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Tag: texting

  • WhatsApp to roll out new photo library shortcut for faster sharing

    WhatsApp to roll out new photo library shortcut for faster sharing

    WhatsApp keeps rolling out new features regularly, and now it seems it is working on making it easier for everyone to open and share photos. According to WABetaInfo, a reliable source for WhatsApp updates, the Meta-owned messaging app is widely releasing a feature to quickly open the photo library.

    While the official changelog doesn’t offer much insight, the latest version of the iOS app, 24.7.75, has unveiled that this feature is now rolling out to all. Essentially, it’s a handy shortcut for swiftly accessing the photo library. Users can simply long-press the attach button within the chat bar, saving time by directly navigating to their photo library without any extra steps.

    If you haven’t got this feature yet, keep in mind that it may be gradually rolled out to some accounts over the next few weeks, even though it’s not mentioned in the official changelog. As mentioned, the Meta-owned app frequently introduces new features, so installing all the latest updates will ensure you have access to the latest features and enhance your overall user experience.

    On a different note, WhatsApp is gearing up to introduce a picture-in-picture option for videos. This means you will be able to watch videos while browsing through multiple chats or other parts of the app. Additionally, the app is set to receive a series of little tweaks, all aimed at enhancing the user experience.

    As an example, WhatsApp is currently testing a redesign for its calling screen to make it easier for users to know where to tap to hang up. Moreover, a new simplified “Like” button for reacting to status updates could be introduced in a future app update.

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  • WhatsApp may soon allow you to lock specific chats

    WhatsApp may soon allow you to lock specific chats

    It seems like ages ago when WhatsApp faced intense criticism about its lack of security features. That, however, isn’t something that can be said in today’s reality, where WhatsApp is one of the most feature-rich messaging apps on the market.

    While end-to-end encryption and sweet features such as spam prevention are awesome, there are always ways to step up the game further. So how about the ability to lock specific chats? Options like this are highly coveted, especially to those of us who use their phones for work.

    Well, WABetaInfo — the blog dedicated to uncovering the hidden features of the WhatsApp beta program — has managed to unearth exactly this type of feature. It seems to be still in development, but traces of it are found in the WhatsApp beta release for Android, version 2.23.8.2.

    The feature is seemingly designed to enhance user privacy, allowing users to lock individual and specific chats with a passcode or on-device biometrics. When locked, chats won’t display previews and any media on them won’t be automatically downloaded.

    After a locked chat has been set up, only persons, who are able to verify through the chosen security measure, can gain access to their contents. Chats of this type will be kept in a separate category too, for an extra bit of clarity.

    Naturally, this doesn’t mean that such a choice will impact all WhatsApp conversations. Users can enable the feature on a by-chat basis, ensuring that only those chats containing sensitive information remain behind an extra security layer.

    As of now, we have no word on when this feature will be rolled out officially by WhatsApp, but it appears to be in development at the moment. If you are interested in being among the first users to try it out, then make sure to sign up for the WhatsApp beta program.

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  • Update rolling out now adds useful new feature to Google Messages app

    Update rolling out now adds useful new feature to Google Messages app

    Google has started rolling out an update for the Google Messages app that might make it faster to find certain messages. The update adds a new feature that places SMS messages into one of five different categories: personal, transactions, OTP (one-time passwords), offers, and more. The feature can be enabled or disabled through the use of a toggle switch found in the Google Messages app settings.

    If your Google Messages app has been updated, you will see the different categories just below the app’s search bar on the top part of the UI. If you’re not happy with the category that a certain message has been assigned to, you will have the opportunity to do so and even share the message with Google. This will help similar messages get categorized correctly in the future.

    Google has been beefing up the Messages app allowing it to work with many of the features available with Rich Communication Services (RCS). This means that messages are sent through data networks instead of a carrier’s cellular network allowing messages to be sent over Wi-Fi. At the same time, users can fill each message with as many as 8,000 characters instead of the previous limit of 160. And Android device owners will get a read receipt to confirm that their messages have indeed been read.

    Google starts to roll out a new feature that places SMS messages in different categories.

    Not all Android users have received the update. It appears to be disseminated to Android users via a server-side update so just keep your eyes peeled.

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  • Globe Q1 profit grows 44%

    Globe Q1 profit grows 44%

    The Philippines’ Globe Telecom has reported a 44% year-on-year increase in net profit for the first three months of 2019 to 6.7 billion pesos ($129.1 million), partly as a result of strong data revenue growth.

