Here’s some of what happened in the search engine and social media industries from 4th to 10th April 2020.
1. Facebook’s new ‘Quiet Mode’
Facebook recently announced its plans to launch an all-new ‘Quiet Mode’ for its main mobile app which will pause ‘most’ push notifications. It’s still unclear exactly which notifications will be exempted; it’s also not to be confused with ‘mute push notifications’ already built-in.
The update has become available for iOS users and will arrive for Android users in May.
[source]2. New ‘Shop’ tabs on Pinterest
Pinterest has launched a new way to shop through its platform by enabling users to browse in-stock inventory through the newly-added ‘Shop’ tabs on Search and on Pinterest boards. The new tab will help users search queries such as ‘spring outfits’ or ‘home office décor’ etc.
Additionally, if a Pinterest users visits their boards, they’ll see a new Shop tab there, also.
[source]3. Braille keyboard for Android
Google recently announced it will offer a Braille keyboard integrated directly into Android. The company says this new feature will make its operating system more accessible for visually-impaired people without the need for extra hardware. The keyboard, called TalkBack, uses a six-key layout with each key representing one of six Braille dots to form letters and symbols when tapped in combination.
It will be available for Android 5.0 and above.
[source]4. Instagram DMs now on Desktops
After more than a year of testing, Instagram has extended its Direct Messaging services to the web version of the app for interaction via desktop. The addition will make Instagram’s messaging tools more widely accessible.
It will also give benefits to social media managers such that all Instagram activities could now be conducted via desktop including postings and managing DMs.
[source]5. YouTube cracking down on COVID-19 conspiracy videos
YouTube has started banning/restricting conspiracy videos linking 5G technology to COVID-19. It is important to note that YouTube isn’t changing any rules but simply doubling-down on existing content policies.
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