Chinese Asks Apple To Remove Telegram and Signal From App Store

Technology-Portfolio.Net - After Chinese asked Apple to remove WhatsApp and Threads from the App Store, now other popular messaging applications--Signal and Telegram--have also been withdrawn by Apple.

At the insistence of the Chinese government, Apple removed WhatsApp and Threads from the App Store in the Chinese market. Now, other popular messaging apps--Signal and Telegram--have also been pulled by Apple.

Apple says “We are obligated to follow the laws of the countries where we operate, even if we disagree”.

The company further explained that due to national security concerns, China has ordered the app to be removed from the App Store.

“The Cyberspace Administration of China ordered the removal of these apps from the App Store storefront in China based on their national security concerns,” Apple said.

Apple added that these applications remain available for download on all other App Store storefronts (outside the Chinese market).

The move is not surprising, considering that Chinese has a long history of blocking foreign apps and websites, arguing that they do not comply with its internet regulations.

These regulations often focus on data privacy, content control, and censorship--something that has been felt to be particularly restrictive in applications from US companies.

Signal and Telegram join a growing list of apps not available in the Chinese market, including social media giants like Facebook and Instagram, video platform YouTube and even Wikipedia.

In 2023, Meta launched a new platform to compete with Twitter, called Threads. Surprisingly, this application is available in China and was in the top five applications when it was first launched.

WhatsApp is also available for download but not working. Users have to rely on VPNs and other tricks to use popular social media apps in China.

WeChat remains one of the most widely used social media applications in the country.

Chinese Forces Apple To Remove WhatsApp Application and Threads In App Store

Technology-Portfolio.Net - Apple users in Chinese will likely no longer be able to find and download WhatsApp and Threads apps from the App Store.

Apple users in Chinese will likely no longer be able to find and download WhatsApp and Threads apps from the App Store.

Apple said it had pulled the apps from its store to comply with an order it received from the Cyberspace Administration, Chinese internet regulator, citing national security concerns.

Apple explains they are obliged to follow the laws of the countries in which they operate, even when they disagree with them.

Chinese Great Firewall regulator blocks many non-domestic apps and technologies, encouraging local citizens to use VPNs if they want to access any of them.

Facebook and Instagram are the only two apps on the list, but WhatsApp and Threads are still available for download today.

The Chinese regulator's order was issued shortly before the US Senate will vote on a bill that could lead to a ban on TikTok in the US.

The Cyberspace Administration claims that the app is a national security issue, echoing the arguments of US lawmakers who blocked TikTok in the country.

In the current version of the US bill, ByteDance has one year to divest TikTok, or the short video sharing platform will be banned from apps stores.

The US House of Representatives is expected to pass the bill, which is part of a package also including aid to Ukraine and Israel.

President Joe Biden previously said he supported the measure and would soon sign the bill into law.

United States President Joe Biden Signs a Rule To Ban TikTok In The United States, Here's The Reason

Technology-Portfolio.Net - The United States stated that it had passed a law that could have the effect of blocking TikTok in the country.

United States President Joe Biden has reportedly approved new regulations that could threaten TikTok's presence in the country. Because, with this new regulation, the United States can block TikTok if it doesn't divest the company.

With the passing of this regulation, ByteDance as the owner of TikTok must comply with it or leave the United States.

It was stated that companies were given nine months to comply with these regulations. However, the US President is said to be able to extend this period if he sees progress being made by the company.

Responding to this regulation, TikTok spokesperson Alex Haurek stated that his party plans to challenge the law in United States court.

"As we continue to oppose this unconstitutional ban, we will continue to invest and innovate to ensure TikTok remains a space for Americans from all walks of life to safely experience, find joy, and be inspired," said Alex.

TikTok CEO Shou Chew also expressed his response via a post on TikTok. He stated that this step was clearly blocking.

For your information, the US House of Representatives on April 20 2024, approved a bill that could potentially ban TikTok from being distributed in the US if they fail to divest from their parent company in China, Bytedance.

The US House of Representatives has approved the bill with a strong vote of 360 to 58. After gaining approval, this bill arrived at President Biden's desk and was signed.

This step cannot be separated from the many members of parliament from various parties - both from the Republican and Democratic parties, as well as the Biden administration - who have voiced concerns about TikTok.

The reason they use is about national security. They worry that China will force the company to share the data of its 170 million US users.

Easy Ways To Overcome Spotify Errors and Slowness On iPhone & Android

Technology-Portfolio.Net - Spotify is one of the largest music streaming applications in the world. This application offers access to tens of millions of music for free which is legal and there are also paid options.

With a very complete song collection and easy access, it's no wonder this application is so popular among music listeners.

