Posts

Showing posts from February, 2023

Here’s what Messenger’s BeReal-ish ‘Roll Call’ looks like

Image
Illustration by Nick Barclay / The Verge We’re now getting a look at Meta’s “Roll Call” feature that would let you “see what everyone is up to in a group chat” via their front and back cameras, thanks to screenshots posted by analyst Matt Navarra on Twitter . References to the feature, which is like a private version of BeReal, were spotted in Instagram last year, but now a more fleshed-out version of it has shown up in Messenger. The feature is “an internal prototype, and not testing externally,” according to Meta spokesperson Liz Sweeney, but the screenshots do still give us an idea of how it could work should it ever make it to Messenger or other Meta apps. According to Navarra’s post, people in a Messenger group chat would get five minutes to respond to a roll call with their own pictures. The person initiating it can add custom prompts to request, say, pictures of people’s lunches or pets. Like BeReal, you wouldn’t be able to view other people’s roll cal

Facebook and Instagram are testing selling you blue checks for $12 a month

Image
Illustration by Nick Barclay / The Verge Meta’s testing paid verification for Instagram and Facebook for $11.99 per month on web and $14.99 per month on mobile. In an update on Instagram , CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that a “Meta Verified” account will grant users a verified badge, increased visibility on the platforms, prioritized customer support, and more. The feature’s rolling out to Australia and New Zealand this week and will arrive in more countries “soon.” “This week we’re starting to roll out Meta Verified — a subscription service that lets you verify your account with a government ID, get a blue badge, get extra impersonation protection against accounts claiming to be you, and get direct access to customer support,” Zuckerberg writes. “This new feature is about increasing authenticity and security across our services.” In order to sign up to become Meta Verified, you’ll need to meet minimum activity requirements, be at least 18 yea

Meta is further limiting how advertisers can target teens on Facebook and Instagram

Image
Illustration by Nick Barclay / The Verge Meta is further restricting how advertisers on its platforms target users under 18, the company announced today. Starting next month, the company is removing the ability for advertisers to target kids on Facebook and Instagram by gender, though they’ll still be able to use age and location. In 2021, Meta rolled back ad targeting based on the interests and activity of teen users, a catch-all term for the trove of data the company collects about your internet activity. With this most recent tightening of rules, advertisers will also no longer be able to target teens based on in-app engagement, like Instagram and Facebook pages they follow and like. Beginning in March, teens will also have more tools available to (somewhat) control what kind of ads they see. Under Ad Preferences they’ll be able to select topics they want to see fewer ads about, though it’s worth noting that there doesn’t appear to be a way to complete

How to mute people on Instagram

Image
Illustration by Samar Haddad / The Verge Tired of comparing your behind-the-scenes with everyone else’s highlight reel on Instagram? ( To quote Steven Furtick .) The social network has its charms, but for many, it can be a place that’s littered with envy-inducing photos and videos of everybody else’s “perfect” lives. If you’re not careful, it can trigger all sorts of insecurities — sometimes even to the detriment of your mental health . That’s why it’s important to be mindful of the type of Instagram content you’re consuming on a daily basis. While it’s easy to unfollow accounts from influencers, though, you can’t exactly unfollow or full-on block a friend or a family member without hurting some feelings. That’s where Instagram’s “mute” feature comes in handy: it lets you mute posts and / or stories from people without them ever knowing. As a result, you won’t have to see your friend’s seemingly hundreds of vacation photos and stories on your feed. It’s a nice