Pebble founder launches Beeper, a universal chat app that works with iMessage and others

Decades ago, a software program called Trillian introduced a way for internet users to interact with multiple IM networks, like ICQ, AIM and MSN Messenger, in a single window. Now, Pebble founder and Y Combinator Partner Eric Migicovsky is revisiting this concept, but this time with a focus on centralizing access to modern-day chat applications. Through the newly launched app, Beeper, users can connect with 15 different messaging services, including WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, Instagram and Twit...
Tags: Apple, TC, Apps, Messenger, Y Combinator, Craigslist, Imessage, Messaging, Tech, Sms, European Commission, Messages, Pebble, Chat, Chat Apps, Messaging Apps

All-in-One Chat App 'Beeper' Brings iMessage to Android and Windows Using Workaround

New universal chat app "Beeper" combines 15 different chat platforms into a single inbox and offers iMessage on Android and Windows (via The Verge). The app comes from a team including former Pebble CEO Eric Migicovsky, and enables users to integrate a range of messaging services, including WhatsApp, SMS, Signal, Telegram, Slack, Twitter, Skype, Hangouts, Discord, Instagram, and Facebook Messenger, into a single, searchable inbox. Most striking is support for Apple's iMessage, as it is only o...
Tags: Apple, Google, Messenger, Twitter, Instagram, Imessage, Whatsapp, Facebook Messenger, Pebble, Skype, Telegram, Signal, Slack, Eric Migicovsky, Migicovsky, Discord

Signal and Telegram are also growing in China – for now

As fears over WhatsApp’s privacy policies send millions of users in the West to Signal and Telegram, the two encrypted apps are also seeing a slight user uptick in China, where WeChat has long dominated and the government has a tight grip on online communication. Following WhatsApp’s pop-up notification reminding users that it shares their data with its parent Facebook, people began fleeing to alternate encrypted platforms. Telegram added 25 million just between January 10-13, the company said o...
Tags: Apple, Google, Google Play Store, TC, Facebook, Messenger, Asia, Hong Kong, Elon Musk, Government, China, Tech, Whatsapp, Encryption, Beijing, Tencent

App stores saw record 218 billion downloads in 2020, consumer spend of $143 billion

Mobile adoption continued to grow in 2020, in part due to the market forces of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to App Annie’s annual “State of Mobile” industry report, mobile app downloads grew by 7% year-over-year to a record 218 billion in 2020. Meanwhile, consumer spending grew by 20% to also hit a new milestone of $143 billion, led by markets that included China, the United States, Japan, South Korea and the United Kingdom. Consumers also spent 3.5 trillion minutes using apps on Android dev...
Tags: Google, Amazon, Android, Facebook, Apps, Messenger, South Korea, Spotify, Japan, The Weather Channel, Pinterest, Instagram, Indonesia, Youtube, France, China

What is Kik? Here's what you need to know about the free messaging app

Kik is a free messaging app that boasts increased privacy and anonymity as features. Boy_Anupong/Getty Images Kik is a free messaging app that allows users to keep in touch with family and friends using Wi-Fi or your phone's mobile data.  Kik only requires an email address to sign up — there's no need to provide a phone number.  Kik is available on Android, iOS, and Amazon's Kindle Fire. Visit Business Insider's Tech Reference library for more stories. While there is no shortage of free me...
Tags: Amazon, Messenger, Instagram, Imessage, Trends, App, Whatsapp, Facebook Messenger, Skype, Kik, Apple App Store, Tech Insider, Kik Kik, Kik Interactive, Facebook Messenger Rooms, BI-freelancer

How to set up Facebook Pay to make payments on Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp

You can set up Facebook Pay on a computer or mobile device. Anadolu Agency/Getty Images You can set up Facebook Pay to streamline payments across Facebook-owned platforms, including Messenger, WhatsApp, and Instagram. Once you link a payment method such as a debit or credit card to Facebook Pay, you can donate, make purchases, or send money within Facebook apps.  Facebook Pay utilizes anti-fraud technology and advanced encryption to keep users' payment information secure.  Visit Business...
Tags: Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, Trends, Paypal, Whatsapp, Facebook Messenger, Digital Wallet, Jennifer, Facebook Read, Facebook Instagram Messenger, Tech Insider, Facebook notifications, Messenger Instagram, Payment Method, Open Facebook

