Facebook has announced new features for its Messenger app, including a quick reply bar, QR codes, and new chat themes.
The new quick reply bar can be found in the Messenger media viewer, and aims to make it easier to chat about media posted by friends without needing to go back to the main chat thread.
Users can tap on a photo or video and send a response via the quick reply bar, which lives at the bottom of the screen, then swipe up to exit the fullscreen media viewer to return to the main chat thread.
Three new chat themes, which are available in both Messenger and Instagram in chat settings, let users add new twists to their chat thread backgrounds. The themes include Olivia Rodrdigo, World Oceans Day, and F9: Fast and Furious.
In addition, Facebook is adding QR codes and payment links for use with Facebook Pay, allowing users to make payments even if they're not on Facebook.
To access a personal QR code and payment link, go to Messenger settings and tap "Facebook Pay." Users can share the payment link or allow friends to scan the QR code to send or request money.
The new features are rolling out now to Facebook Messenger, which is a free download for iPhone and iPad from the App Store. [Direct Link]
Thursday February 5, 2026 12:54 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple turns 50 this year, and its CEO Tim Cook has promised to celebrate the milestone. The big day falls on April 1, 2026.
"I've been unusually reflective lately about Apple because we have been working on what do we do to mark this moment," Cook told employees today, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. "When you really stop and pause and think about the last 50 years, it makes your heart ...
Thursday February 5, 2026 12:22 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple plans to announce the iPhone 17e on Thursday, February 19, according to Macwelt, the German equivalent of Macworld.
The report, citing industry sources, is available in English on Macworld.
Apple announced the iPhone 16e on Wednesday, February 19 last year, so the iPhone 17e would be unveiled exactly one year later if this rumor is accurate. It is quite uncommon for Apple to unveil...
Friday February 6, 2026 3:06 pm PST by Juli Clover
In the iOS 26.4 update that's coming this spring, Apple will introduce a new version of Siri that's going to overhaul how we interact with the personal assistant and what it's able to do.
The iOS 26.4 version of Siri won't work like ChatGPT or Claude, but it will rely on large language models (LLMs) and has been updated from the ground up.
Upgraded Architecture
The next-generation...
Tuesday February 3, 2026 7:47 am PST by Joe Rossignol
While the iOS 26.3 Release Candidate is now available ahead of a public release, the first iOS 26.4 beta is likely still at least a week away. Following beta testing, iOS 26.4 will likely be released to the general public in March or April.
Below, we have recapped known or rumored iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 features so far.
iOS 26.3
iPhone to Android Transfer Tool
iOS 26.3 makes it easier...
The iPhone 18 Pro Max will feature a bigger battery for continued best-in-class battery life, according to a known Weibo leaker.
Citing supply chain information, the Weibo user known as "Digital Chat Station" said that the iPhone 18 Pro Max will have a battery capacity of 5,100 to 5,200 mAh. Combined with the efficiency improvements of the A20 Pro chip, made with TSMC's 2nm process, the...
Never forget the amount of data Facebook Messenger collects:
[HEADING=1]Data Linked to You[/HEADING] The following data, which may be collected and linked to your identity, may be used for the following purposes:
[HEADING=2]Third-Party Advertising[/HEADING]
[HEADING=3]Purchases[/HEADING]
* Purchase History
[HEADING=3]Financial Info[/HEADING]
* Other Financial Info
[HEADING=3]Location[/HEADING]
