Here’s what message reactions on WhatsApp could look like on release

WhatsApp has been working on iMessage/Instagram-style message reactions for a while now. We first learned about it all the way back in August last year. At the time, the feature was in early development. A few months later, WhatsApp rolled out a half-baked version of the feature to some users, only to remove it later on. But it appears message reactions will finally be making their way to WhatsApp users soon.

WABetainfo has shared some screenshots of WhatsApp reactions, giving us an early preview of what the feature would look like once it goes live. As you can see in the images attached below, WhatsApp users will see a row of emoji just above the message. It’s unclear whether users will have to long-press on a message or there will be a dedicated button next to the message to add a reaction. In any case, it looks like you’ll be able to choose from up to six emoji reactions. The reaction you choose will be attached at the bottom of the message.

WhatsApp is readying message reactions (secured by end-to-end encryption) in a new upcoming update of WhatsApp beta for Android and iOS. pic.twitter.com/o9CMW6pnsN

— WABetaInfo (@WABetaInfo) February 2, 2022

According to WABetainfo, WhatsApp plans to add message reactions in an upcoming WhatsApp beta update for iOS and Android. It also notes that reactions will be end-to-end encrypted, just like text messages and backups.

Meta’s other messaging apps such as Facebook Messenger and Instagram already support message reactions. So it’s only natural that the feature is now making its way to WhatsApp.

As mentioned above, the feature hasn’t rolled out to WhatsApp users just yet. If you want to be one of the first to try it out, you can sign for WhatsApp beta program here.

WhatsApp is also readying a new transfer tool that will finally allow Android users to transfer their chats to iOS.

The post Here’s what message reactions on WhatsApp could look like on release appeared first on xda-developers.

from xda-developers https://ift.tt/Ial7zkjsq
via IFTTT

Instagram may soon let you create longer Reels

If you think Instagram’s 60-sec time cap on Reels is a bit limiting, you would be glad to know that the company is reportedly planning to increase the video length for its TikTok rival.

According to the frequent Instagram tipster Alessandro Paluzzi, Instagram is exploring the possibility of creating longer Reels. Right now Instagram users can create Reels that are up to 60 seconds long. But in the near future users may be able to shoot 90-second or one and a half minute long Reels.

#Instagram is working on the possibility of creating #Reels lasting 90 seconds pic.twitter.com/M0KgJzQ90O

— Alessandro Paluzzi (@alex193a) February 1, 2022

The screenshot shared by the tipster shows there’ll be a toggle within the Reels video shooting mode that will quickly allow users to set the video limit to 90 seconds.

Note that the 90-sec option hasn’t rolled out to users yet nor Instagram has officially confirmed any plans to extend the Reels video length.

Instagram Reels originally launched with a 15-sec time cap, which was doubled to 30 seconds. This length was doubled once again in July last year, allowing users to create minute-long Reels.

Should Instagram increase the video length limit for Reels, it wouldn’t come as surprise. Instagram’s archrival TikTok already allows users to shoot much longer videos. The service increased the limit from 60 seconds to three minutes back in July last year.

We don’t know when Instagram plans to increase the video length for Reels. We’ll keep an eye out and let you know if we learn any new details.

Reels has gained a lot of traction since its launch in 2020. The service has especially become quite popular in India, where the ban on TikTok allowed it to quickly emerge as the perfect alternative.

Instagram recently added support for “Avatars” to compete with Snap’s Bitmoji feature. The feature, which allows users to share their 3D Avataras in Stories and DMs, is currently available in the US, Canada, and Mexico.

The post Instagram may soon let you create longer Reels appeared first on xda-developers.

from xda-developers https://ift.tt/T2J4Szg6E
via IFTTT

Instagram may soon let you create longer Reels

If you think Instagram’s 60-sec time cap on Reels is a bit limiting, you would be glad to know that the company is reportedly planning to increase the video length for its TikTok rival.

According to the frequent Instagram tipster Alessandro Paluzzi, Instagram is exploring the possibility of creating longer Reels. Right now Instagram users can create Reels that are up to 60 seconds long. But in the near future users may be able to shoot 90-second or one and a half minute long Reels.

