics.

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A "one year anniversary" announcement was made this morning by Oculus for the headsets Oculus Quest and Oculus Rift S. In their excitement for a full year of sales and functionality, Oculus representatives noted that "people have spent more than $100M on Quest content." They also noted that more than 20 titles on the platform have "surpassed the $1M revenue mark on Quest alone," and that 10 of these have now surpassed $2M in revenue over the past year.

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In late April, Facebook introduced Messenger Rooms, a new video chatting feature that enables up to 50 people to participate in the same group call. The feature was introduced as demand for video messaging services has skyrocketed, joining Skype, Zoom, and other similar platforms. The latest WhatsApp beta adds an integration with this feature.

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Facebook has bought GIPHY, and already the conspiracy theories are coming thick and fast, including suggestions that a thin-skinned Mark Zuckerberg has been quick to demand some censorship. The deal - reportedly worth $400 million - will see GIPHY's team join Facebook's Instagram group, a natural fit, so the social networking behemoth claims, given how much Instagram users rely on the GIF database.

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Facebook has acquired GIPHY, with plans to fully integrate the GIF-search tool into apps like Instagram and Messenger so as to make finding animated responses easier. The GIPHY team will be folded into Instagram, Facebook says, though other apps and services will still be able to use the various GIF search and hosting too.

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Facebook has a bitmoji-like system ready to roll in the USA starting today called Facebook Avatars. They'll be delivering this system via Facebook in Messenger and in the Messenger app and webpage. If you're using Messenger anywhere, right now, you'll likely have access now or very soon. If this system is everything we've been told so far, there's little reason why Facebook wouldn't use Niantic's Pokemon GO system of accessory sales for users of all sorts in the very near future.

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Two new features for Instagram were revealed this week for users that have to deal with large numbers of comments. Power users on Instagram - influencers, photographers, and general celebrities - will benefit most from the two new features shown as part of the fifth edition Community Standards Enforcement report from Instagram and Facebook. Not all users will be able to use these features at first - they'll be appearing on iOS first, Android second. It does not appear that users will be selected for testing based on any sort of follower count or popularity - this is out there for everyone, it'll just be most useful for those users that need to deal with masses of followers.

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There was a short time when "lite" mobile apps were al the rage, marketed at emerging markets where both phone space and mobile data are at a premium. Those investments may now be paying off as users everywhere have become more reliant on their mobile devices and use up more space and data in the process. Given that situation, it's rather baffling that Facebook has silently decided to take down its Instagram Lite app exactly at a time when some users might have been using it the most.

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Today Facebook launched "the new Facebook.com" in full, and it's a bit cramped. This new version of Facebook will have all the same content as before, but it'll look just a bit different than you remember. On the web, that is. The app versions of Facebook are not changing this week. The newest iteration of Facebook will appear for you in a web browser, more than likely when you're visiting Facebook on your desktop or laptop device.

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