* Precise Location * Coarse Location
[HEADING=3]Contact Info[/HEADING]
* Physical Address * Email Address * Name * Phone Number * Other User Contact Info
[HEADING=3]Contacts[/HEADING]
* Contacts
[HEADING=3]User Content[/HEADING]
* Photos or Videos * Gameplay Content * Other User Content
[HEADING=3]Search History[/HEADING]
* Search History
[HEADING=3]Browsing History[/HEADING]
* Browsing History
[HEADING=3]Identifiers[/HEADING]
* User ID * Device ID
[HEADING=3]Usage Data[/HEADING]
* Product Interaction * Advertising Data * Other Usage Data
[HEADING=3]Diagnostics[/HEADING]
* Crash Data * Performance Data * Other Diagnostic Data
[HEADING=3]Other Data[/HEADING]
* Other Data Types
[HEADING=2]Developer’s Advertising or Marketing[/HEADING]
[HEADING=3]Purchases[/HEADING]
* Purchase History
[HEADING=3]Financial Info[/HEADING]
* Other Financial Info
[HEADING=3]Location[/HEADING]
* Precise Location * Coarse Location
[HEADING=3]Contact Info[/HEADING]
* Physical Address * Email Address * Name * Phone Number * Other User Contact Info
[HEADING=3]Contacts[/HEADING]
* Contacts
[HEADING=3]User Content[/HEADING]
* Photos or Videos * Gameplay Content * Other User Content
[HEADING=3]Search History[/HEADING]
* Search History
[HEADING=3]Browsing History[/HEADING]
* Browsing History
[HEADING=3]Identifiers[/HEADING]
* User ID * Device ID
[HEADING=3]Usage Data[/HEADING]
* Product Interaction * Advertising Data * Other Usage Data
[HEADING=3]Diagnostics[/HEADING]
* Crash Data * Performance Data * Other Diagnostic Data
[HEADING=3]Other Data[/HEADING]
* Other Data Types
[HEADING=2]Analytics[/HEADING]
[HEADING=3]Health & Fitness[/HEADING]
* Health * Fitness
[HEADING=3]Purchases[/HEADING]
* Purchase History
[HEADING=3]Financial Info[/HEADING]
* Payment Info * Other Financial Info
[HEADING=3]Location[/HEADING]
* Precise Location * Coarse Location
[HEADING=3]Contact Info[/HEADING]
* Physical Address * Email Address * Name * Phone Number * Other User Contact Info
[HEADING=3]Contacts[/HEADING]
* Contacts
[HEADING=3]User Content[/HEADING]
* Photos or Videos * Audio Data * Gameplay Content * Customer Support * Other User Content
[HEADING=3]Search History[/HEADING]
* Search History
[HEADING=3]Browsing History[/HEADING]
* Browsing History
[HEADING=3]Identifiers[/HEADING]
* User ID * Device ID
[HEADING=3]Usage Data[/HEADING]
* Product Interaction * Advertising Data * Other Usage Data
[HEADING=3]Sensitive Info[/HEADING]
* Sensitive Info
[HEADING=3]Diagnostics[/HEADING]
* Crash Data * Performance Data * Other Diagnostic Data
[HEADING=3]Other Data[/HEADING]
* Other Data Types
[HEADING=2]Product Personalization[/HEADING]
[HEADING=3]Purchases[/HEADING]
* Purchase History
[HEADING=3]Financial Info[/HEADING]
* Other Financial Info
[HEADING=3]Location[/HEADING]
* Precise Location * Coarse Location
[HEADING=3]Contact Info[/HEADING]
* Physical Address * Email Address * Name * Phone Number * Other User Contact Info
[HEADING=3]Contacts[/HEADING]
* Contacts
[HEADING=3]User Content[/HEADING]
* Photos or Videos * Gameplay Content * Other User Content
[HEADING=3]Search History[/HEADING]
* Search History
[HEADING=3]Browsing History[/HEADING]
* Browsing History
[HEADING=3]Identifiers[/HEADING]
* User ID * Device ID
[HEADING=3]Usage Data[/HEADING]
* Product Interaction * Advertising Data * Other Usage Data
[HEADING=3]Sensitive Info[/HEADING]
* Sensitive Info
[HEADING=3]Diagnostics[/HEADING]
* Crash Data * Performance Data * Other Diagnostic Data
[HEADING=3]Other Data[/HEADING]
* Other Data Types
[HEADING=2]App Functionality[/HEADING]
[HEADING=3]Health & Fitness[/HEADING]
* Health * Fitness
[HEADING=3]Purchases[/HEADING]
* Purchase History
[HEADING=3]Financial Info[/HEADING]
* Payment Info * Credit Info * Other Financial Info
[HEADING=3]Location[/HEADING]
* Precise Location * Coarse Location
[HEADING=3]Contact Info[/HEADING]
* Physical Address * Email Address * Name * Phone Number * Other User Contact Info
[HEADING=3]Contacts[/HEADING]