#Instagram is working on the possibility of creating #Reels lasting 90 seconds pic.twitter.com/M0KgJzQ90O

— Alessandro Paluzzi (@alex193a) February 1, 2022

The screenshot shared by the tipster shows there’ll be a toggle within the Reels video shooting mode that will quickly allow users to set the video limit to 90 seconds.

Note that the 90-sec option hasn’t rolled out to users yet nor Instagram has officially confirmed any plans to extend the Reels video length.

Instagram Reels originally launched with a 15-sec time cap, which was doubled to 30 seconds. This length was doubled once again in July last year, allowing users to create minute-long Reels.

Should Instagram increase the video length limit for Reels, it wouldn’t come as surprise. Instagram’s archrival TikTok already allows users to shoot much longer videos. The service increased the limit from 60 seconds to three minutes back in July last year.

We don’t know when Instagram plans to increase the video length for Reels. We’ll keep an eye out and let you know if we learn any new details.

Reels has gained a lot of traction since its launch in 2020. The service has especially become quite popular in India, where the ban on TikTok allowed it to quickly emerge as the perfect alternative.

Instagram recently added support for “Avatars” to compete with Snap’s Bitmoji feature. The feature, which allows users to share their 3D Avataras in Stories and DMs, is currently available in the US, Canada, and Mexico.

The post Instagram may soon let you create longer Reels appeared first on xda-developers.

from xda-developers https://ift.tt/T2J4Szg6E
via IFTTT

Netflix subscribers can now play Riot Games’ Hextech Mayhem and Dungeon Dwarves for free

After rolling out its gaming service worldwide late last year, Netflix is now focusing on expanding its game catalog. Today, the company has added two new titles from Riot Games — Dungeon Dwarves and Hextech Mayhem — to its lineup. If you’re a League of Legends fan, you should definitely check them out and kill some time while you’re waiting in queue for your next match.

According to The Verge, Dungeon Dwarves is an idle dungeon crawler that surprisingly doesn’t feature any familiar characters. In the game, you control a team of five dwarves whose main task is to keep digging to advance to the next dungeon. The Dwarves also have special abilities that you can use to clear out your path faster or take down bosses.

The abilities range from heavy weapon strikes that take down all objects in your way to area-of-effect attacks that are great for multiple enemies. You can even level up your team of dwarves as the game progresses to take on increasingly treacherous terrain and powerful monsters. Interestingly, the dwarves keep digging even when you’re not playing the game and reward you with new gear whenever you return.

Unlike Dungeon Dwarves, Hextech Mayhem features two champions from the League of Legends universe — Ziggs and Heimerdinger. It’s a rhythm runner in which you control Ziggs as he runs through the streets of Piltover while causing musical explosions and collecting gears to create the biggest bomb ever. Heimerdinger doesn’t really play an active part in the game and he only serves as a foil to Ziggs.

Hextech Mayhem first launched on the Nintendo Switch and PC back in November last year, and you can now enjoy it on mobile if you have a Netflix subscription. Both games are completely free to play and ad-free. You can download them by following the Play Store links below.

Dungeon Dwarves (Free, Google Play) →

Hextech Mayhem Netflix Edition (Free, Google Play) →

The post Netflix subscribers can now play Riot Games’ Hextech Mayhem and Dungeon Dwarves for free appeared first on xda-developers.

from xda-developers https://ift.tt/57JQjA0xt
via IFTTT

Netflix subscribers can now play Riot Games’ Hextech Mayhem and Dungeon Dwarves for free

After rolling out its gaming service worldwide late last year, Netflix is now focusing on expanding its game catalog. Today, the company has added two new titles from Riot Games — Dungeon Dwarves and Hextech Mayhem — to its lineup. If you’re a League of Legends fan, you should definitely check them out and kill some time while you’re waiting in queue for your next match.

According to The Verge, Dungeon Dwarves is an idle dungeon crawler that surprisingly doesn’t feature any familiar characters. In the game, you control a team of five dwarves whose main task is to keep digging to advance to the next dungeon. The Dwarves also have special abilities that you can use to clear out your path faster or take down bosses.

The abilities range from heavy weapon strikes that take down all objects in your way to area-of-effect attacks that are great for multiple enemies. You can even level up your team of dwarves as the game progresses to take on increasingly treacherous terrain and powerful monsters. Interestingly, the dwarves keep digging even when you’re not playing the game and reward you with new gear whenever you return.

