Facebook and Messenger receive a significant update aimed at enhancing online safety for teenagers.

      Meta has introduced Teen Accounts on Facebook and Messenger, implementing several critical safety features. Although Teen Accounts have been available on Instagram, Meta has now announced that this feature is being extended to its other platforms. Additionally, teens on Instagram will benefit from enhanced security measures as part of today’s announcement.

      According to TechCrunch, Teen Accounts on Facebook and Messenger will gradually be launched in the U.S., U.K., Australia, and Canada. With these new regulations, all users under 16 will have their accounts transitioned to the teen account format, granting parents some essential controls to help ensure their children's online safety.

      The intention is to reduce unwanted and inappropriate interactions. As reported by TechCrunch, teens will be able to receive messages solely from individuals they've previously messaged or those they follow. Only their friends will have access to their stories, and actions such as tagging, mentioning, and commenting will be restricted to friends and people they follow. It remains uncertain what additional limitations are included under the “teen account” classification.

      Teens using Facebook and Messenger will also receive reminders to limit their time on social media after using the apps for one hour each day. At night, "Quiet mode" will automatically be activated.

      Furthermore, updates are also being applied to Instagram's Teen Accounts. Teens under 16 will be prohibited from going live on Instagram without parental consent. They will also not be able to disable a crucial messaging feature: Image blurring. The app will automatically blur images suspected of containing nudity when sent via direct messages, and teens will no longer have the ability to turn off this feature without parental approval.

      Meta reported that Teen Accounts on Instagram are performing well, with 97% of teens aged 13 to 15 opting to retain the safety features. Since the rollout began in September 2024, a total of 54 million teens have been transitioned to Teen Accounts.

      Monica is a computing writer at Digital Trends, focusing on PC hardware. Since joining the team in 2021, Monica has written…

      Samsung's eagerly anticipated Wear OS 5 update has finally arrived. Here are the smartwatches set to receive it.

      Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Watch 7 and Galaxy Watch Ultra in July, both featuring the Wear OS 5/One UI 6 Watch update. After a four-month wait, older Samsung watches are now being updated to the latest software.

      As Samsung has stated, Wear OS 5 will soon roll out for the following smartwatches:

      The Samsung Galaxy S25 is expected to receive a significant upgrade over the Galaxy S24: increased RAM. While it may sound like a minor specification enhancement, benchmark tests suggest that the base model could feature up to 12GB of RAM. When the Galaxy S24 launched earlier this year, the entry-level model came with 8GB of RAM, which many considered not adequate for a flagship device at its price point. According to a report from GSMArena, the Galaxy S25 is set to upgrade this to 12GB.

      The additional RAM will enhance app performance, resulting in smoother operation with fewer interruptions. However, we should temper our enthusiasm; it remains unclear whether Samsung is completely eliminating the 8GB variant, as some higher-end Galaxy S24 models had 12GB of RAM. The benchmark suggesting a RAM upgrade might also be misleading, so it is wise to remain skeptical.

      The Pixel Watch is poised for a highly anticipated software update.

      Google has generally issued updates to the Pixel Watch nearly every month—most of which were security-related, with some introducing new features and operating system upgrades. Fans anticipated an update in October, but Google has postponed it until this month. This upcoming update will restart the rollout of Wear OS 5 to users of the Pixel Watch 1 and Pixel Watch 2, following a pause due to crashes in September. After months of efforts to resolve the crash issues, Google is confident that the latest update released yesterday will be stable.

      In addition to Wear OS 5, this update will enhance camera controls and introduce modifications to the Pixel Recorder app, available through the Play Store. Users will be notified on their watches when the update is ready for download, eliminating the need for constant checking. The first update for the Pixel Watch 3 since its launch will also include bug fixes and security enhancements. All Pixel Watch models will eventually upgrade to version AW2A.241105.012, though the timing will depend on both the carrier and the device.