Messaging

There are many popular messaging platforms today that advertised a lot of privacy features, including that much-desired but controversial end-to-end encryption or E2EE. While WhatsApp is known for that feature, it isn't exactly the first nor the most popular in that area. Signal remains one of the most recommended privacy-minded messaging apps, and it is taking one small step further in ensuring its users have total control over their messages, especially their message history, with some new settings for disappearing messages.

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Apple has published a new FAQ on its child abuse scanning system, having prompted controversy last week with the announcement that it would use AI to spot potentially harmful or illegal material on iPhone and other devices. The system aims to identify signs of possible child grooming, or shared illicit photos and videos, though it caused concerns that the technology could eventually be misused.

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If you're using Google Maps on iOS, you can now share your live location in iMessage easier than before. It was already possible to share you live location with Google Maps on both iOS and Android - and we'll get to that in this article as well - but first, the newness. In iMessage - the latest version of the app, of course - you'll have a new Google Maps widget for extreme ease in sharing.

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WhatsApp has rolled out a new feature that is commonly found on alternative privacy-centric messaging apps: disappearing videos and photos. The feature offers users more control over the media they share with others, enabling them to send potentially sensitive content to others without it remaining in the chat indefinitely.

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Just because your WhatsApp messages may be end-to-end encrypted, doesn't mean Facebook won't one day potentially be able to use the contents for advertising. While one of the big assumptions about encryption has been that the messaging platforms themselves aren't privy to what you're discussing with your contacts, a new push to develop homomorphic encryption techniques could change the stakes.

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Telegram, the popular messaging app alternative to WhatsApp, has greatly expanded its video calls feature. Among the changes is new support for 1,000-person group video calls, making Telegram a solid alternative to other video chatting apps. In addition, Telegram has also improved video messages, screen sharing, video playback, and more.

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Back in May, Discord launched a brand refresh of sorts that not only saw the company roll out a new logo and color scheme, but also new features. At the time, Discord said that chat threads - one of its most-requested features - would be arriving later in the summer. Fast forward to today, and it looks like the big launch is here, as Discord has rolled out Threads in a new update.

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WhatsApp expanded its Group Call system beyond a one-time-join rule to allow joining at a later time. Joinable calls, as they're called, "reduce the burden of answering a group call as it starts," according to a WhatsApp representative commenting on the release. It also "brings the spontaneity and ease of in-person conversations to group calling on WhatsApp."

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All three major mobile carriers in the United States now have RCS ready to roll with Messages by Google by default for Android phones. Rich Communications Service (RCS) amplifies the abilities of text messaging - by default - for all Android users from this point forward. Google has been working for years to make RCS the default baseline experience for messaging between smartphones and tablets of all sorts - now, with Verizon onboard, that goal is basically a reality (in the USA, anyway).

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WhatsApp has introduced a key privacy feature that'll help prevent unwanted snooping in your old chat logs -- but you can only access it if you're a beta user on Android. With the latest beta update, WhatsApp now offers encrypted cloud backups, meaning that anyone who acquires your stored chat logs won't be able to read them.

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Facebook has rolled out a new library of emojis for its messaging app that adds a new layer of expression to the commonly-used images: sound effects. Facebook calls these Soundmoji, explaining that when selected, the recipient will not only see the emoji but also hear a related sound, including everything from clapping and chirping crickets to sound bites from TV shows.

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Facebook has improved WhatsApp multi-device support and it is making it available to some users as a limited public beta test. With this beta, WhatsApp users can finally access their chats across multiple devices other than their smartphone -- and these devices won't be dependent on your phone to continue using the messaging service.

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