    The company reported revenue for the quarter of 36 billion pesos, up 13% year-on-year. Growth was mainly fueled by increasing data usage across the operator’s service offerings.

    Mobile revenue grew 11% to 27 billion pesos, with mobile data revenues reaching 16.5 billion pesos, representing 61% of gross service revenues. Total mobile data traffic surged to 370 petabytes for the quarter.

    But mobile voice revenues fell 15% to 6.3 billion pesos, with SMS revenues down 22% to 4.2 billion pesos.

    Globe’s home broadband business reported 21% higher revenue of 5.2 billion pesos, with the company’s total subscriber base increasing 22% year-on-year to 1.7 million. Of these, 63% are fixed wireless subscribers. Enterprise data revenues grew 16% year-on-year to 2.7 billion pesos.

    Globe’s capex for the quarter reached 8.8 billion pesos, representing 24% of topline revenues.

    “As we continue to invest in our LTE network, we are also excited with the growth opportunities of our 5G commercial pilot launch in June this year,” Globe CEO Ernest Cu commented.

    “Through this launch, we will be able to offer our customers a whole new ecosystem of devices to enhance the way they experience data to the home. This is in line with our proven strategy of making our customers a priority, by providing them a superior digital and network experience, despite all the industry challenges that we face ahead.”

     

  • Telcos to use AI to fight SMS fraud and drive A2P messaging revenue

    Telcos to use AI to fight SMS fraud and drive A2P messaging revenue

    Juniper Research is forecasting that total operator revenues from A2P (Application-to-Person) messaging services will reach $62 billion by 2023, up from $43 billion in 2019.  This represents a growth of 42% over the next 4 years.

    The research firm also claimed that revenue growth will be driven by operator efforts in mitigating messaging fraud over grey routes, alongside the emergence of rich-media messaging technologies including RCS (Rich Communications Suite).

    The Juniper research, A2P Messaging: SMS, RCS & OTT Business Messaging 2019-2023, also found that increased investment in SMS firewalls and AI (Artificial Intelligence) will drive down operator loss due to grey route SMS messages to $4 billion by 2023. This represents a fall from $10 billion in 2019, further contributing to operators’ messaging revenue growth over the next four years.

    Grey route SMS includes A2P messages disguised as P2P (Peer-to-Peer) traffic to exploit the lower costs compared to directly connected A2P SMS. Juniper estimates that 24% of A2P SMS messages will be delivered via grey routes in 2019, however efforts in improving SMS firewall capabilities will drive this down to below 10% by 2023.

    Meanwhile, RCS business messaging will account for under 10% of operators’ A2P messaging revenue by 2023. However, the research claimed that RCS business users will continue to use SMS for simple notifications, such as OTPs (One Time Passwords) owing to the low cost and simplicity. The research identified the integration of mobile payment capabilities directly into the RCS client to provide a differentiation point to SMS and increase RCS traffic.

    Research author Sam Barker added “RCS will provide operators with additional revenue opportunities beyond simple message termination. Operators must explore the advertising ecosystem and mobile payments over RCS to exploit their substantial subscriber bases to generate fresh revenue streams.”

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  • 47% of mobile users still only call and text

    47% of mobile users still only call and text

    Despite the great strides being made to bring mobility services to the global population, recent research indicates that nearly half of mobile users worldwide still only use their devices to make calls and send SMS.

    The consumer research from GSMA Intelligence, covering 56 markets collectively representing 80% of the world’s population, found that 47% of adult mobile phone owners only make calls and send texts.

    But this segment is expected to shrink to 29% by 2030 as users across the developing world benefit from advances in mobile innovation, affordability and availability.

    The report ranked countries covered in terms of their citizens’ mobile engagement, or the frequency and diversity of use of mobile devices. South Korea and Qatar ranked equal first in terms of  engagement. The only other APAC nation to make it into the top 10 was Australia in seventh place.

    “In an era of mobile being near ubiquitous around the world and at the centre of people’s lifestyles, there is a growing need to measure mobile user engagement levels to identify future industry growth opportunities,” GSMA chief strategy officer Hyunmi Yang said.

    “Consumer behaviours are continuing to change as mobile devices get smarter, services grow richer and societies become more connected. The Global Mobile Engagement Index is a unique industry tool to help understand these shifting trends.”

    The research found that in some markets – such as Myanmar – smartphone ownership is relatively high but engagement remains low due to digital illiteracy and a lack of relevant local content.

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