Messaging News
A new report on digital customer service from Sparkcentral reveals that many brands are lagging behind today's demand for Uber-like experiences and instead are still asking customers to call and email for customer service and support.
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Google's Duo rival to Apple's FaceTime now supports video messages and voicemails, allowing you to leave a short clip of yourself if you can't reach a contact. It's another way in which Google can differentiate the app as it tries to grow its audience.
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Microsoft has announced a partnership with messaging platform Signal that will enable full end-to-end Skype encryption. Skype already features encryption as part of its proprietary protocol but the service doesn't offer truly private conversations.
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Facebook's announced a new version of Messenger aimed specifically at kids. The app comes with a selection of features available in the main Messenger download and gives parents the ability to take control. Contacts can be approved before they're added.
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Facebook's published the results of a study into how people use Messenger. The company claimed use of online messaging apps actually increases the time people spend meeting in the real world. It also revealed 80 percent of adults send a message every day.
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Microsoft has announced Skype's controversial update is now available on Windows and Mac desktops. Built upon the new design language introduced on mobile earlier this year, the update refocuses Skype around informal communications between friends.
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Microsoft has added Cortana integration to Skype, letting the assistant offer proactive help while you contact friends and family. Cortana works in a similar way to Google Assistant's integration with Allo, letting you check information and ask questions.
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Slack's building technology that will tell you how your language changes depending on the time and who you're talking to. CEO Stewart Butterfield said the reports will let you gauge your workplace temperament but the tech might "be a long time" away.
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Security app provider Keybase has announced its own take on enterprise chat. Keybase Teams is a free end-to-end encrypted messaging service that's designed as a safer alternative to services like Slack and Microsoft Teams. It's currently in alpha.
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Microsoft has celebrated six months since it released its Slack rival Teams by announcing over 125,000 businesses are using the app. The company refused to disclose how many users that represents though, instead sticking to aggregate enterprise numbers.
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Facebook is planning to start monetising WhatsApp, the messaging app used by over one billion people every day. The company intends to expand its service to include communication with businesses, echoing Facebook's own Messenger product.
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Microsoft has launched a preview version of its new Skype app for Windows desktop PCs. It includes the new design, focus and features of the recently overhauled Skype mobile app. The revised look and feel has been met with a decidedly frosty reception.
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Snap might be on course to recover its position on the stock market. Employees can now trade their stock as the lockup period is over. Although analysts had thought this could cause a rush of selling, the price is up and Snap has started the week strong.
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Google Allo now has a web version, almost a year after its launch. The long-requested site is rolling out now but only some users will benefit from it. The app's currently limited to Android devices and the Chrome browser, restricting its usefulness.
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YouTube has started rolling out an in-app messaging feature designed to keep conversations about videos within the walls of its platform. The mobile-only chat hub lets you send messages directly to other YouTube users, without using public comments.
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Amazon is reportedly planning a new messaging app that will see it enter direct competition with Facebook. The company's said to be planning a robust bot platform for the app that will let you order food, listen to music and chat with businesses.
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Amazon is reportedly in talks to purchase messaging start-up Slack in a deal worth up to $9 billion. If it goes ahead, the acquisition would be Amazon's largest ever and give it a strong foothold into enterprise tech. Slack is said to be wary.
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Microsoft has announced the biggest update to Skype in years. The app is getting a fresh new design and new features that evolve it from a pure communications platform into a form of social media. The company has obviously taken inspiration from Snapchat.
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A new emoji tool hopes to help you avoid digital embarrassment by letting you know when your most frequented symbols are heading out of fashion. The current trends suggest you should be accompanying your tweets and messages with dog icons today.
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Google is continuing to slowly trickle new features down to users of its AI-powered messaging app Allo. This week, the company unveiled a special capability that lets you generate selfie stickers similar to Bitmoji from your real photos.
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Google has added new features to its Allo messaging app including the ability to preview the contents of web links before opening them. Allo is Google's new flagship messaging app but is failing to gain significant attention next to its rivals.
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WhatsApp suffered a major outage for several hours yesterday evening. The app, used by 1.2 billion worldwide, stopped sending and receiving messages. It came as the company announced its Snapchat clone Status has seen strong growth since its launch.
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Facebook has announced it is expanding the roll-out of Messenger's Instant Games platform to every user. The feature lets you play competitive games with friends from within the Messenger app, including support for score boards and tournaments.
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Facebook has announced the second generation of its Messenger bot platform, giving developers new tools to create intelligent services on Messenger. The company said it wants Messenger to replace the Yellow Pages, connecting you straight to businesses.
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Facebook Messenger is now used by over 1.2 billion people every month, making it one of the most successful apps ever created. Messenger is now twice as popular as Instagram, another Facebook property, having overcome initial scepticism at its launch.
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Facebook has updated M, the digital assistant inside its Messenger app, with the ability to make suggestions. The company is pitching the feature as a way to sustain conversations by suggesting relevant content that keeps messages flowing.
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Google is planning to remove Hangouts' SMS messaging capabilities within the next couple of months. The company is believed to be making the move as part of its efforts to make Hangouts a better rival to upstart messaging app Slack.
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Facebook has announced it is bringing its Reactions feature to Messenger. Reactions let you respond to a message with an emoji that signifies your feeling. The company is also launching Mentions for Messenger to include other people in a chat.
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Microsoft has officially launched Teams, its enterprise messaging service designed to rival highly-popular app Slack. Teams is now available to every Office 365 subscriber on all devices, giving it an immediate potential audience of millions of people.
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Google's new Allo messaging app could be a security risk owing to a design flaw which allows the app to share your Google search history with your friends. The problem is believed to be an unintentional bug. Allo's security has previously been criticised.
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Messaging Image
...and typical female emoji Google
New emoji for gender equality Google
Secret conversations in Facebook Messenger Facebook
Typical male career emoji... Google
Native sharing in the YouTube app Google / WIRED
New emoji for gender equality Google
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