The US government has reportedly asked Facebook to help wiretap its Messenger chat app to listen to a suspect’s conversations in a criminal investigation, according to a report Friday by Reuters. That would involve breaking the encryption on the app, which is used by more than a billion people a month. The probe is related …

Google says it’s trying to be clearer about how it tracks users on certain apps. On Thursday, the search giant updated a help page for its location tracking tools, after the company’s data collection practices had come under fire for being what some critics called misleading. Previously, the help page said: “You can turn off Location History at any time. …

Facebook wants to help you find a mentor. The social network said Thursday it’s launching tools for Facebook Groups, which has 200 million members, that aim to connect people one-on-one. That means the administrators of some Facebook groups can create programs to pair up mentors and mentees. The two people then go through a step-by-step digital guide to get to …

The next generation of Android is on its way. And you guessed it — the P is for Pie. Android Pie, the new version of Google’s mobile operating system, previously called Android P, comes first to the search giant’s Pixel smartphones starting Monday. Google initially announced a preview version of the software in March, then demoed some features at its annual I/O developer …

Facebook is testing out a new “Create” button for the desktop version of the platform, which prompts people to do things like make a new Facebook page or post an ad. The button, on the top right corner of the page, leads to a drop-down menu where people can create a brand Page, an advertisement, a group, an event, a …

Facebook’s and Instagram’s newest features? Tools to help you spend less time on Facebook and Instagram. Social networking giant Facebook, which owns Instagram, unveiled new additions Wednesday aimed at letting people better manage their time on the apps. One new feature will let you see a dashboard that tells you how much time you’ve spent on Facebook or Instagram that …

Facebook said Tuesday it’s redesigning its mobile app’s navigation bar — at the bottom of the screen for iPhones, and at top of the screen for Android phones — to show people shortcuts for the products they use most frequently. Previously, everyone in the same country saw the same five icons. In the US, it was news feed, notifications, menu, …

Google is moving ahead with Duplex, the stunningly human-sounding artificial intelligence software behind its new automated system that places phone calls on your behalf with a natural-sounding voice instead of a robotic one. The search giant said Wednesday it’s beginning public testing of the software, which debuted in May and which is designed to make calls to businesses and book appointments. Duplex instantly raised …

Facebook is trying to get more people to interact with the Stories feature in its main app. The social network on Wednesday announced a few new features for the service, which lets people post a string of photos and videos that automatically disappear after 24 hours. Now, if you reply to a Story, you’ll be able to add other people …

Facebook is expanding Messenger Kids, its chat app designed for children under 13, to countries outside of the US, even as the company receives criticism from child advocacy groups. The company on Friday said it’s bringing the service to Peru and Canada. As part of the expansion, Facebook is making the app available in Spanish and French. Messenger Kids, introduced …