Category Archives: iOS

Accessories, Computers, iOS, Mobile, News

Apple Releases iOS 14.6, iPadOS 14.6, macOS Big Sur 11.4, watchOS 7.5, and tvOS 14.6

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Just about a month after Apple releases the biggest update to iOS in recent history, Apple releases yet another update to the platform alongside their other products like the iPad, mac OS, watch OS, and even tvOS. To be fair, tvOS 14.6 is a minor update that is supposed to improve the general stability and performance of the interface for Apple TV devices. That is at least according to their release notes for the tvOS 14.6. For everything else, the updates are more than just bug fixes despite what the numbers suggest.

iOS 14.6 & iPadOS

iOS 14.6 is not as big as 14.5 in terms of updates. It is also partly a bug fix that fixes issues found on iOS 14.5 such as issues with unlocking your iPhone via your Apple Watch. Some users were reporting that reminders show up as blank lines now even when they have keyed in their information. The new update on both iOS and iPadOS should also improve Bluetooth connections with Bluetooth enabled hardware. Users should also see improvements in device performance with the update.

There are some added features too on iOS 14.6 and iPadOS 14.6. While fixing some early issues with AirTag, the UI now allows users to use their email address for tracking purposes instead of phone numbers. There are added support in Apple Podcast too allowing users on iOS and iPadOS to opt for subscriptions to shows and get extra exclusive contents. There is an added Apple Card support too in the sense that you can now share your Apple Card with up to five members of your family via Apple Card Family. The new function also allows you to keep track of expenses and manage limits. Users can also now unlock their iPhone or iPad for the first time after a restart via their voice.

iOS 14.6 is now available for Apple iPhone 6s and newer. iPadOS 14.6 is also now available for iPad Air 2 and later, 5th Generation Apple iPad and later, iPad Mini 4 and newer, and the 7th generation iPod Touch.

watchOS 7.5

Apple’s WatchOS 7.5 received a minor update when Apple released iOS 14.5 too. That minor update that updated WatchOS devices from Apple Watch Series 3 and later to WatchOS 7.4.1 was mostly a security update for the Watch. WatchOS 7.5, in contrast to the iOS and iPadOS updates is more of a feature update.

The Apple WatchOS 7.5 now allows access to subscribed content in the Podcast app for one. You can even manage and track your Apple Card expenses from your Apple Watch. Malaysia is getting some added love in the new WatchOS 7.5 too. Apple Watch Series 4 and later will get ECG app support now in Malaysia. Users of Apple Watch in Malaysia will also now get support for irregular heart rhythm notifications.

The Apple WatchOS 7.5 is now available for Apple Watch Series 3 and later.

macOS Big Sur 11.4

The new macOS Big Sur 11.4 update is also one of Apple’s largest since 11.3 just about a month ago. The update for macOS is more bug fixing than anything else. The new update fixes keyword exclusions when exporting photos from the Photos app. It also fixes certain website viewing issues with Mac devices. It also fixes certain stability issues with PDF documents on macOS 11.3.

On top of the bug fixes, macOS Big Sur 11.4 brings paid subscriptions to Apple Podcast app. You can now pay subscriptions for Podcasts within the ecosystem and get exclusive contents or early access to additional contents from creators. Apple Podcast also introduces channels to group shows from podcast creators. 

macOS Big Sur 11.4 is now available on devices running on mac OS Big Sur 11.

iOS, Mobile, News

iOS 14.5 is Out Now! What’s New?

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The latest iOS is out now and it is the biggest iOS update since iOS 14 launched. If you do not know yet, iOS is the thing that allows you to work with your iPhone. The iOS 14.5, as they call it, comes with a whole slew of improvements that could improve your quality of life with your Apple devices.

Unlock You iPhone, Now You Do Not Need Your Face

Source: Apple

Unlocking your devices with your face is great. You only need to look at your device when you turn it on, and you are ready to go within 2 seconds of your display turning on. For the Apple iPhone X and newer, Face ID is a blessing because none of those devices come with a fingerprint sensor.  Face ID, in the world of modern Apple iPhones, is the only way for you to unlock your Apple iPhone. Obviously that is a problem when you are wearing a mask in this time of pandemic.

