We Are Social’s Monday Mashup #480

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WhatsApp hits 2 billion users globally
Big numbers from the dark side – Facebook-owned dark social app WhatsApp revealed last week that it now has 2 billion users globally. Along with the announcement, WhatsApp also launched a new privacy website. It aims to inform users about all the sexy stuff, from end-to-end encryption to two-factor authentication, and the other privacy features and settings available. As our Digital 2020 Report shows, WhatsApp (green) is the most active messaging platform for a large portion of the world, though Facebook Messenger (blue) rules for the US, Australia and more.



Facebook introduces Hobbi, Pinterest’s share price falls
Look out Pinterest, Facebook is coming for you! Facebook has announced the latest in its group of experimental projects with the launch of Hobbi, a photo and video sharing app designed for documenting personal projects and hobbies. The new app is currently available on iOS in the US, Columbia, Belgium, Spain, and the Ukraine. While Hobbi doesn’t yet have much of a social component, its likeness to Pinterest did cause the discover platform’s share price to drop more than 4 per cent in after-hours trading when the news broke on Thursday. Ouch.



YouTube tests ‘viewer applause’ to help creators monetise content 
YouTube is currently running an invitation-only beta test of a new feature aimed at helping content creators earn more cash. The new feature, officially known as Viewer Applause, allows fans to purchase a clapping animation that appears over the video (privately to the buyer) they’re choosing to support. The feature is currently only available on desktop in Australia, Brazil, India, Japan, Korea, Mexico, New Zealand, and the United States.



‘TikTok Tips’ launched to promote safety on the platform
TikTok has released a new account, TikTok Tips (try saying that 10 times quickly), which uses popular influencers on the platform to deliver messages about user safety and wellbeing, including tips on how TikTok’s safety tools work. The account’s description says that it is “on a mission to promote privacy, safety, and positive vibes.”

@tiktoktips

You can decide who can watch your videos. 👀

♬ original sound – tiktoktips




Ones to watch
Instagram is working on a new video trimming feature for Instagram Stories, as well as a prototype for a ‘Latest Posts’ feature; Snapchat is testing out a major new redesign which would expand the app from three to five definitively separated sections; and Tinder is testing a series of new social features designed to boost conversations between users, including a ‘Share to Matches’ option.