However, there are several issues or problems that can interfere with comfort when using Spotify.

If you are experiencing problems with this application, we share several solutions so you can enjoy music on Spotify again without problems.

Close and Reopen Spotify

If the Spotify application has an error, there is the easiest way to solve it, namely by closing and reopening the Spotify application, here's how.

How to Force Close Spotify on Android

• Open Settings.
• Go to the 'Apps' menu.
• Tap 'See All Apps'.
• Search for and select the Spotify application.
• Click 'Force Stop'.
• Select 'OK' to confirm.

How to Force Close Spotify on iPhone

• Swipe your finger up from the bottom of the screen and hold for a few seconds.
• Search for Spotify.
• Swipe down the Spotify preview to close the application.

Check for Spotify Updates

Some apps may not work if there are pending updates, especially more significant updates that bring major changes to how the app works.

Here is how to update apps in Google Play Store:

• Open the Google Play Store application.
• Tap your profile photo icon.
• Select 'Manage apps & devices'.
• Go to 'Updates available'.
• Scroll down and see if there is an update available for Spotify. If there is, press 'Update' next to it.
• You can also select 'Update all' to update all applications in one tap.

Ways to update apps in the Apple Store:

• Open the Apple App Store.
• Click on your profile icon photo.
• Scroll down and see if there is an update available for Spotify. If there is, press 'Update' next to it.
• You can also select 'Update all' to update all applications in one tap.

Restart Your Cellphone

When you turn off and restart your smartphone, the temporary files that have accumulated will be deleted. So, the cellphone will run more smoothly so that Spotify can run properly.

This method is one of the frequently used problem solving solutions, here's how:

How to restart Android:

• Press the Power button simultaneously, or press the Power button and Volume Up/Down simultaneously depending on your Android smartphone model.
• Tap 'Restart.

How to restart iPhone:

• Press and hold the Power and Volume Up buttons simultaneously for a few seconds.
• When the power menu appears, slide the slide to turn off the phone.
• When the smartphone is off, turn it back on by pressing and holding the Power button for a few seconds, until the Apple logo appears on the screen.

Check Internet Connection

Another reason Spotify isn't working might be because your internet connection is having problems.

Try opening another app or website and see if everything is working properly. If nothing happens, chances are your internet is having problems.

Check If Spotify Server Has Problems

There is a possibility that the Spotify server is experiencing problems, so you cannot stream songs as usual.

If Spotify cannot be opened on another device, there is a possibility that the Spotify server has a problem.

You can also check Down Detector, a third-party website where users can report problems with many services.

Clear Spotify App Cache.

New cache data can cause problems, so it's best to clear the cache when experiencing problems with any app.

Here's how to clear cache on Spotify:

• Open the Settings application.
• Go to 'Apps'.
• Search for the Spotify app.
• Tap 'Storage and Cache'.
• Select 'Clear Cache'.

How To Transfer WhatsApp Chats From Android To iPhone

Technology-Portfolio.Net - Switching from an Android-based cellphone to an iPhone with the iOS operating system is not an easy matter. Sometimes there is some data from an Android cellphone that is quite difficult to restore on an iPhone, for example WhatsApp chat data.

Data transfer can be done using a desktop application such as Wondershare Dr Fone. However, the WhatsApp chat transfer service from Android to iPhone via this application is not free or paid.

Some time ago, Meta CEO and Facebook founder, Mark Zuckerberg, said that his party was rolling out a new feature to WhatsApp that would allow data transfer from an Android cellphone to an iPhone.

Through this feature, users will be able to transfer WhatsApp data, such as chat history, photos, videos, and so on, from Android phones to iPhones more easily.

The feature for moving WhatsApp data from Android to iPhone will later be embedded in an application called Move to iOS made by Apple, which is available on the Google Play Store. Move to iOS is actually not a new application.

Before knowing how to move WhatsApp data from Android to iPhone via Move to iOS, you should first understand some of the conditions needed, here are the explanations.

Conditions for transferring WhatsApp chats from Android to iPhone via Move to iOS

• An Android cellphone should at least be running the Android operating system version 5 or later.
• Your iPhone should be running at least iOS 15.5 or later.
• On an Android cellphone, at least WhatsApp version 2.22.7.74 or later is used.
• On iPhone, use at least WhatsApp version 2.22.10.70 or later.
• Use the same WhatsApp account on your Android phone as on your iPhone.
• The iPhone that is the target for transferring WhatsApp chats from Android must be in the initial device settings.
• Both devices, Android cellphone and iPhone must use the same WiFi network.

If you understand the conditions above, here is how to transfer WhatsApp chats from Android to iPhone via Move to iOS, as reported on the official WhatsApp FAQ page.