Not anymore though. With iOS 14.5 paired to an Apple Watch with WatchOS 7.4, your iPhone can now be unlocked without you even looking into your iPhone. That also means you do not need to take off your mask in the public to unlock your device. Then again, you could just enter your passcode to unlock your iPhone. Using the Apple Watch to unlock is much faster and more elegant way to do it though. You can even require your Apple Watch to be on your wrist for your iPhone to instantly unlock, if you like.

Siri’s New Voices

Source: Apple

Siri has a signature voice. That default voice is recognized and loved by many, especially Apple iPhone users. But what if you are one of those that gets annoyed whenever Siri talks to you in its default voice. iOS 14.5 introduces new voices for Siri.

Users now can choose between up to four voices when they first set up their iOS 14.5 device in English. That way, you can choose the Siri that annoys you the least, or the one you like best. That way also your Siri is more “you”.

Siri also now supports Group FaceTime. That means you can ask Siri to initiate FaceTime with a few people at one go, or initiate a FaceTime call with a certain group you have in Messages. When you are using your AirPods or compatible Beats headphones Siri will announce incoming messages to you via your headphones. Siri also supports calling emergency contacts now in conditions where you cannot make calls or in emergency situations.

More Private

Source: Apple

There are also more controls over your privacy with iOS 14.5. App Tracking Transparency requires apps to obtain user’s permissions over different tracking requirements for the apps before any tracking is done. It also asks for user’s permission before sharing data across to data brokers or advertisers. You can change the tracking behavior of each app too in Settings.

More Emoji

  • Source: Apple
  • Source: Apple

What is an iPhone without its funky emoji? Apple’s commitment to diversification and inclusiveness adds new emoji to iOS 14.5. iOS 14.5 now introduces new couple kissing emoji and couple with heart emoji with different skin tones. There are several new emoji as well including a woman with beard emoji.

Improve Apple Maps with Your Friends and Other Users

  • Source: Apple
  • Source: Apple
  • Source: Apple

Apple Maps can be made better with user inputs now too. Users can now report incidents on the road quickly and safely. Users can just tell Siri that there is an accident up ahead or even reporting a pothole coming up. Apple Maps could even show if the incident has been cleared up. Of course, if you are a passenger, you can quickly report an incident by hitting the “Report an Issue” button in the app. You can also share your ETA when walking or cycling to let others know their arrival time. Users with Apple CarPlay can also access that function via Siri. Unfortunately, the “Report an Issue” function is now only available for Apple Maps users in US and China only.

And Plenty More

  • Source: Apple
  • Source: Apple

Apple Podcast on iOS 14.5 gets a redesign. The redesign allows for more intuitive navigation and even quicker access to your favourite podcasts on the app. You can now save and download episodes just in case you want to listen to your favourite podcasts when you travel. The downloaded podcast will be available in your Library for quicker access.

AirTag is also now supported on iOS 14.5. AirTags was just launched a week ago and it is one of the most convenient ways to keep track of your things, or your child if you want to. AirTags will help you find things like your keys, so it saves you a lot of time when you misplace it, or when it drops somewhere.

Apple News also gets a redesign. The News+ tab is redesigned for users to find, download, and manage magazine or newspaper issues. They have also redesigned Search for more relevant search experiences.

On iOS 14.5, users can also stream audio and video to AirPlay 2 enabled hardware with Apple Fitness+. You can now cast your fitness routine and guides to supported TVs instead of viewing them from the small display that is your iPhone. You can get loud and clear instructions via a wireless speaker rather than struggling with the speakers from the iPhone.

iOS 14.5 also include Dual SIM support for 5G connectivity. The new interface also improves data consumption to allow for a better and more efficient use of your monthly data quota. That is not all though, Smart Data Mode improves battery life and is supposed to allow for more stable data experience.

Android, iOS, Mobile, News, Social Media

Spotify Miniplayer Brings Audio Discovery to Facebook together with Price Hikes

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Looks like Spotify and Facebook are playing extra nice with the launch of a new feature which brings even more integration of the music platform to the Facebook app. Come across a song that’s caught your ear on Facebook? The new miniplayer feature will allow you to simply press play to get the beat going as you continue to browse your timeline. The new miniplayer feature will allow you to play music from videos with licensed music as well as other content on your Newsfeed.

The new Spotify feature on Facebook will require users to connect the apps. Upon connecting the apps, users will be able to play songs they come across on their Facebook Newsfeed as they browse. As always, the feature will be available to Spotify Premium users with full access in the miniplayer. Free users, however, will be able to access the feature with shuffle mode and ads from Spotify.

