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WhatsApp finally starts rolling out multi-account support to beta testers
Some WhatsApp beta users will no longer need multiple copies of the app to use more than one account
WhatsApp is one of the most popular messaging platforms in the world for both personal and business communication, a reputation it has earned through constant updates since first launching on Android devices in 2010. One major feature it still lacks, however, is a multi-account system that allows users to log in to more than one account at the same time. In June, we reported that the WhatsApp Business beta had started work on an account-switching feature. With WhatsApp beta version 2.23.17.8 on the Google Play Store, the feature has now made its way to some testers.
You can now apply for the OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro closed beta program
Want to test new features before everyone else? Here's your chance
Each phone from OnePlus has three software tracks: the stable public builds that most people use, the experimental Open Betas, and finally the bleeding-edge Closed Beta program. If you love trying features before everyone else (and possibly running into serious bugs), OnePlus is now taking applications for joining the Closed Betas for the OnePlus 8 series.
Other than an Open Beta available to anyone, OnePlus also offers a Closed Beta program for its devices. In it, a small number of loyal fans communicate with OnePlus directly and give feedback on early builds of future software long before it's released to others. A few months after releasing the OnePlus 7T and 7T Pro, the company has now started a call for Closed Beta testers for the two phones, limited to a total of 250 slots.
OnePlus has three tiers of software release: the Stable version its phones ship with, an Open Beta for testing, and a private Closed Beta that gets an advance look at super secret features under NDA — paired with bigger bugs and a duty to report them. OnePlus 7 and 7 Pro owners interested in bleeding-edge testing and willing to lend a hand when it comes to digging up bugs can now apply to be one of the special 250 admitted to the Closed Beta.
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- Both Facebook and Google can resume using their internal apps on iOS, according to The Verge and Buzzfeed. The existing certificates have been reinstated. Both Facebook and Google can return to business as usual, and employees of both companies can continue using beta, dogfooded, and internal apps on iOS.
Yesterday Apple pulled Facebook's ability to distribute internal apps for employees on iOS in the wake of an investigation performed by TechCrunch, which alleged that Facebook was not only paying teenagers to use an app to record their activity, but that the app was also abusing Apple's Enterprise Developer Program to be distributed in the first place. In follow-up coverage, it was noted that Google was also using the same method to distribute a consumer-facing app called "Screenwise Meter," which Google subsequently pulled. Regardless, The Verge is reporting that Apple has pulled Google's certificate, just as it did Facebook's.
Jam City's upcoming choose your own adventure game Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery is still in development, which means most regions can't access the download from the Play Store. The good news is if you would like to test it out before it officially releases, you can join the beta right now.
Last Friday I did a hands-on with PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds Mobile thanks to its availability as a soft-launch title in Canada. Today it would appear that the PUBG Mobile has launched worldwide minus a few European regions, though it's exactly the same version (0.3.2) as the Canadian release from last week. So short of the new areas that can access the download, nothing much has changed.
The latest beta update for Minecraft Pocket Edition has hit the Play Store. Right now the download is available just for Android users, but the Windows release is on its way. No matter, Android user means you, so dive in.
BBC iPlayer is Internet streaming's gift to the UK. The service is packed to the brim with British TV shows and documentaries, and the Android app offers a nice way to consume as much as you can.
Until now, the Play Store beta testing system was tied to Google+ communities or Google Groups, but that's changing now. Google is rolling out two new options for developers to run beta tests that don't rely on Google+.
Following VLC on Android over the last couple of months has felt a little bit like a shell game. It all started in December when VideoLAN declared VLC was finally leaving behind its Beta status. The app retained the same package name, org.videolan.vlc.betav7neon, but was to be considered stable. Earlier this month, a brand new version 1.0 VLC app appeared in the Play Store with a package name and title devoid of the word 'beta.' This new app was to become the channel for stable releases, while the original listing was again repurposed for beta releases. This only lasted a few days before the new version vanished from the Play Store on devices and ceased to be installable from the web, at least for many of us.
When the time comes to take control over someone's machine (with their consent, of course) you're going to want an app that can get the job done reliably. TeamViewer is one such option. With it, you can control a massive Windows, Mac, or Linux machine from an itty-bitty Android device.
The SwiftKey folks have released a new version of the popular third-party keyboard that comes with support for thirteen new Indian languages bundled in, but it's all still tucked away in beta form. Users who download the 5.1 beta will get access to Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Oriya, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu, Nepali, and Sinhala (Nepali and Sinhala are not Indian languages but SwiftKey opted to lump them in because they belong to the same Indo-Aryan language family). These languages join Hindi and Hinglish, which are already included in the app.
Developers have certainly made great use of the Alpha and Beta distribution channels in the Play Store since they became available last summer. There was one glaring oversight: developers could only write a single block of text for the "What's New" section. This often led to changelogs that left beta testers in the dark about changes or confusing regular users with promises of new features and fixes that hadn't yet materialized in the stable channel. Well, this problem ends today. Google has finally opened up support for distinct changelog text for each channel!
We've seen Facebook, Twitter, and Snapchat all turn to the Play Store to manage their beta programs, and while this is a great mechanism for handling unpolished software releases, most of us use our phones for more than making status updates, tweeting, and sending private pictures. There are other apps out there that it would be fun to have early access to, and web browsers rank high among them. For us Android users, the Dolphin browser is perhaps second to no one in terms of rolling out new features, and now developer Mobotap has introduced a means to test out the beta version of the app through Google Play.
A number of social apps have turned to the Play Store to manage their betas. We've already seen Facebook and Snapchat launch official beta versions to anyone who signs up for the privilege, and now Twitter is doing the same. If you've signed up for either of the other programs, the routine should feel pretty familiar. The experimental build will replace the current Twitter app on your phone, unlike the Chrome beta that can exist side-by-side with the stable release. Those who opt in will be greeted by a notification when the next build is ready. As this is a beta release, some features may never appear in the stable version, and some instability may appear that could eat your cat or infect your bed with bed bugs. Use at your own discretion.
Snapchat is now the latest prominent app to start using the Play Store beta testing mechanism to get new features in front of users sooner, something we've also seen from Facebook. If you haven't already heard of Snapchat, think of it as a service that could have saved Anthony Weiner a great deal of headache. Users use it to send photos, videos, and text messages that automatically delete from the recipient's device and the server after a set amount of time. New features that can currently be found in the beta include Swype keyboard support and a new size-sensitive drawing canvas. If you want in on this action, here are steps straight from the Snapchat team: