WhatsApp Adds New Text Formatting Options; Blocks Screenshots of Profile Pictures on Latest Beta

WhatsApp launched four new text formatting options globally on Wednesday. These new options join the existing bold, italic, strikethrough, and monospace options. The new range of formatting tools will allow users to send messages in bulleted points, and numbered lists, as well as two different styles for quotes. Alongside, it is also reportedly testing a new feature t...

Reliance, Disney Announce Joint Venture to Merge Digital Streaming and TV Assets in India

Reliance and Disney announced a strategic joint venture on Wednesday that will merge their digital streaming and television assets in India. The merger will result in Reliance combining the businesses of Viacom18 and Star India into a single unit called Star India Private Limited (SIPL) through a court-approved scheme of arrangement.

Google Chat Gets a New Feature to Help Users Find Out The Most Important Conversations

Google Chat has received a new feature that is aimed at helping users understand priority conversations without having to read the messages. The new feature makes it easy for users to know the participants in unread threads to gauge what is more relevant to them. Chat was developed by the tech giant to replace its older (and now defunct) text messaging and video calli...

Threads Saved Posts Feature Begins Rolling Out to Several Users After Weeks of Testing: How it Works

Threads is getting a new feature that will allow users to bookmark their favourite posts. The feature, called Save, was first announced in early February and so far was in the testing phase. However, it is now being rolled out to a broader user base and more users should see the feature popping up on their app.

Instagram Tipped to Be Working on a ‘Friend Map’ Feature for Users to Track Their Friends' Locations

Instagram is reportedly working on a feature that will let users see the last active location of their friends on a map. The feature is said to be called Friend Map, and it appears to be similar to Snap Map. As per a leak, Instagram could soon add a world map-like interface where users will be able to see others all over the map based on the location shared by them.

ChatGPT App for Android Will Reportedly Get a New Home-Screen Widget Soon

ChatGPT, the artificial intelligence (AI)-powered chatbot by OpenAI will reportedly get a home-screen widget for Android. The report comes at a time when generative AI tools are getting big releases. Google recently introduced the Gemini 1.5 version, while Copilot is reported to get default assistant capability on Android.

Deutsche Telekom Showcases App-Less AI Smartphone Concept at MWC 2024

Deutsche Telekom on Monday showcased a futuristic smartphone concept that relies on artificial intelligence rather than applications (apps) to handle users' specific needs. Smartphones today typically use apps for everything from messaging and social media to video games and banking.

Truecaller Launches Call Recordings, AI-Powered Transcriptions in India for Android and iOS Phones

Truecaller launched its call recording and artificial intelligence (AI)-powered transcription feature in India on Monday, February 26. The feature was initially introduced in the US in June 2023, but after less than a year, the company is expanding it to more regions. Both Android and iOS users will be able to record incoming and outgoing calls and transcribe them usi...

Gboard Tests 'Scan Text' Feature to Insert Text from Captured Images: How it Works

Gboard is getting a new Scan Text feature that will allow you to point your camera at text and quickly insert it into any app you are using. The optical character recognition feature is already available as part of Google Lens, but adding it to Gboard means that users can easily insert text without switching apps. The arrival of the feature on Android comes two years ...

Google Pay to Roll Out SoundPod With Audio Alerts to Merchants in India After Year-Long Pilot

Google SoundPod is coming to merchants in India in the coming months, the company said on Thursday. After a year-long limited pilot, the company revealed that it is bringing its device for payment alerts to merchants in the country, along with cashback offers. Google's SoundPod will compete with soundboxes from rivals like PhonePe and Paytm.

Instagram Creator Marketplace Expands to India; Meta Tests AI-Powered Creator Recommendations

Instagram Creator Marketplace is expanding to eight new regions including India, the company announced on Wednesday. Meta will invite creators from Australia, Brazil, Canada, India, Japan, New Zealand, and the UK to join the portal that connects brands and content creators for branded content or partnership ads on the platform.

Meta Shows Small Businesses New Ways to Bypass Apple's App Store Fees

Meta is advising small businesses on how to advertise on Facebook and Instagram without paying fees imposed by Apple. Instead of buying ads on the iOS apps for Facebook and Instagram, Meta is advising the companies to buy ads through a web browser.

Google Gemini App on Android, Gemini Toggle on iOS Rolling Out in India and Other Countries

Google has made its Gemini app on Android and Gemini toggle on iOS available in India and more than 150 other countries. The Gemini app requires a smartphone with at least 4GB RAM which is running Android 12 or above. Similarly, the Gemini toggle is available to iPhone users running iOS 16 and up.

