Instagram wants to make it simpler to watch videos on its platform. To see longer videos on the photo- and video-sharing social network, you used to need a separate app called IGTV. Now, the Facebook-owned company is merging the IGTV videos and the shorter videos you’d normally find in your feed into a single tab …

If you’ve ever had the thought that you could do better than the politicians you see on TV, Snapchat wants to help you get started. A new feature in the photo- and video-sharing app will help US users find local races, connect to recruitment and training organizations, start a campaign hub in the app itself or pass the buck to …

Facebook, Twitter and YouTube are fighting back against a new Texas “censorship” law. Trade groups representing the social media giants have sued the state of Texas over the law, arguing that it restricts the First Amendment rights of the companies in question.  Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed HB20 into law earlier in September. The law targets social media companies with …

Unicode launched version 14.0 of its language coding standard on Tuesday, complete with 37 new emojis, over 800 new characters and support for lesser-used languages and symbols. The new emojis include a face holding back tears, heart hands, a low battery indicator and objects like coral.  Though the new code debuts today, you won’t be able to incorporate the new …

You might have to wait a little bit longer to get your hands on the Apple Watch 7. Apple hasn’t announced any details yet, but we were hoping to see the tech giant’s next smartwatch at its usual September event alongside the rumored iPhone 13. Those plans might need to be put on hold as shipping the watch could be delayed due …

Apple’s upcoming iPhone 13 could be able to use satellite signals to send text messages in areas without cellular coverage, but at first, those messages will reportedly be limited to emergencies only. Industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo told investors last week that Apple’s next iPhone will be able to tap into the signals of low-Earth-orbit satellites. As of Monday, Bloomberg is …

Snapchat is expanding the repertoire of its visual search with an update to a feature called Scan. Scan has been a part of the popular messaging app for awhile as a way to identify songs or solve a math problem. Thursday’s update will put the feature front and center with a button on the main page of the app while …

Microsoft is expected to jump back into the foldable phone game this fall, and leaked images appear to give us an idea of what we can look for in an upcoming Surface Duo 2. The source of the images is unknown, but Windows Central called them credible.  The photos show a three-lens camera inside a typical camera bump. The photos, …

Instagram’s new feature aims to help you check your info quickly and easily so you can recover your account if you’ve been hacked. Called the “Security Checkup,” the program walks you through steps such as checking your login information, updating your contact info, confirming which accounts share your info and reviewing your profile. The social media service owned by Facebook …

Twitter’s design team is working to make privacy settings easier to understand and access. Lena Emara, a product designer working for Twitter, posted images of the concepts in progress on Tuesday to the social media site. The thread talks through several possible changes, including an easier method of switching accounts, grouped privacy settings and tailored discoverability.  As Emara notes at …