Spotify Miniplayer Video

The new feature is available in select countries including Malaysia, Argentina, Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, South Africa, Thailand, Uruguay, and the U.S. The feature will continue to make its way to other markets soon.

New Features, Higher Prices

In addition to the new feature, it seems like Spotify is also revising its pricing. The music streaming platform seems to be rolling out pricing changes to a number of regions including the U.K. and Europe which have seen the price revisions officially announced through email notifications. The revised prices go into effect starting April 30, 2021. Existing users will have a month’s grace period to decide whether they will be continuing with the service.

Photo by Heidi Fin on Unsplash

Spotify users in Europe will be paying €5.99 (MYR29.62) for the student plan and €12.99 (MYR64.23) for the Duo plan; a €1 (MYR4.94) increase from the initial price. The family plan sees a €3 (MYR14.83) increase to €17.99 (MYR88.95). In the U.K., the price revisions are £5.99 (MYR34.07) for Student, £13.99 (MYR79.56) for Duo and £16.99 (MYR96.63) for family – an increase of £1 (MYR5.69) for the student and duo plans and a £2 (MYR11.38) increase for the family plan.

The price increase is expected to affect countries in Asia and South America as well. No indication of when though.

Consumer Electronics, iOS, Lifestyle, News

The 2021 Generation Apple TV 4K – Even Better and Even Cleverer, Cleverer Than Your Smart TV

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Apple’s Spring Loaded event for 2021 revealed the highly anticipated iMac and iPad Pro that both packs Apple’s M1 chip that you can also find on the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air. They also revealed a new Apple TV 4K though. While the entirety of the Apple TV box does not look different from the outside, there are improvements made on the Apple TV 4K.

For one, it now comes with Apple’s A12 Bionic chip. To be fair, that is not the latest Apple integrated chip in their line-up. The A12 chip though is still one tough and powerful chip to work with in the Apple TV 4K box. It powers the updated tvOS that seamlessly integrates with all sorts of Apple devices. You can even watch Apple TV with your AirPods if you really want to with the Apple TV 4K.

There is also a new remote that comes with the 2021 Apple TV 4k. The new remote is designed to somewhat resemble an iPhone, we feel. Aside from that though the remote is made to be as intuitive as ever and with a dedicated Siri button on the side to make reaching Siri voice command more seamless and hassle free than ever.

Source: Apple

Of course, the 2021 Apple TV 4K will still come with all the things that made the Apple TV 4K one of the favourite TV boxes around. The tvOS offers the latest shows from Apple TV+ (with subscription, of course), offers best in class music experience via Apple Music, features Apple Fitness+ to pair with your Apple Watch, Apple Arcade for over-the-top games, AirPlay to seamlessly share videos, music, projects, and other content from your iPhone, iPad, or Mac devices directly to your TV. The Apple TV 4K box is also your home control hub for all your HomeKit accessories, including your HomePod speakers.

Beyond that though, Apple TV 4K now support HDR and Dolby Vision contents at 60fps instead of the regular 30fps. While it is not quite 120hz ready, 60fps is quite a lot more than enough for most video contents today. 60fps would really change the way you view sports too.

The cleverest feature of the Apple TV 4K in 2021 though is the clever colour calibration process that works with the Apple iPhone. The 2021 Apple TV 4K works in tandem with the iPhone light sensor to compare the colour balance between your TV to the industry standard. Once the data is received by the Apple TV 4K box, it automatically adjusts its output to deliver more accurate colours and better colour contrasts without users ever touching the TV’s settings.

  • Source: Apple
  • Source: Apple
  • Source: Apple
  • Source: Apple
  • Source: Apple
  • Source: Apple

The Apple TV 4K is now available in select regions at US$ 179 (MYR 849*) onward. There are no colour options available for Apple TV 4K at this point, you get a black TV box and silver remote. You can opt for a larger storage for the Apple TV 4K at 64GB for US$ 199 (MYR 949*). The Apple TV Siri remote is also available separately at US$ 59 (MYR 299*) and is compatible with previous generation Apple TV 4K and Apple TV HD. The Apple TV HD with the Siri remote will be available at US$ 149 (MYR 719*). There is no confirmation on local (Malaysia) availability yet at this point. More information on the Apple TV 4K and the new Siri remote can be found on Apple’s website.