* Contacts
[HEADING=3]User Content[/HEADING]
* Emails or Text Messages * Photos or Videos * Audio Data * Gameplay Content * Customer Support * Other User Content
[HEADING=3]Search History[/HEADING]
* Search History
[HEADING=3]Browsing History[/HEADING]
* Browsing History
[HEADING=3]Identifiers[/HEADING]
* User ID * Device ID
[HEADING=3]Usage Data[/HEADING]
* Product Interaction * Advertising Data * Other Usage Data
[HEADING=3]Sensitive Info[/HEADING]
* Sensitive Info
[HEADING=3]Diagnostics[/HEADING]
* Crash Data * Performance Data * Other Diagnostic Data
[HEADING=3]Other Data[/HEADING]
* Other Data Types
[HEADING=2]Other Purposes[/HEADING]
[HEADING=3]Purchases[/HEADING]
* Purchase History
[HEADING=3]Financial Info[/HEADING]
* Other Financial Info
[HEADING=3]Location[/HEADING]
* Precise Location * Coarse Location
[HEADING=3]Contact Info[/HEADING]
* Physical Address * Email Address * Name * Phone Number * Other User Contact Info
[HEADING=3]Contacts[/HEADING]
* Contacts
[HEADING=3]User Content[/HEADING]
* Photos or Videos * Gameplay Content * Customer Support * Other User Content
[HEADING=3]Search History[/HEADING]
* Search History
[HEADING=3]Browsing History[/HEADING]
* Browsing History
[HEADING=3]Identifiers[/HEADING]
* User ID * Device ID
[HEADING=3]Usage Data[/HEADING]
* Product Interaction * Advertising Data * Other Usage Data
[HEADING=3]Diagnostics[/HEADING]
* Crash Data * Performance Data * Other Diagnostic Data
Never forget the amount of data Facebook Messenger collects:
[HEADING=1]Data Linked to You[/HEADING] The following data, which may be collected and linked to your identity, may be used for the following purposes:
[HEADING=2]Third-Party Advertising[/HEADING]
[HEADING=3]Purchases[/HEADING]
* Purchase History
[HEADING=3]Financial Info[/HEADING]
* Other Financial Info
[HEADING=3]Location[/HEADING]
* Precise Location * Coarse Location
[HEADING=3]Contact Info[/HEADING]
* Physical Address * Email Address * Name * Phone Number * Other User Contact Info
[HEADING=3]Contacts[/HEADING]
* Contacts
[HEADING=3]User Content[/HEADING]
* Photos or Videos * Gameplay Content * Other User Content
[HEADING=3]Search History[/HEADING]
* Search History
[HEADING=3]Browsing History[/HEADING]
* Browsing History
[HEADING=3]Identifiers[/HEADING]
* User ID * Device ID
[HEADING=3]Usage Data[/HEADING]
* Product Interaction * Advertising Data * Other Usage Data
[HEADING=3]Diagnostics[/HEADING]
* Crash Data * Performance Data * Other Diagnostic Data
[HEADING=3]Other Data[/HEADING]
* Other Data Types
[HEADING=2]Developer’s Advertising or Marketing[/HEADING]
[HEADING=3]Purchases[/HEADING]
* Purchase History
[HEADING=3]Financial Info[/HEADING]
* Other Financial Info
[HEADING=3]Location[/HEADING]
* Precise Location * Coarse Location
[HEADING=3]Contact Info[/HEADING]
* Physical Address * Email Address * Name * Phone Number * Other User Contact Info
[HEADING=3]Contacts[/HEADING]
* Contacts
[HEADING=3]User Content[/HEADING]
* Photos or Videos * Gameplay Content * Other User Content
[HEADING=3]Search History[/HEADING]
* Search History
[HEADING=3]Browsing History[/HEADING]
* Browsing History
[HEADING=3]Identifiers[/HEADING]
* User ID * Device ID
[HEADING=3]Usage Data[/HEADING]
* Product Interaction * Advertising Data * Other Usage Data
[HEADING=3]Diagnostics[/HEADING]
* Crash Data * Performance Data * Other Diagnostic Data
[HEADING=3]Other Data[/HEADING]
* Other Data Types
[HEADING=2]Analytics[/HEADING]
[HEADING=3]Health & Fitness[/HEADING]
* Health * Fitness
[HEADING=3]Purchases[/HEADING]
* Purchase History
[HEADING=3]Financial Info[/HEADING]
* Payment Info * Other Financial Info
[HEADING=3]Location[/HEADING]
* Precise Location * Coarse Location
[HEADING=3]Contact Info[/HEADING]
* Physical Address * Email Address * Name * Phone Number * Other User Contact Info
[HEADING=3]Contacts[/HEADING]
* Contacts
[HEADING=3]User Content[/HEADING]
