Meta-owned messaging platform WhatsApp has reportedly rolled out some new shortcuts for group admins to quickly and easily perform actions for a certain group participant, on iOS.

The new shortcuts simplify interactions with group members as now the platform supports large groups of up to 1024 participants, reports WABetainfo.

The new update will help group admins to quickly manage and communicate with such a large number of participants in private.

The feature is available for all users that install the latest update of WhatsApp for iOS from the App Store.

With the new update, the phone numbers are now highlighted in group events when group participants join or leave a group and group admins can easily interact with them.

If admins tap and hold a phone number, they can use new shortcuts that include the ability to quickly call and chat with participants in private and they can also add group participants to their contacts book and copy their phone numbers.

“This feature can save group admins a significant amount of time as they no longer need to navigate through the group info screen to find contact information,” the report said.

Meanwhile, last week, it was reported that the messaging platform was rolling out a new ‘voice status updates’ feature on iOS beta, which will allow users to share voice notes via status updates.

Microsoft shutting down VR platform AltspaceVR

Microsoft has announced plans to shut down its social virtual reality platform AltspaceVR, which offered immersive social spaces for people to interact with friends and colleagues as 3D avatars.

In 2017, Microsoft stepped in and acquired the platform after AltspaceVR decided to shut it down, and now the company said it will shut down the service on March 10, 2023.

The tech giant will shift its focus to support immersive experiences powered by Microsoft Mesh (a platform which enables presence and shared experiences from anywhere — on any device — through mixed reality applications.

“With Mesh, we aspire to build a platform that offers the widest opportunity to all involved, including creators, partners and customers,” Microsoft said in a blogpost.

“We look forward to what is to come, including our launch of Microsoft Mesh, a new platform for connection and collaboration, starting by enabling workplaces around the world,” it added.

Moreover, the company mentioned, in the near term, it will be focusing its VR efforts on workplace experiences, learning from and alongside its early customers and partners, and ensuring that it delivers a foundation that enables security, trust and compliance.

The news of the shutdown comes after Microsoft confirmed it would lay off 10,000 employees through the end of March.

Higher priced subscription for ad-free Twitter

Twitter Boss Elon Musk has announced that a higher-priced subscription to the microblogging platform with no ads will be available in the coming weeks.

“Ads are too frequent on Twitter and too big. Taking steps to address both in coming weeks,” Musk tweeted.

“Also, there will be a higher-priced subscription that allows zero ads,” he added.

Moreover, a Twitter user known as “The Rabbit Hole” commented on Musk’s tweet, asking, “Can individual users opt to monetise accounts through ads? Currently, advertisers reach out individually to users; creating a solution integrated with the platform will let Twitter take a cut and give creators a pathway to monetising our content”.To which Musk replied: “Maybe there’s a way to do this by placing an ad below tweet details”.

Meanwhile, fighting hard to stay afloat, Twitter offered a new incentive to skeptical advertisers where the micro-blogging platform will match advertisers’ ad spending up to $250,000.