Social media is forever changing which makes it easy to miss an update from time to time. Twice a month, we look into three of the latest key updates from the past few weeks from the various social media giants. Here’s what’s been happening recently…
WhatsApp Will Now Let You Edit Your Sent Messages for up to 15 Minutes
WhatsApp has added another handy feature update, with users now able to edit sent messages in the app for an extended period of time after hitting ‘Send’.
As you can see below, you’ll now be able to update any sent message, within 15 minutes of sending it, which will help to address small errors within your DMs.
As WhatsApp explain: “From correcting a simple misspelling to adding extra context to a message, we’re excited to bring you more control over your chats. All you need to do is long-press on a sent message and choose ‘Edit’ from the menu for up to fifteen minutes after.”
Edited messages will show an ‘edited’ marker alongside them, so readers are aware of any corrections, though you won’t have an edit history – so you won’t be able to see what was edited, specifically, in each comment.
It’s a handy update, which will help with those particularly annoying auto-correct issues, when the context of your message can be misconstrued based on submitting the wrong word because you’re typing quickly. And the 15-minute window is a good amount of time to catch any changes – though of course you can always still explain mis-types in a later follow-up if needed.
WhatsApp’s new editing update is being rolled out to users globally from today, and will be available to everyone ‘in the coming weeks’.
Twitter to Change Their Mind (Again)
Shock horror – on what seems to be happening on a weekly basis at the moment, Twitter look like they’re changing their mind on one of their policies again. This time, with all signs pointing towards bringing back legacy verified accounts.
It looks like the app are experimenting with a new way to show an account’s verification history, which would include a new listing of when an account had been verified, and signifying whether it was legacy verified or not.
As you can see above, posted by app researcher Nima Owji, Twitter’s testing out a new wording for its verification info pop-up, which would include an indicator of when that specific account was verified. Twitter previously displayed two different versions of this info box, which showed whether an account was either legacy verified or had subscribed to Twitter Blue. But with the removal of legacy blue ticks from the app last month, Twitter no longer needed the legacy explainer, and removed it from the app.
But since then, Twitter has also gifted verification to accounts with over a million followers, meaning that not all of the accounts that currently have a blue tick are subscribed to Twitter Blue. That could be seen as a false endorsement, and maybe this new approach is a step towards reducing that concern, and providing more clarity over how exactly each account has obtained its checkmark.
Will that be enough to prevent users with a previous large following and checkmark from boycotting Twitter? Let’s see…
Meta’s Twitter Competitor App Is Set to be Launched Some Time Next Month
Speaking of Twitter, Meta looks to be capitalising on the uncertainty surrounding the app by launching it’s own Twitter-style platform in the coming weeks.
The app – named ‘Barcelona’ is essentially a simplified version of Twitter, more aligned with a chat-based feed. It is designed to be like a giant group chat that anybody can join – which is similar to Twitter, in concept, but with a more Instagram-specific tilt.
In terms of specifics, users will be able to sign onto the app using their Instagram credentials, including their username, while also being able to sync up their IG followers. Users will be able to post text updates of up to 500 characters and able to add links, photos, and videos up to 5 minutes in length. In addition to being able to reply to posts in-stream, you’ll also be able to like, reply and re-post, like re-tweeting in the app.
The irony of timing surrounding Barcelona, is that Elon has repeatedly told those that are upset with his changes at Twitter to go someplace else. Maybe now, more actually will.
It’s an interesting experiment either way, which could have a big impact when it launches, reportedly, next month.
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