Messenger From Facebook Desktop Apps Spruce Up for the Holidays

The Messenger From Facebook desktop applications for MacOS and Windows, which debuted in April, are getting into the holiday spirit. Messenger said the apps will be upgraded with a host of new features specifically for desktop, including augmented reality effects, filters and immersive 360-degree backgrounds. New holiday sticker packs will be introduced, as well. Users...
Tags: Facebook, Messenger, Advertising, Platforms, Social Pro Daily, Facebook Desktop

How to make a Facebook Avatar, the social media platform's version of personalized cartoon emojis

Facebook Avatar lets you create a mini and digital you for sticker emoji-like responses. Ridofranz/Getty Images You can make a Facebook Avatar to use as both a profile picture and for sticker reactions in Messenger. Facebook Avatars are the social media platform's version of Memojis or Bitmojis. You can customize your Facebook Avatar to look like you — or not — using its creator tool. Visit Business Insider's Tech Reference library for more stories. As made clear by nearly every messaging ...
Tags: Facebook, Messenger, Trends, Facebook Messenger, Nintendo, Mario Kart, Bros, Social Media Apps, Tech Insider, Avatars, BI-freelancer, Tech Reference, Software & Apps (Reference, Tech How To, Smartphones (Reference, Vivian McCall Business Insider

Watch this bike messenger break pretty much every traffic law

Cooper Ray is a New York City bike courier who zips around with little regard for safety. While the narrator presents this "riding the wave" style as wonderful, the commenters on the video would beg to differ. It's pretty shocking how many close calls happen in this 7-minute clip. — Read the rest
Tags: Messenger, Video, News, New York City, Traffic, Bikes, Cooper Ray

Does Facebook Portal work with Messenger? Yes, here's how you can use Facebook's messaging app and video-calling devices together

Portal users can link their Messenger account to the video-calling device, but not all Messenger features are available. Facebook You can use a Facebook Portal device with Messenger to call certain contacts. Not all features of the Messenger chat app are available on Portal devices. Having Facebook Messenger isn't a requirement to use Portal, but the chat platform can enhance your experience through Rooms, AR, and more. Portal is a series of specialized tablets and video-calling devices ma...
Tags: Facebook, Messenger, Trends, Facebook Messenger, Ar, Augmented Reality, Alexa, Portal, Video Calling, Tech Insider, Facebook Portal, Portal Facebook, Facebook Messenger Rooms, BI-freelancer, Tech Reference, Laptops & Tablets (Reference

Oxford University’s COVID-19 vaccine shows high efficacy, and is cheaper to make and easier to store

Oxford University’s COVID-19 vaccine, being developed in partnership with drugmaker AstraZeneca, has shown to be 70.4% effective in preliminary results from its Phase 3 clinical trial. That rate actually includes data from two different approaches to dosing, including one where two full strength does were applied, which was 62% effective, and a much more promising dosage trial which used one half-dose and one full strength dose to follow – that one was 90% effective. Oxford’s results may not ...
Tags: Health, TC, Messenger, Medicine, Tech, Medical Research, Oxford, Vaccination, Astrazeneca, Pfizer, Vaccine, Oxford University, Biotech, Vaccines, Moderna, COVID

Instagram revamps its mobile messaging app Threads

Instagram is continuing to develop its standalone messaging app, Threads. Last month, the company to make it possible for users to message everyone, instead of just “close friends,” as its other messaging app, Direct, once did. Today, Instagram is releasing a redesigned version of the Threads app with updated navigation and a Status tab, as well as support for posting photos and videos to your Instagram Story. The changes address some of Threads’ shortcomings in usability. Though the app ...
Tags: TC, Facebook, Apps, Messenger, Instagram, Social Media, Tech, Messaging Apps, Facebook Applications, Social Software, Instagram Story, IGTV Reels