*Official Malaysia pricing as per Apple Malaysia

iOS, Mobile, News

The Apple iPad Pro with Apple M1 chip – The Most Powerful Ever

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When Apple introduced the wonder that is the Apple M1 chip to the world, we had a question. We wondered what would Apple’s iPadOS would look like and feels like with the Apple M1 chip behind it. We could only hope for Apple to inevitably launch their new iPad Pro line-up with the Apple M1 processor; it only makes sense.

We wonder no more when Apple got through its Spring Loaded event this morning (Malaysia time). They announced the highly anticipated updated Apple iPad Pro with the Apple M1 processing chip. Traditionally, the Apple iPad Pro has always come with Apple’s mobile platform. The 2020 variant, for example packs Apples A12Z bionic System on a Chip (SoC). In which case, we always thought of the iPad Pro to be a larger version of the iPad made for light workloads in workplaces.

The Apple M1 chip changes everything we know and thought of the Apple iPad Pro though. The Apple iPad Pro, with the power of a powerful Apple M1 chip that is also found in the Mac, MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, and even the new iMac should be a completely new beast altogether. It also makes the most powerful iPad Pro ever leaps and bounds better than the older iPad Pro it replaces. The 2021 iPad Pro now makes more sense than ever.

Source: Apple

Do not get us wrong, the iPad Pro still looks like the regular blown-up Apple iPad. You choose between an 11-inch display and a 12.9-inch display. Put the new iPad Pro against the new iPad and the iPad Pro still dwarfs the iPad.

Thanks to Apple’s M1 chip though, the iPad Pro can be more computer than tablet in a lot of areas. For one, you get up to 2TB in high-speed storage instead of a measly 1TB (up to). It is also now a USB Type-C device with Thunderbolt support, finally. That also means you can work off multiple displays with the iPad Pro if you have a Thunderbolt ready display or expansion dock. But most of all, along with 16GB of RAM, the iPad Pro now delivers desktop level performance in a package no larger than a small stack of A4 paper.

The M1 chip has proven itself to be a highly capable chip in the Mac platform and it should prove to be a little bit of an overkill for the likes of iPad OS. But that does not mean that you cannot harness the benefit of the M1 chip on a tablet form factor. The added power also means that you can now process videos quicker and at higher resolutions on top of the iPad Pro itself. The M1 chip also allows the iPad Pro to go through photos and edit them quickly. Very important when you are constantly on-the-go.

Source: Apple

On top of all of that, the Apple iPad Pro with 12.9-inch display features a new Liquid Retina XDR display that features a new age mini-LED design with over 10,000 LEDs backlighting the display to allow brightness at up to 1,600 in peak brightness and 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio. That also means you can rely on this single display when you really need to get your work going on the go. Its True Tone and P3 colour gamut coverage also means that you can even use this display to colour correct all your video footages or even photos. The combination of those two technologies with ProMotion also means you can really enjoy HDR and Dolby Vision contents on the large display.

The Apple iPad Pro also comes packing a 12-Megapixel mean rear camera and a 10-Megapixel ultra-wide camera supported by a LiDAR scanner. While that is nothing really new on an iPad Pro, they are still great cameras for quick video productions even. But the iPad Pro also now supports Centre Stage via its 12-Megapixel front-facing ultra-wide angle camera that automatically keeps you centered in the frame and automatically shifts and zooms as other people joins the call or when you move around. Of course, the 12-Megapixel sensor allows you to have a Full HD video call experience via FaceTime along with Face ID features.

  • Source: Apple
  • Source: Apple
  • Source: Apple
  • Source: Apple
  • Source: Apple
  • Source: Apple

The Apple iPad Pro will be available for orders 30th April 2021 onward and ship May 2021 onward in selected markets. You can choose between two colour variants and two screen sizes, Space Grey or Silver, and 11-inch (Liquid Retina) or 12.9-inch (Liquid Retina XDR). Storage options start from 128GB all the way to 2TB. The WiFi only variant of the iPad Pro (11-inch) starts at US$ 749(MYR 3,499*)  while the cellular (5G capable) variant starts at US$ 999 (MYR4,149*). The 12.9-inch starts at US$ 1,099 (MYR 4,799*) for the WiFi only variant and the cellular (5G capable) variant starts at US$ 1,299 (MYR 5,499*).

*Official Malaysia pricing as per Apple Malaysia

Accessories, Computers, iOS, Lifestyle, Mobile, News

WWDC 2021 is Happening! Purely an Online Affair from June 7, 2021 Onward!

