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Signal expands into the Signal Foundation with $50M from WhatsApp co-founder Brian Acton
Perhaps the most surprising thing I learned about Signal when I spoke with Moxie Marlinspike, the app’s creator, last year at Disrupt, was that it was essentially running on a shoestring budget. A tool used by millions and feared by governments worldwide, barely getting by! But $50M from WhatsApp founder Brian Acton should help secure the app’s future. Read More
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WhatsApp has launched person-to-person payments into beta in India
WhatsApp has begun testing a new payments feature in India that will allow people to send money to other WhatsApp users, excluding merchant accounts. The feature is currently in beta, according to sources familiar with the company’s plans, but hasn’t been publicly announced because it’s not widely available at this time. The company has been working on support for a… Read More
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WhatsApp hits 1.5 billion monthly users. $19B? Not so bad.
Facebook’s $19 billion acquisition of WhatsApp sounds smarter and smarter. CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced on the Q4 2017 earnings call today that WhatsApp now has 1.5 billion users and sees 60 billion messages sent per day. That’s compared to 1.3 billion monthly users and 1 billion daily active users in July. Read More
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Instagram tests letting users post Stories directly to WhatsApp
Last October, Facebook extended the usage (and flexibility) of Instagram Stories — the Snapchat-like feature that lets you patch together photos and videos into a slide show — by making it easy to directly post a Story to Facebook. Now Facebook is looking at how to bring WhatsApp into the fold. TechCrunch has learned and confirmed that the company is now running a test to let… Read More
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WhatsApp joins other messaging platforms with live location sharing
Sharing your current location with someone is a great way to passive-aggressively explain that you’re on your way when they ask where you are. But it also has other uses, and WhatsApp has now joined rivals Facebook Messenger and iMessage in offering the feature (with its own somewhat unique twist). Read More
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WhatsApp blocked in China, though past bans proved temporary
WhatsApp has been widely blocked in mainland China by the country’s government, with text messaging as well as photo and video sharing not currently functional. However, WhatsApp had previously been blocked in the country and saw those blocks lifted within a few days, so it’s unclear how long the chat app may remain inaccessible. Read More
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WhatsApp’s first ads appear on Facebook and start convos with businesses
WhatsApp announces free Business app, will charge big enterprises
WhatsApp is gearing up to finally monetize its messaging app by charging large enterprise businesses for tools to better communicate with customers. WhatsApp will also offer a free app to small-to-medium sized businesses, though it hasn’t outlined the specific functionality of the app. The enterprise solution will allow global companies “to provide customers with useful… Read More
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WhatsApp hits 1B daily users while its Snapchat clone rockets to 250M
Facebook is winning the race to bring Snapchat’s Stories format to the rest of the world before its originator. WhatsApp Status, its version of Snapchat Stories, now has 250 million daily active users. That’s despite it being relegated to a secondary dedicated tab in the app, opposed to being front and center on the home screen like Instagram Stories which also now has over 250… Read More
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WhatsApp embraces visuals with filters, albums, and reply shortcuts
The camera is the new keyboard, and WhatsApp refuses to be left behind. While its sister app Instagram dukes it out with Snapchat in the west, WhatsApp is popularizing visual communication around the world. Today WhatsApp’s iOS app gets three new features, the company tells TechCrunch. Filters – Users can now add one of five filters to their photos, videos, and GIFs from… Read More
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