Heena Sharma Blog

  WhatsApp on Wednesday announced two new features to make it easier for people to know what’s available and for entrepreneurs to quickly sell their products on WhatsApp for Business . The company said that it is now providing businesses the ability to create and manage their catalog from WhatsApp web/desktop rather than just mobile phones. "Since many businesses manage their inventory from a computer, this new option will make it quick and easy to add new items or services so their customers know what's available,' WhatsApp said in a statement. This will be helpful for businesses with big inventories like a restaurant or clothing store so they can manage their catalog from a bigger screen. Currently, people can browse more than 8 million business catalogs on WhatsApp, including 1 million in India, to find something they might like to buy. Read More

  Millions of Indian users received an in-app notification from WhatsApp as part of an upcoming global roll-out for over 2 billion users, asking them to either accept the changes in its Terms of Service and privacy policy by February 8 or their accounts will be deleted. The in-app notification did not elicit much details but clicking on the links clearly mentioned the key changes in how WhatsApp will collect and process users' information going forward, and the partnership with Facebook, its parent company, as part of a larger unification drive between the family of apps. "WhatsApp must receive or collect some information to operate, provide, improve, understand, customise, support, and market our Services, including when you install, access, or use our Services," the updated policy read. "Businesses you interact with using our Services may provide us with information about their interactions with you. We require each of these businesses to act in accordance w

  WhatsApp is one of the most commonly used instant messaging service, with a global user base of more than two billion. This Facebook-owned platform has around 400 million users in India, and that makes the country one of its biggest markets. Once a basic messaging platform, WhatsApp now supports video calling, file sharing, voice messages, etc, and boasts end-to-end encryption for privacy. One of WhatsApp’s key features is end-to-end encryption, which means the messages sent using WhatsApp are visible only to the sender and receiver of the message. On paper, WhatsApp seems to be a secure instant messaging platform with privacy at its core. However, the recent incidents where chat details of several Bollywood personalities have allegedly been leaked have brought back questions around WhatsApp’s privacy and security. Read More

Facebook launched a video conferencing tool ' Messenger Rooms ' last month to take on Zoom and other video platforms and now, a new report has claimed that 'Messenger Rooms' shortcut will soon be available on Facebook-owned WhatsApp's Web version. According to a report from WABetaInfo, a shortcut for Messenger Rooms has been spotted on the WhatsApp Web version 2.2019.6. It will enable users to connect with their friends and family via Messenger Rooms from their PCs and laptops. Read More

In an attempt to fix the problem of spreading of misinformation, WhatsApp on Tuesday said it is launching a new feature to limit frequently forwarded messages. Once a message has been previously forwarded five times, it can henceforth only be forwarded one chat at a time. The Facebook-owned messaging app, which has over 400 million users in India, also acknowledged reports that its latest beta release is working on a method to allow users to find out more information about messages that may be loaded with misinformation and which are likely being shared multiple times by users. "That idea involves displaying a magnifying glass icon next to these frequently forwarded messages, giving users the option to send that message to a web search where they can find news results or other sources of information. Double-checking these messages before forwarding may help reduce the spread of rumours," WhatsApp said in a statement. Read More

WhatsApp on Thursday introduced fingerprint lock on supported Android phones to help users protect their chats from being seen by hackers, family members or jilted lovers. Users who install the new version of WhatsApp will have to scan a fingerprint to open up the Facebook-owned platform. "Earlier this year, we rolled out Touch ID and Face ID for iPhone to provide an extra layer of security for WhatsApp users," the micro-blogging platform said in a statement. "Today we're introducing similar authentication, allowing you to unlock the app with your fingerprint, on supported Android phones," it added. To enable it, tap Settings, go to Account, then Privacy and Fingerprint Lock. Turn on Unlock with fingerprint, and confirm your fingerprint. Read More Article Source -> Business Standard

Senior government officials in multiple US-allied countries were targeted earlier this year with hacking software that used Facebook-owned instant messaging app WhatsApp to take over users' phones, according to people familiar with the messaging company's investigation. Sources familiar with WhatsApp’s internal investigation into the breach said a “significant” portion of the known victims were high-profile government and military officials spread across at least 20 countries in five continents. The hacking of a wider group of top government officials' smartphones than previously reported suggests the WhatsApp cyber intrusion could have broad political and diplomatic consequences. WhatsApp filed a lawsuit on Tuesday against Israeli hacking tool developer NSO Group. The Facebook-owned software giant alleges that NSO Group built and sold a hacking platform that exploited a flaw in WhatsApp-owned servers to help clients hack into the cellphones of at least 1,400 us