messaging features Archives

AppWizard

June 16, 2025

Russian Lawmakers Authorize Creation Of National Messaging Service

Russian lawmakers passed legislation on June 10 to establish a national instant messaging service, envisioned as a multifunctional information exchange service similar to WhatsApp. The service aims to facilitate bureaucratic and legal functions, including electronic document signing. VK, a Kremlin-aligned social media platform, is reportedly developing a new digital platform named Max, which will include chat, messaging, and payment services. The Russian government has previously launched the Gosuslugi e-government service portal, which serves around 100 million citizens and is being integrated with VK. President Vladimir Putin has expressed support for the new messaging service, instructing officials to transition services from government agencies to the platform.

AppWizard

June 7, 2025

Elon Musk Confirms New ‘XChat’ Messaging Option Rolling Out This Week

Elon Musk announced the rollout of a new feature called “XChat” for select X Premium subscribers, set to reach all paying users within a week. XChat includes enhanced messaging features such as full encryption by default, vanishing messages, the ability to send file attachments, and audio/video calls without a phone number. The service is built using "Rust with (Bitcoin style) encryption.” Musk envisions integrating messaging with financial transactions, aiming to launch X Payments later this year, similar to WeChat's model in China. Despite challenges in attracting Western consumers to comprehensive platforms, Musk's experience in payments may help make XChat appealing. The updated XChat begins its rollout this week, subject to potential scaling issues.

AppWizard

February 12, 2025

Users complain about Messenger crash: what problems are reported

Facebook Messenger is experiencing significant disruptions, with 91% of user complaints related to difficulties in sending messages, 6% concerning app issues, and 3% regarding voice messaging features. The problems began around 8:30 a.m. on February 11, with reports from Ukrainian users emerging after 9:30 a.m. The peak of the outage occurred at 9:39 a.m.

Winsage

February 3, 2025

Modern Discord hacked into Windows 95 and 98, slimmed down version keeps core functionality intact

A developer known as IProgramInCpp has backported Discord to Windows 95 and Windows 98 Second Edition, creating a version called Discord Messenger. This backport retains essential messaging functionalities such as direct messages, server interactions, image uploads, message editing, typing indicators, server member lists, and untrusted URL indicators. However, it lacks features like the friend list, dark mode, and voice channel capabilities, with voice call support being particularly challenging to integrate. The application runs on Windows 98 SE and Windows XP SP2, but may not appeal to users on modern systems. Caution is advised as using a custom Discord client may violate the platform's terms of service, especially since certain features are omitted to avoid spam detection.

AppWizard

February 3, 2025

Delete These 12 Android Apps That Are Secretly Recording Your Conversations

Smartphones are essential in daily life but pose risks due to malicious applications that threaten privacy and security. ESET security researchers identified 12 Android apps that covertly record conversations and steal sensitive data, disguised as legitimate messaging platforms. These apps were distributed through a cyberespionage strategy that exploited the Google Play Store. Victims were initially lured through online romance scams, leading them to download apps for "secure communication," which then operated covertly. The malicious apps fall into three categories: 1. Basic Spyware: Apps that offer basic messaging features while secretly gathering personal information, including contacts and location data. 2. Advanced Interception: More sophisticated apps that intercept messages from platforms like WhatsApp and Signal, and can activate the microphone to record calls. 3. The “Innocent” App: Apps that appear benign, such as a news platform, but still request personal information and can access contacts. The 12 identified apps to delete include: Rafaqat, Privee Talk, MeetMe, Let’s Chat, Quick Chat, Chit Chat, YohooTalk, TikTalk, Hello Cha, Nidus, GlowChat, and Wave Chat. These apps were available on the Google Play Store and collectively had over 1,400 downloads before being removed. The main danger of these applications is their ability to operate silently, compromising user privacy by recording audio, tracking location, and stealing information without user awareness. Users are advised to uninstall these apps immediately and conduct security scans with reputable antivirus software. Caution is recommended when downloading apps, emphasizing the importance of using trusted sources and being skeptical of unsolicited recommendations.

AppWizard

December 11, 2024

Instagram, Facebook, and Messenger are down: Everything you need to know about Meta’s outage

A major outage affected Instagram, Facebook, Messenger, and Threads, attributed to a "technical issue" by Meta. Reports peaked around 1:30 p.m. Eastern time, with about 75,000 complaints for Instagram and 100,000 for Facebook. Users expressed frustrations on alternative platforms, particularly X, where the hashtag #facebookdown trended. By 2:25 p.m. Eastern, reports of outages began to decline, indicating a return to normalcy, although some users still faced issues with direct messaging features.

AppWizard

September 18, 2024

Garmin Introduces inReach Messenger Plus SOS Satellite Communicator – Fishing Tackle Retailer – The Business Magazine of the Sportfishing Industry

Garmin has launched the inReach® Messenger Plus, a satellite communicator designed for outdoor adventurers, enabling photo and voice messaging, global two-way texting, location sharing, and SOS capabilities. The device features an extended battery life of up to 600 hours in low-power messaging mode and can last weeks to months depending on usage. It includes functionalities such as photo sharing, voice messaging, two-way group text messaging, interactive SOS, route sharing, off-grid navigation, and real-time weather updates. The device is standalone, rugged, and has an IPX7 water rating. It is priced at 9.99 and requires an active satellite subscription starting at .99 per month.

AppWizard

September 17, 2024

An Update on How We’re Building Safe and Secure Third-Party Chats for Users in Europe | Meta

Users of WhatsApp and Messenger in Europe can now connect with individuals using third-party messaging services due to the Digital Markets Act (DMA). This feature, known as third-party chats, allows for interoperability between different messaging platforms. New notifications will inform users about available third-party chat options, and there is a simplified onboarding process to activate this feature. Users can choose to manage third-party messages separately or in a unified inbox. The messaging system includes rich features such as reactions, direct replies, typing indicators, and read receipts, with plans to introduce group creation in 2025 and voice/video calling in 2027. The rollout of third-party chats will occur as third-party services develop and launch the necessary technology.

AppWizard

September 17, 2024

Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp to work better with other chat apps

In November 2022, the European Commission implemented the Digital Markets Act to promote fair competition and interoperability among messaging services. Meta has announced its strategy to comply with this regulation by introducing three features for Messenger and WhatsApp: 1. Users will receive notifications when a new third-party messaging platform becomes compatible with Messenger and WhatsApp. 2. Users can manage their chats by choosing to keep conversations from third-party services in a separate folder or alongside first-party chats. 3. Meta will enhance messaging functionalities with features like read receipts, typing indicators, replies, and reactions for third-party interactions, with plans to introduce group creation in 2025 and voice and video calling by 2027.

AppWizard

September 9, 2024

Meta Announces Next Steps for EU Messaging Interoperability

Meta is enhancing its messaging services for users in the European Union by allowing the import of chats from various third-party applications in compliance with the EU's Digital Markets Act. The company has introduced updated parameters and user interface improvements to facilitate this integration, including enhanced visibility of options to connect with users on other platforms, in-stream indicators, and notifications for incoming third-party chats. Users will have the choice to keep third-party messages separate from their primary chat inbox or combine them into a single inbox. Meta is also incorporating advanced messaging features such as reactions, direct replies, typing indicators, and read receipts for imported messages, with group creation capabilities planned for next year and voice and video calling features expected by 2027. However, end-to-end encryption for imported chats is not implemented, as not all third-party providers offer this security level, which may create confusion regarding the security of imported conversations. Keeping Meta and third-party chats separate could help clarify which chats are secure.