Facebook’s Messenger Kids app redesigned to look more like Messenger

Facebook today is rolling out an updated version of its Messenger Kids app with the goal of making it easier for kids to interact with their friends and family, navigate the app, and personalize their experience with features like custom chat bubble colors. The redesign also gives the kid-friendly app a look-and-feel that’s more like Messenger itself. The updated app does away with the larger, colorful blocks that would flash when messages arrive for a more traditional messaging app design...
Tags: Social, TC, Facebook, Apps, Messenger, Instagram, Social Media, Tech, Instant Messaging, Canada, Facebook Messenger, Messaging Apps, Facebook Facebook, Messenger Kids, Facebook Parents, Facebook Companies Parents

We Are Social’s Monday Mashup #516

Instagram redesigns its home screen, adding Reels and Shop tabsInstagram’s home screen has had a makeover, adding Reels and Shop tabs. The Reels tab directs users to watch and create shortform videos, while the Shop tab will surface personalised recommendations, as well as editors’ pics curated by the shop channel, shoppable videos, and new product collections. This is the first major design change that Instagram has made in years, an indication of the app’s priorities to maintain relevance in a...
Tags: Messenger, Twitter, Instagram, Social Media, Seo, Facebook Messenger, Brazil, Mashup, Twitter Advertising, Digital News, Snapchat Facebook, Tiktok, Monday Mashup 516

Moderna reports its COVID-19 vaccine is 94.5% effective in first data from Phase 3 trial

Following fast on the heels of Pfizer’s announcement of its COVID-19 vaccine efficacy, Moderna is also sharing positive results from its Phase 3 trial on Monday. The biotech company says that its COVID-19 vaccine candidate has shown efficacy of 94.5% in its first interim data analysis, which covers 95 confirmed COVID cases among its study participants, of which 90 were given the placebo, and only 5 received Moderna’s mRNA-based vaccine. Further, of 11 severe cases of COVID-19, none were found am...
Tags: Health, TC, Messenger, Medicine, Tech, Medical Research, Vaccination, National Institutes of Health, Fda, Pfizer, Vaccine, Biotech, Vaccines, EUA, Moderna, BioNtech

Unfortunately, Facebook's New 'Vanish Mode' Won't Make The Platform Disappear

After cribbing some of Snapchat’s other distinctive features, it looks like Facebook is officially bringing disappearing messages to its platform. As of today, “vanish mode” is available on Messenger for users across the U.S., and a “handful” of other countries, according to Facebook—and those same features will be…Read more...
Tags: Facebook, Messenger, Science, Snapchat, Magic

Facebook’s Snapchat-like ‘Vanish Mode’ feature arrives on Messenger and Instagram

Facebook today announced its new Snapchat-like feature for disappearing messaging, Vanish Mode, is arriving on Messenger and Instagram. The feature, meant for more casual conversations, allows users to set chats to automatically delete after the message is seen and the chat is closed. In Vanish Mode, Messenger and Instagram users can send text chats, emoji, pictures, GIFs, voice messages, and stickers, which will disappear after they’ve been seen and users leave the chat, Facebook expla...
Tags: Social, Facebook, Apps, Messenger, Instagram, Social Networks, Social Media, Tech, Snapchat, Facebook Messenger, Bangladesh, Messaging Apps, Instagram Facebook, Facebook To, Facebook Vanish Mode, U S Canada Mexico Peru

Facebook and Instagram Messenger Merge; The Good, The Bad, and The Brand Possibilities

