WhatsApp - page 3

How to check the exact time someone read your WhatsApp message

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a crumpled up paper receipt
The correct fate for all receipts.
Photo: Michael Walter/Unsplash

In a civilized society, there would be no such thing as a “read receipt” for messages or emails. You’d send your message, and that would be it. But read receipts are here, and if you’re one of the folks that doesn’t turn them off, then you’re going to love this WhatsApp tip.

You already know the meanings of the checkboxes that indicate successfully sent, delivered and read messages in WhatsApp. Today we’ll see how to check the exact time a recipient read your WhatsApp message.

WhatsApp’s long-awaited dark mode finally on its way to iPhone

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WhatsApp-dark-mode
It's in beta testing now!
Photo: WhatsApp/Cult of Mac

Being blinded by WhatsApp’s bright white interface when replying to a late-night text will soon be a thing of the past. The messaging app’s long-awaited dark mode is finally on its way to iPhone.

Beta testers already have access to the new look, which means we should all be able to enjoy it soon.

Instagram DMs are coming to the web

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instagram
Facebook is focused on owning messaging.
Photo: Instagram

Chatting with your friends on Instagram is coming soon to a desktop computer near you.

Instagram revealed today that it is testing a new feature that allows users to access their Instagram DMs through the company’s website. For now, the feature is only being tested with a small percentage of users, but it might be available to everyone later this year.

Apple denies AG Barr’s calls of no help to unlock Pensacola killer’s iPhones

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Tim Cook & Apple stand behind its stance that iPhone encryption is "vital to protecting our country and our users' data."

Apple denied late Monday that it has not cooperated with U.S. federal authorities to help unlock a pair of iPhone’s believed to have belonged to a Saudi aviation student that killed three people at a Florida Navy base in December, saying it always works with law enforcement in their investigations and directly contradicting claims by the U.S. Attorney General that it had not given “substantive assistance.”

US Attorney General demands Apple unlock Pensacola shooter’s iPhones

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slide to unlock lock screen
Apple is embroiled in another unlocking controversy.
Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

Apple could be headed for another collision course with U.S. federal law enforcement, similar to the spat it had with the FBI over creating backdoors into iOS.

Attorney General William Barr has asked Apple to provide access to two phones used by the gunman at the Pensacola Naval Air Station shooting last month. Barr said this morning that Apple has provided no “substantive assistance” so far and indicated that he’s ready for a fight regarding the issue.

Apple asked to provide iPhone evidence in college campus attack investigation

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Foxconn moving additional iPhone production to India as coronavirus disrupts work
Apple is one of the tech companies named in petition.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple is among the parties named in a notice issued by the Delhi High Court, regarding evidence concerning a recent assault on a campus at India’s Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU).

Apple is being asked to hand over user data that may include messages, pictures, video, and more. In other words, this sounds like another potential privacy headache for Apple.

WhatsApp is dropping support for iOS 8 in early 2020

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Facebook messaging apps
Coming soon to an iPhone near you?
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

WhatsApp today confirmed it will drop support for devices running iOS 8 early next year.

You’ll need to update to iOS 9 or later to continue using the app. WhatsApp warns that some features could stop working at any time after support ends in February.

A single WhatsApp message can destroy your group chats

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WhatsApp group notifications
The WhatsApp dream might one day come true.
Photo: WhatsApp

Security researchers have discovered that a single text message can destroy your group chats inside WhatsApp.

The flaw, present on both Android and iOS, causes WhatsApp to crash and forces users to reinstall the app. Affected group chats must be deleted to prevent the “crash-loop” from happening again.

But there’s good news: WhatsApp has already fixed the issue, so all you need to do is update to the latest version of the app.

Facebook owns 4 of the top 10 apps of the past decade

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Facebook owns 4 of the top 10 apps of the past decade
Facebook had a great decade. At least as far as downloads are concerned.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Facebook owns the top 4 most downloaded apps of the last decade, analytics firm App Annie reports.

The app analytics platform runs down its list of the most downloaded and highest grossing apps of the past decade. This covers both iOS and Android. While Facebook may have had a tough time PR-wise recently, there’s no doubting its levels of downloads dominance.

US senators threaten Apple with encryption regulations

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Apple takes privacy seriously
Apple isn't budging on its privacy stance.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

U.S. Senators grilled Apple and Facebook execs over encryption practices today, threatening to regulate the technology if the companies don’t take action on their own.

Republicans and Democrats appeared unified in their disdain for end-to-end encryption. The technology, which Apple uses for iCloud and other services, sometimes thwarts law enforcement officials’ investigations into child abuse and mass shootings. Sen. Lindsey Graham, one of the harshest critics, demanded that the companies add backdoors to their encryption keys.

