Apps

WhatsApp celebrates 10 years of privacy with new group features, AI tools
WhatsApp recently celebrated 10 years of prioritising user privacy, announcing new features on December 27, 2024. WhatsApp, a prominent messaging platform, has become renowned for its dedication to security since its inception in 2009 by Brian Acton and Jan Koum. Read also: YouTube simplifies content discovery with ‘Play Something’ button A decade of privacy innovation […]
Modupeoluwa Olalere
YouTube simplifies content discovery with ‘Play Something’ button
YouTube is set to enhance user experience on its mobile app by introducing a new feature called “Play Something.” This feature, which aims to streamline video discovery by allowing users to play suggested content with a tap, was announced on Friday. A new way to discover content Read also: YouTube expands AI auto-dubbing feature to […]
Modupeoluwa Olalere
X prioritises quality content over ad views in new revenue-sharing strategy for creators
Elon Musk’s social media platform, X, announced a significant price hike for its Premium Plus subscription tier on December 21, 2024. The monthly fee increased from $16 to $22, marking a nearly 40 percent rise. This adjustment aims to enhance creator payouts and align with a new revenue-sharing model that rewards content quality and engagement […]
Modupeoluwa Olalere
Telegram surpasses $1 billion in revenue, achieves profitability for the first time in 11 years
Pavel Durov, the founder of Telegram, on Monday announced that the messaging platform has achieved profitability for the first time since its launch in 2013. This milestone comes after Telegram’s revenue surpassed $1 billion for the year, driven by its premium subscription service and advertising revenue. Durov noted that the company now has over 12 […]
Modupeoluwa Olalere
Uganda lifts ban on Facebook after three years
Uganda on Monday lifted restrictions on Facebook, after three agonising years for entrepreneurs who have struggled to leverage the social media platform’s ad tools to reach their target market. The ban was initially imposed in 2021 after Facebook blocked accounts linked to the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM), leading to widespread economic hardship among entrepreneurs […]
Modupeoluwa Olalere
X hikes Premium+ monthly subscription fee to N34,000 in Nigeria
On December 21, 2024, Elon Musk’s social media platform, X (formerly Twitter), announced a significant price increase for its Premium+ subscription in Nigeria. The monthly fee jumped by 51 per cent, from N22,550 to N34,000. This change is one of the highest increases seen globally. Read also: Clash of the giants: Meta, Apple battle over […]
Modupeoluwa Olalere
What’s new on Bluesky’s latest update?
On December 20, 2024, Bluesky announced its latest update, version 1.96, unveiling several user-friendly features to enhance the social media experience. Founded by Jack Dorsey, co-founder of Twitter -now X-, Bluesky is gradually gaining prominence in social networking, as a chunk of users favour the app over X citing Elon Musk’s controversial hot takes. Read […]
Modupeoluwa Olalere
Threads expand with scheduled posting
Threads, Meta’s microblogging platform, is making headlines for its announcement on December 17, 2024, about the new ability to schedule posts. This update aims to enhance user experience by allowing individuals and businesses to plan their content more effectively, a functionality many users have eagerly awaited since the platform’s launch. Meta has positioned Threads as […]
Modupeoluwa Olalere
Nigerian court protects Facebook from complying with ARCON’S N60 billion fine
The Lagos Division of the Federal High Court has issued an interim order of injunction to restrain the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) from penalising Facebook and imposing a ₦60 billion fine on the social media app over alleged infractions. This ruling represents a developing legal battle over Nigeria’s advertising rules and regulatory authority. […]
Staff Writer
Over 15 million offensive channels, groups were removed in 2024: Telegram
Since its inventor, Pavel Durov, was detained in France and charged with spreading dangerous content on his messaging app, Telegram has been under unprecedented pressure to clean up its platform this year. In a statement released Thursday on Durov’s Telegram channel, Telegram claims to have eliminated 15.5 million groups and channels associated with hazardous content, […]
Staff Writer
Yango launches in-app digital lending services for drivers in Côte d’Ivoire
Yango, a ride-hailing service, announced on December 10, 2024, a partnership with Yabx and COFINA to launch in-app digital lending services in Côte d’Ivoire. This initiative aims to empower drivers by providing them access to cash advances through the Yango app, addressing many gig workers’ financial barriers. Read also: E-hailing firm Yango partners with COFINA, […]
Modupeoluwa Olalere
Snapchat extends 24-hour chat retention, offering users more time to keep conversations
Snapchat has announced an exciting update today. Instead of the previous 24-hour auto-delete setting, users can retain chat messages for up to seven days. This change aims to enhance user experience by providing more conversation management flexibility. A new direction for messaging Bobby Murphy, Reggie Brown, and Evan Spiegel established Snapchat in 2011. The application […]
Modupeoluwa Olalere
YouTube expands AI auto-dubbing feature to knowledge-sharing creators
YouTube officially rolled out its AI-powered auto-dubbing feature to a broader audience on December 10, 2024. Initially tested with select creators after its introduction at Vidcon last year, this tool is now available to hundreds of thousands of channels focusing on knowledge-based content, such as cooking tutorials and DIY projects. Read also: YouTube on your […]
Olanrewaju Adeniyi
Instagram introduces “trial reels” for creative experimentation
Instagram launched “trial reels” on November 10th, 2024, a feature designed to allow creators to experiment with content without displaying it to their followers. This innovative tool, first tested in May, is now available globally for professional account holders. The aim is to provide a platform for creators to refine their ideas while reducing the […]
Olanrewaju Adeniyi
Meta’s Threads rolls out advanced search features to rival X and Bluesky
Meta is significantly enhancing its microblogging platform, Threads, with new search functionalities, signalling its intent to compete more aggressively with rivals like Bluesky and X (formerly Twitter). Announced on December 2, 2024, Threads now allows users to refine searches by user profiles and date ranges, improving its usability and aligning it more closely with modern […]
Olanrewaju Adeniyi
TikTok bans under-16 users from using beauty filters to combat low self-esteem
TikTok has announced new restrictions on the use of beauty filters for teenage users in an effort to promote a safe digital space. This decision comes in response to growing concerns about the impact of digital editing tools on young people’s self-esteem and body image. The new policy will limit the availability of beauty filters […]
Staff Writer
Meta enhances Threads with customisable default feeds, to compete with Bluesky
Since its launch last year, Threads users have been vocal about wanting to set their “Following” feed as the default option. More than a year later, Threads is finally testing this feature, allowing users greater control over their experience on the platform. On November 25, 2024, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that Threads is testing […]
Olanrewaju Adeniyi
Instagram rivals Apple and Snapchat with live location sharing in DMs
Instagram on Monday announced a new feature that lets users share their live locations with friends through direct messages (DMs). This development marks a strategic move by the Meta-owned platform to compete with similar location-sharing services like Apple’s “Find My” and Snapchat’s Snap Map. These features have gained popularity as convenient ways for users to […]
Olanrewaju Adeniyi
Convert your voice notes to text with WhatsApp’s new transcription feature
WhatsApp on Thursday announced the introduction of a transcription feature for voice messages. The feature will assist users in noisy areas to view the content of a voice message in text format. Meta, parent company to WhatsApp, disclosed that transcripts will be available in a variety of languages based on the user’s operating system adding […]
Pelumi Apantaku
Bluesky’s rise: Can it overtake X as the top social media platform?
Bluesky is a social media site developed to replace Elon Musk’s X, previously known as Twitter. It is becoming popular because many users are dissatisfied with Musk’s modifications to X, such as political shifts, moderating policies, and rising bots. It has about 19 million users, and the app is gaining 10,000 users every 10-15 minutes. […]
Staff Writer