Sliding into DMs is about to work a bit differently on Instagram. In September, Instagram announced that they are merging their Direct Messaging with Facebook Messenger, creating a seamless messaging experience across both platforms to help people stay connected easier. This update has already been rolled out to many areas and will bring a number of new features to the unified Messenger, such as selfie stickers, new conversation reactions, and more. Read on to learn more about the benefits, the ...
Tags: Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, US, Seo, Whatsapp, Facebook Messenger, Facebook Marketing, Instagram Marketing, Facebook Business, WhatsApp Messenger, Instagram Messenger, Facebook And Instagram Messenger, Facebook Messenger Merge, Instagram Messenger Merge, Messenger merge

Bridgefy launches end-to-end encrypted messaging for the app used during protests and disasters

Offline-messaging app Bridgefy — which innovatively uses Bluetooth and Wi-fi — became known as the go-to app by thousands of protesters around the world to keep communications going even when oppressive regimes blocked or shut down the Internet. Recently, activists in Nigeria and Thailand have urged supporters to download the app, as last year, when protesters in Hong Kong downloaded Bridgefy to face the government’s censorship of phone services or data connections. In the last 12 months, the...
Tags: TC, Facebook, Messenger, Hong Kong, Europe, Bluetooth, Greece, Wi-fi, Nigeria, Social Media, Tech, Turkey, Whatsapp, Software, Thailand, Mexico City

Key takeaways from Facebook’s earnings call: Ad revenues grow despite boycott, WhatsApp integration into messaging ecosystem imminent

Facebook managed to post record revenues in spite of the significant criticism it has faced all over the world, including in the form of ad boycotts in its home country. Revenue was up 22% through the quarter ended September 30, 2020 at $21.47 billion, while net income increased 29% to $7.85 billion year-over-year. The company also announced that it is considering integrating WhatsApp into the messaging ecosystem of Messenger and Instagram, although this isn’t the first time he’s made this claim...
Tags: Travel, Apple, Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, Messenger, News, Instagram, France, India, US, Eu, European Union, Whatsapp, Canada, Earnings, US Senate

How to change your Messenger background and emoji

Welcome to TNW Basics, a collection of tips, guides, and advice on how to easily get the most out of your gadgets, apps, and other stuff. Facebook recently announced an overhaul to Messenger, which includes several new visual elements. One of them is the addition of new themes, which change the background and emoji of each of your Messenger chats. Here’s how to change to one of the new ones. Messenger has a handful of themes available for chats, and the themes change the background, color, and s...
Tags: Startups, Facebook, Messenger, Basics

WhatsApp is now delivering roughly 100 billion messages a day

WhatsApp, the popular instant messaging app owned by Facebook, is now delivering roughly 100 billion messages a day, the company’s chief executive Mark Zuckerberg said at the quarterly earnings call Thursday. For some perspective, users exchanged 100 billion messages on WhatsApp last New Year’s Eve. That is the day when WhatsApp tops its engagement figures, and as many of you may remember, also the time when the service customarily suffered glitches in the past years. (No outage on last Ne...
Tags: Apple, Social, Facebook, Apps, Mark Zuckerberg, Messenger, Imessage, India, Tech, Whatsapp, Facebook Messenger, Tim Cook, Brazil, Facetime, Jan Koum, Cathcart

Facebook introduces a new Messenger API with support for Instagram

Following the updates to Instagram and Messenger that delivered cross-app communication and other features, Facebook today announced its Messenger API has also been updated to allow businesses to manage their communications across Instagram, in addition to Messenger . Before today, businesses could only respond to customer inquiries through the Instagram app and through Facebook’s unified business inbox. This could work for some smaller businesses, but for larger brands with a high volum...
Tags: Social, Facebook, Apps, Messenger, Instagram, Shopping, Social Media, Brands, Tech, Developers, Messages, Api, However Facebook, Clarabridge, TechStyle Fashion Group, Stories Facebook

Messenger’s latest update brings new features, cross-app communication with Instagram

Facebook Messenger is getting a visual update and a number of new features, including support for chat themes, custom reactions, and soon, selfie stickers and vanish mode. The changes are a part of Facebook’s overhauled messaging platform, announced in late September, which introduced the ability for Instagram users to communicate with people on Facebook for the first time. While Instagram users had to opt-in to the upgraded new feature set in order to also gain access to the cross-plat...
Tags: Social, TC, Mobile, Facebook, Apps, Messenger, Instagram, Social Networks, Congress, Social Media, Tech, Facebook Messenger, North America, Messaging Apps, U S House Judiciary Committee, Instead Facebook

