WeChat has made a fundamental change to the way it works. China’s most popular social media app has always limited its posts’ visibility to the sharer’s friends, or an official account’s followers. While this closed ecosystem limits the potential for content to go viral, it has been an asset for the app’s parent company, Tencent, […]
Some WeChat users in China will soon be able to use the chat app as a state-issued ID card. Financial Times reports that those living in Guangdong’s capital city Guangzhou will be able to use facial recognition to link their identities to the app in the Nansha district this week. The feature will apparently roll […]
Disney Australia has launched its own standalone messaging app aimed at creating a family-friendly channel for kids to communicate over which integrates games and education resources. Disney Mix is approved for “4+” on the app store, and includes reminders about online safety, cyberbullying and harassment, with an integrated “Whistle” icon in all chat threads that […]
Facebook’s Messenger app has begun suggesting businesses that users may want to chat with, in yet another sign that the platform is preparing for a big push into the world of mobile commerce as it expands beyond its initial purpose as a messaging app. With Facebook’s annual F8 developer conference happening early next week, there […]