How to transfer WhatsApp chats from Android to iPhone via Move to iOS

• Download the Move to iOS app from Google Play Store, then open it on your Android phone.
• When the iPhone is in the initial device setup state, select the “Move Data from Android” option on the data recovery menu.
• Next, the iPhone will display a code to link the devices.
• Enter the code in the Move to iOS application on your Android cellphone, then click the "Continue" option to start linking the devices.
• In the “Data Transfer” menu that appears in the Move to iOS application, check the option.
• “WhatsApp”.
• Wait a few moments until the data is ready to be exported to iPhone.
• Click the "Continue" option to start transferring WhatsApp data from Android cellphone to iPhone and wait until the process is confirmed to be complete.
• Complete the initial iPhone setup sequence until you successfully open the "home" screen.
• On iPhone, install the latest version of the WhatsApp application downloaded from the App Store.
• Complete the initial verification process for your WhatsApp account on your iPhone using the same telephone number used on your Android cellphone.
• If verification is successful, WhatsApp data from the previous Android cellphone will appear on the iPhone.

This is information about how to transfer WhatsApp chats from Android to iPhone, along with the necessary conditions, hopefully it is useful.

WhatsApp Prepares The Language Change Feature From The Application

Technology-Portfolio.Net - WhatsApp is reportedly developing a new feature called App Language. As the name suggests, this feature allows users to change the language in the application.

This new Whatsapp feature was first discovered by WABetaInfo in the beta version of Android v2.22.8.3. It is stated that this option allows users to manually change the language of the application.

WhatsApp itself supports 60 languages in the world for Android devices. This language setting is automatic according to the system language.

With this App Language setting, the WhatsApp application language can be changed as desired without the need to follow the language on the cellphone system, as reported by Beebom.

This feature is similar to one of the options in Android 13, which allows users to change the language in each App. This feature is already in developer preview form, and still needs improvement.

WABetaInfo reports that the WhatsApp App Language feature is still in the development stage. So it is not known when this feature will be released to all users.

Instagram Tries Edit Grid Feature to Create A More Aesthetic Feed

Technology-Portfolio.Net - Instagram is testing a new feature called Edit Grid. This feature will be very useful for Instagram users who want to have an aesthetic profile feed.

Currently this feature is still in the development stage. But developer and leaker Alessandro Paluzzi managed to dig into it to show how this feature looks and works before it is rolled out.

In a tweet on his Twitter account, Paluzzzi shared two screenshots showing this feature. The first screenshot shows the edit profile page showing a new option called Edit Grid.

If the user selects this option, they can change the order of the photos on the profile page. Instead of bothering to delete or archive photos, users can simply drag-and-drop the photos they want to move to make their profiles look neater and more aesthetic, as quoted from XDA Developers, Thursday (13/1/2022).

Currently, Instagram has not shared information about this new feature. But chances are they will reveal more information once this feature is ready to roll out.

Instagram Tries Edit Grid Feature to Create A More Aesthetic Feed

#Instagram is working on the ability to edit the profile grid allowing you to rearrange posts in any order you like 👀 pic.twitter.com/fjmkJD4je2

— Alessandro Paluzzi (@alex193a) January 10, 2022

As it is still in development stage, this feature will be rolled out to beta testers first before it is released to all users. It is also possible that this feature will be canceled for one reason or another.

In addition to the edit grid feature, Instagram is also testing three ways to sort content in the main feed, namely by upload time chronology, based on a proposed algorithm, and based on the order of favorite accounts. These three new feed views will roll out in the second half of 2022.

Google Will Apply New Rules Regarding App Naming on the Play Store

Technology-Portfolio.Net - Google is compiling a list of apps with names and icons that are too long.

This followed the company's desire to make app names and icons more concise and accurate on the Play Store.

This regulation will facilitate the review process for taking screenshots and the video will be available at the end of this year.

Google details the rules, the policy will prohibit application developers from using tricks to get the attention of potential users.

Simply put, the developer should not cheat with non-to-the-point words.

The name of the later application may not use emoji. Except for the brand name, writing in full capital letters is not allowed.

Limited to 30 Characters

Then, the application title will be limited to 30 characters only. Including call-to-action words like 'download now' or 'sale' is not allowed.

This detail is an initial announcement before the company will detail related policies by the end of 2021.

Unmitigated, Google will not explicitly provide space on Google Play for applications that violate these policies.

Developers Need To Prepare Separate Descriptions

Separately, new rules regarding app preview descriptions will take effect from the second half of this year.

However, application and game developers need to prepare descriptions that are simple but contain sufficient information.

"Assets that do not meet our guidelines may not be eligible for promotions and recommendations on major Google Play platforms such as the App and Games homepage," said Google.