* Photos or Videos * Audio Data * Gameplay Content * Customer Support * Other User Content
[HEADING=3]Search History[/HEADING]
* Search History
[HEADING=3]Browsing History[/HEADING]
* Browsing History
[HEADING=3]Identifiers[/HEADING]
* User ID * Device ID
[HEADING=3]Usage Data[/HEADING]
* Product Interaction * Advertising Data * Other Usage Data
[HEADING=3]Sensitive Info[/HEADING]
* Sensitive Info
[HEADING=3]Diagnostics[/HEADING]
* Crash Data * Performance Data * Other Diagnostic Data
[HEADING=3]Other Data[/HEADING]
* Other Data Types
[HEADING=2]Product Personalization[/HEADING]
[HEADING=3]Purchases[/HEADING]
* Purchase History
[HEADING=3]Financial Info[/HEADING]
* Other Financial Info
[HEADING=3]Location[/HEADING]
* Precise Location * Coarse Location
[HEADING=3]Contact Info[/HEADING]
* Physical Address * Email Address * Name * Phone Number * Other User Contact Info
[HEADING=3]Contacts[/HEADING]
* Contacts
[HEADING=3]User Content[/HEADING]
* Photos or Videos * Gameplay Content * Other User Content
[HEADING=3]Search History[/HEADING]
* Search History
[HEADING=3]Browsing History[/HEADING]
* Browsing History
[HEADING=3]Identifiers[/HEADING]
* User ID * Device ID
[HEADING=3]Usage Data[/HEADING]
* Product Interaction * Advertising Data * Other Usage Data
[HEADING=3]Sensitive Info[/HEADING]
* Sensitive Info
[HEADING=3]Diagnostics[/HEADING]
* Crash Data * Performance Data * Other Diagnostic Data
[HEADING=3]Other Data[/HEADING]
* Other Data Types
[HEADING=2]App Functionality[/HEADING]
[HEADING=3]Health & Fitness[/HEADING]
* Health * Fitness
[HEADING=3]Purchases[/HEADING]
* Purchase History
[HEADING=3]Financial Info[/HEADING]
* Payment Info * Credit Info * Other Financial Info
[HEADING=3]Location[/HEADING]
* Precise Location * Coarse Location
[HEADING=3]Contact Info[/HEADING]
* Physical Address * Email Address * Name * Phone Number * Other User Contact Info
[HEADING=3]Contacts[/HEADING]
* Contacts
[HEADING=3]User Content[/HEADING]
* Emails or Text Messages * Photos or Videos * Audio Data * Gameplay Content * Customer Support * Other User Content
[HEADING=3]Search History[/HEADING]
* Search History
[HEADING=3]Browsing History[/HEADING]
* Browsing History
[HEADING=3]Identifiers[/HEADING]
* User ID * Device ID
[HEADING=3]Usage Data[/HEADING]
* Product Interaction * Advertising Data * Other Usage Data
[HEADING=3]Sensitive Info[/HEADING]
* Sensitive Info
[HEADING=3]Diagnostics[/HEADING]
* Crash Data * Performance Data * Other Diagnostic Data
[HEADING=3]Other Data[/HEADING]
* Other Data Types
[HEADING=2]Other Purposes[/HEADING]
[HEADING=3]Purchases[/HEADING]
* Purchase History
[HEADING=3]Financial Info[/HEADING]
* Other Financial Info
[HEADING=3]Location[/HEADING]
* Precise Location * Coarse Location
[HEADING=3]Contact Info[/HEADING]
* Physical Address * Email Address * Name * Phone Number * Other User Contact Info
[HEADING=3]Contacts[/HEADING]
* Contacts
[HEADING=3]User Content[/HEADING]
* Photos or Videos * Gameplay Content * Customer Support * Other User Content
[HEADING=3]Search History[/HEADING]
* Search History
[HEADING=3]Browsing History[/HEADING]
* Browsing History
[HEADING=3]Identifiers[/HEADING]
* User ID * Device ID
[HEADING=3]Usage Data[/HEADING]
* Product Interaction * Advertising Data * Other Usage Data
[HEADING=3]Diagnostics[/HEADING]
* Crash Data * Performance Data * Other Diagnostic Data
[HEADING=3]Other Data[/HEADING]
* Other Data Types
great information dump (if someone has a browser script blocker, they can see Facebook [and Google] cross scripting like crazy from A LOT of sites someone visit).
People should know this — then make their own decisions. And for those who know but aren’t worried about it? That’s their choice. But far too many tech un-savvy FB users don’t even slightly grasp the scale of the info they are gathering on them. Final note (the obligatory message to infuriate the A-haters): Apple is the choice by 10 country miles if privacy security is important to a user.