So Begins the Unhappy Matrimony of Instagram and Facebook Messenger

In yet another attempt to unify its various properties into some writhing Akira-esque mass, Facebook announced today that Messenger and Instagram are, for all intents and purposes, merging. Chat features from Messenger will become available to Instagram users, and folks on either service will be able to reach out to…Read more...
Tags: Facebook, Messenger, Science, Instagram, Facebook Messenger, Akira, Dupes

Facebook Unifies Messenger and Instagram Direct Messaging Experiences

Around a month after Facebook began quietly merging its Messenger service with Instagram direct messaging, the transition has been officially launched, with a full rollout to all users soon to follow. As a result of the merging of the chat services, Instagram users can chat with Facebook users and vice versa using the same platform. Features previously only available on Facebook Messenger can now be accessed in Instagram, including colorful chats, more emoji reactions, and swipe-to-reply. In ...
Tags: Apple, Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, Messenger, Instagram, Facebook Messenger, Messenger Instagram, Instagram UI, Facebook Unifies Messenger

Facebook introduces cross-app communication between Messenger and Instagram, plus other features

Facebook announced today it will begin rolling out new functionality that will allow Instagram and Messenger users to communicate across apps, in addition to bringing a host of Messenger -inspired features to the Instagram inbox. On Instagram, users will be presented with an option to update to a new messaging experience that offers the ability to change your chat color, react with any emoji, watch videos together, set messages to disappear and more. As a part of this update, they’ll als...
Tags: Social, TC, Facebook, Apps, Mark Zuckerberg, Messenger, Instagram, Tech, Zuckerberg, Facebook Watch, Instagram Zuckerberg

Facebook tests a unified platform to manage Facebook, Instagram, Messenger 

Facebook’s push towards making its services interoperable is taking shape, as the company announced it was testing a unified ‘Accounts Centre’ to control login and other activity on Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger — but not WhatsApp — from a single platform. Among other things, users will be able to log-in to the three apps from the single platform, and cross-post content. Facebook is pitching the unified platform as an easy way to manage your profiles on the three platforms, but in reality, ...
Tags: Travel, Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, Messenger, News, Instagram, Privacy, India, US, Eu, Whatsapp, Facebook Instagram, Bihar, Instagram Facebook, Facebook Instagram Messenger, Facebook Users

Facebook introduces Accounts Center, a tool for managing a growing number of cross-app settings

Despite being under antitrust investigations in U.S. and E.U., Facebook today is rolling out a new feature that highlights the extent to which its suite of apps now interoperate. The company this morning introduced a consumer-facing tool called “Accounts Center,” which is found in the Settings section of Facebook, Instagram and Messenger. The feature aims to give users the ability to manage their connected experiences across Facebook-owned apps, like Single Sign On and Facebook Pay, for example....
Tags: Social, Facebook, Apps, Messenger, Instagram, Privacy, Tech, Policy, Settings, Antitrust, Facebook Instagram, Facebook Pay, Instagram Shops, Instagram and Messenger, E U Facebook, Accounts Center

Pivoting during a pandemic

Stan Chudnovsky Contributor Share on Twitter Stan Chudnovsky is the Vice President of Messenger from Facebook. Like everywhere else, the COVID-19 pandemic created a new “no normal” at Facebook . The seismic shifts and disruptions reverberated across the globe and we had to accept that and adjust, quickly. Suddenly, our products were more important than ever yet we had to rethink everything we had planned, including the very ...
Tags: Health, Social, TC, Facebook, Column, Messenger, Opinion, Social Media, Tech, Remote Work, Facebook Messenger, Product Development, Stan Chudnovsky, Facebook Like, WHO UNICEF, COVID-19