Microsoft Previews AI Features for Notepad, Snipping Tool Improvements in Windows 11

Microsoft is previewing two new features in Windows 11. The lightweight Notepad app is getting a new feature called ‘Explain with Copilot,’ which will help users understand the content in a file. The Snipping Tool is also getting the ability to add shapes, such as rectangles, ovals, lines, and arrows, to screenshots.

Apple Vision Pro Buyers Returning Headset Due to Discomfort, Productivity Issues: Report

Apple Vision Pro went on sale in the US for the first time on February 2. With the company's stipulated 14-day return window drawing closer, there is a rising trend of early buyers returning the headset. A recent report claims that most people are returning due to major physical discomforts, while others are also experiencing productivity issues.

PhonePe Launches Indus Appstore in India, Will Not Charge App Listing Fee for the First Year

PhonePe launched its Android-based app marketplace Indus Appstore in India on Wednesday, February 21. The Walmart-owned fintech brand said it intended to solve the major pain point of the lack of regional language content in marketplaces. The Indus Appstore will be available in English and 12 Indian regional languages.

Adobe Introduces Generative AI Assistant That Can Summarise PDFs for Acrobat and Reader

Adobe has announced generative artificial intelligence (AI)-powered features for its web client and desktop app of Acrobat. The software giant has added an AI Assistant that can do multiple tasks and help users easily understand and analyse large PDF files. One notable feature will summarise files and present it in a formatted and easy to follow text block.

Instagram Testing an App Clip on iOS to Let Users Watch Reels Without Downloading the App: Report

Instagram is reportedly testing a new feature on iOS that will allow people who do not have the app to still watch Reels in the app’s native interface. This will be done through App Clips; a feature that was added to iPhone devices in 2021 with the iOS 14 update. Through App Clip, users can watch a Reel, scroll to see more popular videos, and even share them with ot...

WhatsApp Reportedly Working on Secret Code for Locked Chats on Web Client

WhatsApp Web will soon get support for secret codes for locked chats, according to details shared by a feature tracker. While users can already lock specific chats on WhatsApp for iOS and Android that are hidden behind a secret code, the same functionality is expected to arrive on WhatsApp Web in the future.

Invincible: Guarding the Globe, Ubisoft's Free-to-Play RPG, Launched on iOS, Android

Ubisoft has released a new Invincible mobile game, based on Robert Kirkman's popular comic book series and its hit TV show adaptation. The studio launched Invincible: Guarding the Globe, a free-to-play idle RPG, on Monday. The game is now playable on iOS and Android devices and is also available on the Amazon store. The Invincible mobile game will let players take par...

WhatsApp Introduces Helpline in India to Diminish AI-Generated Misinformation, Deepfakes

WhatsApp Helpline will soon be available to users in India as a tool to avoid AI-generated misinformation and deepfakes. Meta and the Misinformation Combat Alliance (MCA) announced on Monday that they will soon launch a chatbot through which users will be able to report all such instances. It will support English, Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu languages.

Sony Pictures Launches Add-On Streaming Channel on Amazon Prime Video in India

Prime Video has entered a distribution agreement with Sony Pictures Television (SPT), a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE), to launch an add-on subscription on the streamer for viewers in India.

Apple Set to Face Over $500 Million Fine After EU Finds It Broke Rules to Silence Spotify, Other Rivals

Apple will face a European Union fine close to EUR 500 million ($539 million or roughly Rs. 4,475 crore) over the regulator’s investigation into allegations it silenced music-streaming rivals, including Spotify Technology SA, on its platforms. 

RBI Not Planning Harsher Rules to Curb Fintech Sector After Paytm Strictures, Official Says

The Reserve Bank of India does not plan to impose drastic measures on India's fintech sector after the recent action against Paytm Payments Bank, according to P Vasudevan, an executive director in charge of enforcement at the central bank. Paytm has been in the crosshairs of the regulator for some time, with multiple warnings over the past two years.

Threads App Sees Rise in Downloads, Competitor X Falls in Top Downloaded Apps List: Report

Threads was launched by Meta's Instagram in July 2023. Within the first five days of its launch, the application saw 100 million registered users. However, the platform struggled to retain regular users on the text-based app after the initial rush. Threads appear to be gaining its footing back in the game as it saw an increase in the number of new downloads, while com...

WhatsApp Reportedly Working on a Chat Lock Feature for Web Users

WhatsApp Web may soon get a Chat Lock feature to keep your individual conversations more secure and private, as per a report. The feature was first introduced in the Android and iOS apps last year, and it will soon make its way to the Web client. The leaked image of the feature shows a dedicated tab with a padlock icon, highlighting this is where all the locked chats ...