You can shop inside WhatsApp, just in time for Black Friday

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shop-WhatsApp
Download the latest update to get started.
Photo: WhatsApp

WhatsApp today added the ability to shop without leaving the app — just in time for Black Friday.

Its new Catalogs feature provides virtual storefronts for small businesses. It lets them showcase their latest products, and it’s especially handy for those that don’t run their own websites.

How to transfer WhatsApp, Kik, Viber and other info on iOS

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Dr.Fone lets you back move WhatsApp messages from one device to another.
Dr.Fone lets you back move WhatsApp messages from one device to another.
Image: Wondershare

This post is presented by Wondershare.

A new iPhone means making sure your old app data makes it across from your old one. Even with backups, though, some apps like WhatsApp will simply start fresh on a new device. However, you can use an app like Dr.Fone to move accounts and chats from one device to the next. Here’s how it works.

Apple forces popular VoIP apps to be rewritten to protect user privacy

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Facebook Messenger on an iPad
Facebook Messenger is fun, chatty... and always running in the background whether you’re using it or not. Always.
Photo: Facebook

A change in iOS 13 that limits what applications can do when running in the background will force a rewrite of Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and other apps that offer voice calls.

While these developers will be inconvenienced, the goal is to increase the battery lives and performance of all iOS devices. The change will also make iPhones and iPads more secure.

WhatsApp will start showing you ads in 2020

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WhatsApp stickers
It's time to upgrade if you haven't already.
Photo: WhatsApp

Conversations with your friends won’t be the only thing that shows up inside your WhatsApp next year. Facebook has confirmed ads will also start appearing in 2020.

You’ll see them in WhatsApp Status, the messaging platform’s answer to Instagram Stories.

WhatsApp users must update now to avoid spyware attacks

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WhatsApp on iPhone
Don’t ignore the latest WhatsApp releases.
Photo: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Mac

WhatsApp users must update to the latest version of the app to avoid be infected by malicious software.

A security flaw in the popular messaging client allows the Pegasus spyware to be installed on your smartphone. WhatsApp is investigating the situation and urges its 1.5 billion users to update.

WhatsApp will soon stop working on iOS 7

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WhatsApp
You’ll need a new iPhone if you can’t update to iOS 8 or later.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

If you’re still rocking an older iPhone running iOS 7, you’re going to need to upgrade if you want to continue using WhatsApp.

The world’s biggest messaging service will soon stop working on iOS 7 devices. Other aging operating systems are going to get left out in the cold, too.

Facebook could bring Messenger back to its main app

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Facebook Messenger unsend
It’s about time!
Photo: Facebook

Facebook could bring Messenger back to its main app as part of its strategy to merge all of its chat services into one.

Evidence of the change has been discovered in recent code. Facebook is yet to confirm the move, but it certainly looks like it is already making preparations.

How to back up your iMessages (and why it’s essential)

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Never lose your old messages again.
Never lose your old messages again.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

Why would you bother to back up your iMessages? After all, they’re all stored in iCloud these days, right? Well, yes your messages are all stored in iCloud, but they’re not backed up up there. They’re synced, which means that if you delete a message thread, it’s gone forever. The answer is to make a local backup, which requires a Mac. Which is ridiculous in 2019, but there you go.

Here’s how to back up your iMessages in case the worst happens.

WhatsApp may finally be getting its own iPad app

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WhatsApp on iOS
WhatsApp will no longer be limited to iPhones.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

WhatsApp is one of the world’s most popular messaging apps. More than 1 billion people use it every single day. But until now it’s not been available on the iPad without using a WhatsApp Web workaround.

That may be about to change, however, as WhatsApp is reportedly working on an official iPad app. It’s about time!

WhatsApp Business for iOS rolls out worldwide

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WhatsApp Business
Find WhatsApp Business in the App Store now.
Photo: WhatsApp

WhatsApp Business for iOS has begun its worldwide rollout.

The new app, which lets businesses connect with their customers in an instant, made its debut on iOS last month — but only in a small number of countries. Now you can get your hands on it anywhere.

How to save and print your iMessages and WhatsApps

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Get your freshly-printed WhatsApps here.
Get your freshly-printed WhatsApps here.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

Yes, this sounds like a joke about the olde worlde CEO who has his secretary print his emails, then transcribe his dictated replies. But printing message threads can be pretty useful. Lawyers, for example, may want a printed record, or a PDF, of a message thread. And even regular humans might appreciate a well-formatted archive of their messages that can be easily searched and marked up.

You still can’t do this on your iDevice. However, thanks to the amazing iMazing Mac app, you can quickly create PDFs of your messages, and even print them. Onto paper.