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The Apple Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) is a huge yearly ensemble for Apple. The annual conference is one of Apple’s most significant in a year. We see Apple upping the ante for WWDC every year too, and this year is no different. Apple this year is looking to make WWDC21 the biggest one yet.

WWDC is where we see the evolution, or the new iterations of Apple’s software. You can expect to see a new macOS, tvOS, watchOS, iOS, and even iPadOS. Sometimes, you might get to see some new hardware, or get an announcement as big as hardware dependency change like last year’s announcement. If you forgot, WWDC20 saw Apple announcing that they are moving away from relying on partner processors and move their supply chain to rely on their own Apple Silicon processors. Later in the year 2020 we saw the Apple M1 chip.

2020’s WWDC was also completely online due to the global situation that is the pandemic. There are some good that came out of last year’s WWDC though. It was accessible to everyone in the world, no matter their location or time zone. Last year’s WWDC was what Apple claimed to be its largest ever so far. They are expecting around 28 million developers around the world to tune in for this year’s WWDC.

While hardware has not been much of a focus for WWDC, we should not be surprised when Apple does make some announcements on hardware additions to their line-up. In 2019 and 2017, Apple launched new devices and even desktops during their WWDC keynotes. As usual also, there are no new details on what Apple will announce this year at WWDC. Although, some are speculating that Apple might launch their long-awaited AR glasses or some sort of VR headset. These are rumours based on the visuals Apple chose for this year’s WWDC21 tease.

Apple’s WWDC 21 is happening 7th June 2021 onward all the way to the 11th of June 2021. As per the current pandemic situation and like 2020, the event will be an all-virtual affair. For more information on WWDC21 you can head over to their website.

Android, iOS, Lifestyle, Mobile, News

#MYReels Simplifies Content Creation on Facebook and Instagram in Malaysia

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Instagram today just introduced a brand-new feature for content creators. They call it ‘Reels’ to help content creators make even more variety of contents on Instagram stories at least. Of course, short form contents on Instagram Stories can be shared across to Facebook as well.

Reels for Instagram will bring the long-awaited Instagram Music feature that has been available in other regions for a while now. But Reels is not just about taking the Music feature into Instagram Stories for Malaysia. It is also about helping content creators to create more varieties of contents on Instagram.

There are a few tools that comes with Reels too to make it a speedy content creator tool of choice for the many content creators on Instagram and Facebook. You can control your video speed for one, to make seamless and great looking slow-motion videos. You can record your videos now without even touching your smartphones too with a timer and countdown function now. You can add timed texts and stickers on selected parts of your video too now, instead of guessing and just hoping for the best. You can even align yourself up from previous videos to create a smooth, seamless transition in videos. Most of the time as well, on your smartphone, you are shooting free-handed so Instagram Reels can touch-up the videos to add extra stability and control over your short form videos.

Obviously, bringing Music feature into Instagram and Facebook in Malaysia is huge too. Creators in Malaysia now have access to an expanded licensed music library for their own contents on Facebook and Instagram. Users can also use music stickers on their Instagram and Facebook Stories and even easily add lyrics on their contents. It does not stop there too, you can now have music on your Facebook Profile.

If you think that Reels adds some ‘TikTok like’ functions and features to Instagram and Facebook, you may not be completely wrong. The rise of TikTok has empowered plenty of content creators to quickly make compelling short form contents that you can easily follow on their platform. TikTok has also appealed to plenty of Instagram and Facebook content creators thanks to the innovative tools that TitTok has provided for quick and seamless content creation. The introduction of Reels and its suite of content creation tool should bring some content creators back to Instagram and Facebook.

Reels is now available for Instagram and Facebook users in 50 regions. Malaysia is a part of those 50 countries with Reels introduced in Instagram and Facebook. Music is available in 90 countries so far and Malaysia is now part of those countries to have Music features available. Instagram and Facebook are two free apps available on Google Play Store and Apple App Store.

iOS, Lifestyle, Mobile, Social Media

Fast Laugh-Feed Funny Short-Form Videos Rolled Out by Netflix on iOS For Now

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Netflix has rolled out a new iOS exclusive feature they call ‘Fast Laughs’, aat least it is exclusive for now. The feature is very similar to TikTok, full-screen short video streaming platform. Like TikTok as well, you interact by swiping vertically, and you can engage with the creator that you like via the engagement buttons on the side like the “LOL” button. Users can also share the short clips to their family and friends on multiple platforms or drag it to ‘My List’ so that you can watch the full film later.

