Messaging

Make calls instantly from the Messages app with RaiseToCall

I don't really make phone calls anymore these days. But when I do, they almost always originate from the Messages app. You know the drill—you tap the Status bar to scroll to the top of the conversation, and hit the 'Call' button.

While most folks, including myself, don't find this two-step process at all troublesome, the jailbreak community seems to always be asking the question "how can I do this quicker?" And the answer to that question today, is RaiseToCall...

WhatsApp to bring subscription model to iOS this year

WhatsApp, the popular cross-platform messaging service, is going to be bringing its subscription model to iOS this year, according to CEO Jan Koum. Koum recently spoke with a Dutch news outlet about the company's near-term plans.

Currently, iOS users can download WhatsApp for a one-time fee of $0.99. In the new model though, which it already uses on other platforms like Android and Windows Phone, the app will be free, with users having to pay an annual fee...

Facebook Messenger improved with updates to group chats

Facebook has just updated its Messenger iOS app with a few new features and "other improvements and bug fixes." The new Facebook Messenger version 2.3 is all about enhancements to group conversations, says the social networking behemoth. It contains one feature I've been yearning for ever since the program's debut on the iPhone: you can finally name a group by tapping on the top of your active conversation.

And just like Facebook's main iOS client (and a growing number of other third-party apps for the Apple platform, for that matter), you can now get to your active group conversations by swipe left, which reveals them in your sidebar. I've included a few screenies along with other nice tweaks right after the break...

Facebook launches free or discounted Messenger access in 14 countries

Facebook on Sunday announced a new promotion that will allow users of Messenger for iOS and Android to exchange instant messages for free or at heavily discounted data rates in select international markets. Partnering with more than eighteen operators in fourteen international markets, the social networking giant said Facebook for Every Phone, basically a bare-bone service for feature phones that is now optimized for chat, is also included in this promotion.

The move arrives just after the company flipped the switch on the in-app VoIP calling feature in its mobile client for iOS and Android devices. Facebook first rolled out VoIP calling in Canada earlier this year, and some parts of the US, via the Messenger app...

Quick Reply for Viber now available in Cydia

Are you a fan of the BiteSMS jailbreak tweak, but prefer using services other than iMessage or SMS to send texts to your friends? Back in June, Delicious Inc. released Quick Reply for WhatsApp; which essentially brought BiteSMS's quick reply pane to WhatsApp's notifications. Today, on the heels of the release of the evasi0n jailbreak, the developers behind BiteSMS bring a similar tweak to Viber in iOS 5 and iOS 6.

Viber is another cross platform messaging app that allows users to make free calls, as well as send texts and photos. The original app works between iOS, Android, Windows Phone, Blackberry, Nokia, and Bada. It's a free alternative platform that is compatible with every major smartphone on the market. Viber is growing in popularity, so it's ripe for a jailbreak tweak of its own...

New report claims WhatsApp Messenger violates privacy laws

WhatsApp Messenger is a wildly popular cross-platform SMS replacement service. It allows you to group chat and send media files to other users, and it's estimated to have in upwards of 300 million users.

Well if you're one of those 300 million users, you might be interested to know that according to a new report, the app violates international privacy laws due to the way it handles Address Book data...

Temporary messaging apps can’t keep pictures and video secure

Want to send a picture or message but don't want it shared with friends, leaked all over the internet, and potentially traced back to you? Unless you're 100% certain that you can trust whoever you're sending a message to, then you shouldn't send it. The most popular temporary photo messaging apps can leak your data on devices that aren't even jailbroken, and with a few tweaks you can easily get past one of the most secure messaging apps available.

The current versions of Snapchat and Facebook Poke aren't secure apps. Evan Spiegal, Snapchat's founder, doesn't seem overly concerned about the possibility of users saving and sending their received pictures. In a comment to BuzzFeed Spiegal said: "The people who most enjoy using Snapchat are those who embrace the spirit and intent of the service. There will always be ways to reverse engineer technology products — but that spoils the fun!" That's not exactly what you want to hear if you're using the service to send pictures and video that you don't want publicly shared...

How to get Facebook Messenger working on a jailbroken iPad

Facebook a week ago issued invites for a major news conference due tomorrow to “come and see what we're building”. One source claims the iPad version of the popular Messenger client will be on tap as the social networking giant's last-minute "one more thing" surprise.

What you may not have known is that the current iPhone build of Messenger already has the iPad interface and code in place. And if you happen to have your device jailbroken (as most readers who frequent iDB do), you may want to unlock Messenger for iPad right now. Just follow this simple guide and Jeff's easy to follow video instructions, embedded right past the break...

Facebook ‘totally’ ready to launch Messenger for iPad on Tuesday

You may have heard that Facebook has issued invites for a media event due this coming Tuesday to “come and see what [they're] building”. People in the know claim the news conference is a pretty big deal as Facebook could announce a brand new mobile operating system, even a so-called Facebook Phone of some sort. And now, another source has stepped forward with knowledge that the social networking giant will also launch an iPad version of its mobile Messenger app, which in a recent update has gained VoIP capabilities...

Viber gains emoticons, locations, stickers and group conversations with up to 40 participants

Viber, the popular IM and VoIP software for smartphones, joins a rash of holiday updates by releasing a new version of its iPhone and iPod touch client. Viber version 3.2, now available free from the App Store, makes text messaging more fun by giving you the ability to share stickers with friends and enrich your communication with emoticons. Also new is the enhanced group messaging feature supporting group conversations with up to 40 participants. You can also share locations in messages and the app is now optimized for the iPhone 5's taller display and plays nicely with iOS 6...

Facebook reportedly in talks to acquire WhatsApp

Facebook's been on a bit of a buying spree this year. Of course we all know about the $1 billion Instagram deal. Then there was the Acrylic buyout. And now the word is that it's in talks to acquire WhatsApp, the popular cross-platform messaging service that allows users to send and receive text, video and audio messages...

iMessage bug reportedly fixed in iOS 6

Late last year, news broke of a serious iMessage bug that enabled iOS devices to continue to send and receive messages, even after being remotely wiped and having their SIM cards deactivated. It was particularly dangerous for folks whose devices were stolen, or the like.

But never fear, a new report says that the bug has been repaired in iOS 6. According to a source with knowledge of the matter, Apple has taken steps to eradicate the problem in its mobile software...