Unlike Dungeon Dwarves, Hextech Mayhem features two champions from the League of Legends universe — Ziggs and Heimerdinger. It’s a rhythm runner in which you control Ziggs as he runs through the streets of Piltover while causing musical explosions and collecting gears to create the biggest bomb ever. Heimerdinger doesn’t really play an active part in the game and he only serves as a foil to Ziggs.

Hextech Mayhem first launched on the Nintendo Switch and PC back in November last year, and you can now enjoy it on mobile if you have a Netflix subscription. Both games are completely free to play and ad-free. You can download them by following the Play Store links below.

Dungeon Dwarves (Free, Google Play) →

Hextech Mayhem Netflix Edition (Free, Google Play) →

The post Netflix subscribers can now play Riot Games’ Hextech Mayhem and Dungeon Dwarves for free appeared first on xda-developers.

from xda-developers https://ift.tt/57JQjA0xt
via IFTTT

YouTube mobile app is getting a redesigned video player

YouTube mobile app is rolling out a new design that makes it easier to access controls when you’re watching videos in full-screen mode.

The new interface adds a row of buttons in the bottom left corner (via The Verge). Buttons are revealed when you pause the video or tap anywhere on the screen and let you like or dislike a video, open comments in the right sidebar, share, and save to playlist. There’s also a new “More Videos” section in the bottom right corner.

In the old interface, like, dislike, share and save buttons were hidden behind a gesture. You had to swipe up from the bottom to reveal them. The interface displayed relevant videos on a vertically scrollable bar with buttons shown at the bottom, as you can see in the image below. This gesture wasn’t the best implementation as it conflicted with system navigation gestures, with users often accidentally triggering the home button gesture while swiping up from the bottom.

This new video player UI should address this issue. Not only that, but it also lets you open comments in the landscape mode (in the right sidebar) without interrupting the video playback. Previously, you had to switch to portrait mode to see comments.

The new video player UI has started rolling out on Android and iOS. It’s not widely available as of yet (I’m not seeing it on any of my phones), but should be gradually making its way to everyone in the coming days/weeks.

YouTube is also testing the ability to loop video chapters. This will allow users to view a single video chapter on repeat without having to manually pull the slider or loop the whole video.

Have you received YouTube’s redesigned video player? Let us know in the comments below. 

YouTube (Free, Google Play) →

The post YouTube mobile app is getting a redesigned video player appeared first on xda-developers.

from xda-developers https://ift.tt/lfSLRdqnK
via IFTTT

YouTube mobile app is getting a redesigned video player

YouTube mobile app is rolling out a new design that makes it easier to access controls when you’re watching videos in full-screen mode.

The new interface adds a row of buttons in the bottom left corner (via The Verge). Buttons are revealed when you pause the video or tap anywhere on the screen and let you like or dislike a video, open comments in the right sidebar, share, and save to playlist. There’s also a new “More Videos” section in the bottom right corner.

In the old interface, like, dislike, share and save buttons were hidden behind a gesture. You had to swipe up from the bottom to reveal them. The interface displayed relevant videos on a vertically scrollable bar with buttons shown at the bottom, as you can see in the image below. This gesture wasn’t the best implementation as it conflicted with system navigation gestures, with users often accidentally triggering the home button gesture while swiping up from the bottom.

This new video player UI should address this issue. Not only that, but it also lets you open comments in the landscape mode (in the right sidebar) without interrupting the video playback. Previously, you had to switch to portrait mode to see comments.

The new video player UI has started rolling out on Android and iOS. It’s not widely available as of yet (I’m not seeing it on any of my phones), but should be gradually making its way to everyone in the coming days/weeks.

YouTube is also testing the ability to loop video chapters. This will allow users to view a single video chapter on repeat without having to manually pull the slider or loop the whole video.

Have you received YouTube’s redesigned video player? Let us know in the comments below. 

YouTube (Free, Google Play) →

The post YouTube mobile app is getting a redesigned video player appeared first on xda-developers.

from xda-developers https://ift.tt/lfSLRdqnK
via IFTTT