This feature will be accessible from the bottom navigation tab, right beside the ‘Coming Soon’ tab. Short clips on “Fast Laughs” ranges anywhere from 15 to 45 seconds. Of course, the feature will not be avaialble on Netflix Kids’ profile because clips can be inappropriate.

At this time, “Fast Laughs” will be a sort of gateway for users to the comedy world that exists in Netflix. “Fast Laughs” at this time will feature clips from the comedy catalog with films like “Murder Mystery”, “big Mouth”, “the Crew”, and even snippets from stand-up comedians like Kevin Hart and Ali Wong. While the feature is only tapping into their “Netflix Originals” Comedy catalog within Netflix, they also said that they are looking to allow the feature to tap into their full catalog later on.

This feature is now available for iOS users in selected countries like U.S, Canada, UK, Australia, and Ireland. Netflix is also looking to be testing the feature on Android devices soon. Netflix is a free app available on both iOS and Android via the Apple App Store and Google Play Store respectively. While the app is free, there is a subscription fee. For more information, do visit the Netflix blog.

Android, iOS, Mobile, News, Social Media

Instagram Live Rooms – Experience video broadcasting with more users on Instagram Now

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Attention Instagrammers! Instagram has rolled out a new feature that allows more people to go live at once. The new feature called “Live Rooms”allows up to 4 users to participate and act as ‘hosts’ in a video chat room. Instagram hopes that the introduction of Live Rooms will encourage users to start their first podcast on Instagram. Also, going live with more than two people ups the fun factor. It also allows creators to share their audiences which can help increase reach and follows among the collaborators.

On the other hand, Instragram is trying to one up apps like Clubhouse, Pong Pong and Partying by creating a more interactive session with the video experience. This allows the audience and friends to actually see the expressions and reactions of the hosts on camera. Instagram claims that its limit of up to 4 hosts helps prevent participants talking over each other. That said, the audience can still freely interact with hosts through the chat function. Instagram is encouraging a plethora of content formats including livestream shopping and fundraising using Live Rooms.

Going live with Live Rooms isn’t just about interactions. Instagram Live Rooms is also helping creators monetise by offering “Live Badges”.The audience can purchase “Live Badges” from the host. The hope is that, like other platforms, these badges will help connect creators to their audiences better. It also allows audiences to directly support creators.

However, Live Rooms isn’t going live on Instagram willy nilly. Instagram has put in place terms and conditions to help protect creators and the community. People who have been blocked by any of the participants in the Live Room will not able to join the room. In addtion, those who have lost their privileges to go Live on Instagram due to violations of Community Guidelines will not be able to partake in Live Rooms.

Both Android and iOS users have access to Live Rooms and the feature is now available on Instagram. Instagram app is available for free on from the Google Play Store and Apple App Store. Of course, as mentioned, terms and conditions to Live Rooms apply.

Android, iOS, Mobile, News

WhatsApp Jumps on Disappearing Messages Bandwagon

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Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, Telegram – that’s the growing list of apps that are allowing users to send expiring or disappearing messages. The latest app to join is none other than WhatsApp. After what seems like an eternity behind other apps, it seems like the feature is now coming to WhatsApp.

Evidence first popped up in March showing options which allow users to send messages with an optional expiration time for the platform. If a user enables the feature, all message that sent individually or in groups will be automatically erased after seven days. Users can configure the setting for individual chat while only group admin able to turn on the feature for group chats.

internet connection technology business
Photo by Oleg Magni on Pexels.com

The feature seems to also work with with media files. However, the media file will not disappear if the user turn on the auto download for receiving any files. This may be one of the more convenient implementations of the feature as not everyone wants media to be downloaded to their phones.

WhatsApp has recently updated their FAQs to include a new answer regarding the new feature. In their response about the feature they clarify, ” Once enabled, messages sent in the individual or group chat will disappear after seven days. The most recent selection controls all messages in the chat. This setting won’t affect messages you previously sent or received in the chat. In an individual chat, either user can turn disappearing messages on or off. In a group chat, only group admins can turn disappearing messages on or off.”

With the FAQ is live on the WhatsApp website, it seems like the feature will be making its way to users in the coming weeks. The features will be available to users on Android, iOS and KaiOS.

WhatsApp has also published tutorials for enabling and disabling the features on their website.