YouTube app ends support for Android 6 phones

WhatsApp is introducing a new feature powered by artificial intelligence (AI) technology to help protect users from scams. According to a report, the AI-powered scam detection feature is designed to help identify potentially fraudulent chats. The feature will use on-device AI to flag suspicious conversations while messages will continue to be protected by end-to-end encryption. According to the report, the feature works by downloading a machine-learning model directly onto the user’s smartphone. The model analyzes WhatsApp messages from people whose phone numbers are not saved in the user’s contacts. It examines the conversation style and language to assess whether the interaction could potentially be a scam. If the system identifies a chat as potentially fraudulent, WhatsApp will display a warning to the user. The other person involved in the conversation will not be notified about the warning. After seeing the warning, users can choose to block or report the sender, continue the conversation or mark the chat as trusted. Once a chat is marked as trusted, WhatsApp will stop displaying scam alerts for that conversation. According to the company, the AI model has been trained to identify fraudulent activity. Meta also stated that the AI model will not compromise users privacy and the company will not have access to users’ messages.

X has discontinued its previous Creator Revenue Sharing Program and introduced a new Original Content Rewards Program in its place. The purpose of X’s Original Content Rewards Program is to reward content creators who share original content on the social media platform. Earnings will depend particularly on the qualified impressions generated through a creator’s original content. Rewards will be distributed every two weeks with the first payment scheduled for August 28. Only impressions from Premium subscribers will be counted toward payments. Existing participants will be able to earn revenue until September 7 while eligible creators can apply for the new program starting September 8, 2026. Under the new initiative, posts containing misinformation and disinformation as well as posts carrying Community Notes will be ineligible for advertising revenue. It is worth noting that new users can no longer access the previous Revenue Sharing Program which has now been discontinued.

Google has announced a major change to its cloud storage policy ending a long-standing free benefit for Google account users. Almost every internet user today relies on a Google account which comes with limited cloud storage. When users approach their storage limit, Google typically recommends upgrading to a paid plan for additional space. Until now, a user’s Google storage quota included Google Photos media files, Google Drive files and Gmail emails. Under the new policy, however, Android phone backup data will also count toward the account’s storage limit. Google informed users of the change through email giving them 45 days notice before the new policy takes effect. Once implemented, Android backup data including system settings, app data, SMS messages and call history will be included in the storage quota of a Google account. The company said the advance notice is intended to give users enough time to manage their storage or adjust their backup settings before the policy is enforced. Previously, only certain Android content, such as Google Photos uploads and MMS messages counted toward storage usage. Under the updated policy, complete Android backups are expected to consume a much larger portion of users available cloud storage. Google warned that if Android backups cause users to exceed their storage limit, they will either need to free up space in their Google account or subscribe to a paid Google storage plan for additional capacity. A Google spokesperson previously said that the average Android backup is expected to use around 40 MB of storage. The company also noted that users will have greater control over which data and apps are included in their backups. This marks another change to Google’s account storage policies. Earlier, in May 2026, the company began testing a reduction in free storage for new Google accounts lowering the limit from 15 GB to 5 GB.

OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT has acknowledged that two of its most advanced artificial intelligence (AI) models successfully hacked another company’s systems on their own during an internal cybersecurity evaluation. In a blog post, OpenAI described the incident as unprecedented saying it occurred during internal testing of the cybersecurity capabilities of its AI models. According to the company, an autonomous AI agent powered by its recently introduced GPT-5.6 Sol model and another advanced model that has not yet been publicly released managed to move beyond its controlled testing environment and access the open internet. The AI agent then used previously compromised login credentials to identify a previously unknown security vulnerability on the servers of AI company Hugging Face. It subsequently exploited the vulnerability to gain unauthorized access. OpenAI said the incident demonstrated that autonomous AI agents can go to extraordinary lengths to accomplish their assigned objectives during testing. Commenting on the incident, Clément Delangue, co-founder of Hugging Face said the company initially suspected that a frontier AI laboratory was behind the cyberattack adding that it did not believe OpenAI had any malicious intent. He said, “It is mind-blowing that an AI agent carried this out autonomously. This is the first known incident of its kind.” Delangue also warned that AI technology is advancing at an extremely rapid pace while comprehensive regulations to ensure its safe development and deployment are still lacking. Experts have long expressed concerns about AI-powered cyberattacks warning that increasingly capable AI models could eventually operate beyond meaningful human control if appropriate safeguards and regulations are not put in place.

Facebook, the world’s most popular social media platform is set to undergo a major transformation that will significantly change how people use the app. Meta has announced a new “Reimagined Experience” for Facebook which is expected to fundamentally reshape the platform. The company is essentially moving Facebook toward a more TikTok-like experience. Under the new design, users will see a full-screen video feed as soon as they open the Facebook app. According to Meta, this change reflects what users want most as video content has become the platform’s highest priority. The company said it aims to provide an experience that is both entertaining and helps users discover content from trusted creators. However, users who do not like the new interface will have the option to switch back to the classic Facebook feed which will remain available as a secondary tab in the app’s navigation. Meta plans to roll out the video-first feed later this year initially in selected countries where users consume more video content. Interestingly, TikTok was the first platform to popularize this type of full-screen video feed and Meta now appears to be adopting a similar approach for Facebook. The company has not yet released any screenshots or images of the new interface.

Google Maps has become an important part of everyday life for many people with countless smartphone users relying on the navigation service. The app offers numerous features including the ability to save important places so that users can visit them later. In fact, users can also create lists of saved locations. These Saved Places lists can be accessed through the You tab in Google Maps. If users do not want their saved places to clutter the map interface, they can hide them. However, until now, users have had to hide each list individually. Google is now making the process easier by testing a new feature that will allow users to hide all saved places at once. According to a report by Android Authority, the feature has been spotted in a new beta version of Google Maps. The report states that the feature will allow users to view all their saved locations in a single list called “All Saved Places.” An option called “Hide on Your Map” will also be available. It will appear when users tap the three-dot menu next to the list. After selecting the option, a confirmation message will appear. Users will also be informed about how they can restore each individual list later. The feature is currently being tested in the beta version of Google Maps so it may take some time before it becomes available to all users.