WeChat Lets You Call Mobile Phones and Landlines, Takes on Skype and Others

n a rather significant move, WeChat has now added a feature to call mobile phones and landlines within the app, just like how one could do on Skype. The service is being branded as WeChat Out and the feature has already been rolled out in US, Hong Kong and India. The company behind WeChat, Tencent says that it will soon rollout the feature to other countries as well.

WeChat pitches the service as “super-low calling rates” and “excellent call quality”, and as rightly pointed out by VentureBeat it will help the company to link customers’ credit cards to their WeChat accounts.

So the feature can be accessed by tapping on the ‘+’ symbol at the top right and selecting WeChat out. The service will take some time to import your phonebook post which you can dial the number directly. The company says that it would be giving away 100 minutes of free calls (worth $0.99) to most of the users, but when I tried (from India), my account balance was nil and had to top-up to use the service. It would have been nicer if WeChat had included a free minute to sample the services before actually buying the talktime.

WeChat has been trying to match pace with Skype as it had earlier rolled out video chatting services for a group of up to nine people, but now it seems that Tencent is more keen on including the new features as it plans to scale up globally.

The mobile payment system has been opened to the non-Chinese users for the first time which means that users outside China would now be able to buy stuff on WeChat by directly using their credit cards.

While I was already rejoicing that I could finally call mobiles and landlines in India from the app it stuck to me that Ringo had tried doing so and was promptly blocked out by the Telecom operators citing regulations. I tried calling a local Indian number from the WeChat app and was instantly greeted with the message “Call restricted to India due to local regulations”. Thus we could only place calls outside India, nevertheless the calling rates to US and many other countries are highly affordable. WeChat has one of the largest growing user database which had peaked at 650-Million last November. It has been the most widely used IM app in China and is now gaining foothold globally. The WeChat Out feature will act as a bargaining chip for Tencent to acquire new customers.

Samsung Pay Will Launch Online Payments In the U.S.

Samsung Pay plans a major expansion in the United States next year. Users will be able to make purchases on websites with Samsung Pay, which puts it into more direct competition with services like Paypal, Reuters reports. The mobile wallet platform will be also available on lower-end Samsung smartphones, not just flagship models like the Galaxy S6 Edge.

In an interview with Reuters, Samsung global co-general manager Thomas Ko said Samsung Pay will roll out to more smartphone models next year. The payment platform launched in the U.S. in September and has an advantage over competitors because it can emulate magnetic stripe cards thanks to Samsung’s acquisition of LoopPay, in addition to using NFC technology like Apple Pay and Android Pay.

This means Samsung Pay works with a wider assortment of existing point-of-sale equipment than Apple Pay or Android Pay does.

Ko claims that Samsung Pay is already the most widely accepted mobile payments system in the U.S. because it is compatible with most credit card terminals. Mobile wallets haven’t quite taken off in the U.S. yet, but getting people accustomed to using their stored financial information in Samsung Pay for online purchases may convince them to pull out their smartphones at cashier stands, too.

Sony extends Marshmallow Concept trial into New Year, releases 6.0.1

Sony had been planning to bring its Sony Concept Android Marshmallow beta to a close later this week. However, the company has decided to continue the program into the New Year, following a very positive experience with testers.

The additional time is certainly good news for the tens of thousands of program participants and also means that Sony will have some additional time to collect more feedback and tweak its Marshmallow experience. There is a drawback here though, as the company doesn’t seem to know exactly when it plans to release an official Marshmallow build to its broader consumers. An update for the Z5 range had been expected in January.

                                          

However, the final release may be based on the slightly newer Android 6.0.1 version, as Sony has also just begun rollout out this software to its Concept beta testers. The new MMB29M.Z1.3021-somc version includes the 200 new emojis and “do not disturb until” tweaks, and also seems to have removed app drawer customization from Sony’s build. The OTA update should be hitting those in the trial sometime this week.

Honor 7 Gets Android 6.0 Marshmallow Update in India

Huawei’s Honor series has been flooded with new entrants every now and then but when it comes to updates the phones seemed to be somewhat neglected. Huawei isn’t really known for quick updates, specially for their international (non-Chinsese) builds, but that’s slowly changing. This time around, Huawei has taken care that the Honor 7, its freshest flagship is upgraded to the Android Marshmallow in India.

The Marshmallow update will be available for all the Indian users but it comes with a caveat – users need to register themselves (at this link) for the OTA update by updating their IMEI number and the software version. The company will then deploy the update to the user’s phone within the next 24 tp 48 hours. We really wonder why a user needs to go through all this hoopla just to receive the update, but then again it is worth the efforts considering the fact that it will update your phone with the latest Android available.

A quick recap on Honor 7 specifications, it comes with a 5.2-inch FHD display, 64-bit Kirin 935 paired with a 3GB of RAM. On the imaging front, the phone impresses with a 20-Megapixel primary sensor and a 8-Megapixel secondary sensor. Now that it comes with Marshmallow as well, Honor 7 looks like a great proposition at Rs 22,999.

Android updates have always been a pain point for the users since it needs to cross a handful of checkpoints to reach the users. The process is painstakingly slow especially when it comes to the network locked phone as the carrier is required to certify the update before its rolled out. In the current day scenario, OEMs like Xiaomi are instead rolling out their ROMs on the forums so that the users can manually update their device by flashing with the latest ROMs. By asking users to register for the OTA, Huawei is probably prioritizing users who actually care about OS updates over others who don’t really care to get the latest.

Xiaomi Mi 3, Mi 4 and Mi Note to Soon get Updated with Android 6.0 Marshmallow

Xiaomi will be soon releasing the Android 6.0 Marshmallow updates for a few of its devices including Xiaomi Mi 4, Mi Note and Mi 3. According to the MIUI operations manager, the update seems to be in the final stages of testing and will see the light soon.

This was an update that many were waiting for with bated breath and with this update Xiaomi will join a handful of other phone manufacturers who have already updated their phones with the Marshmallow. The update seems to have in fact reached the update validation stage which means that it might start seeding pronto.

Many Xiaomi users were dejected when the company still stuck to the age old Android KitKat 4.4 even after releasing the MIUI 7 ROM, but Xiaomi contradicted the apprehension saying that the base version of the OS wouldn’t matter as the features in MIUI 7 would be same. This is indeed a legit argument but it sort of loses its steam as some of the apps from the Playstore run only on the Android Lollipop and newer versions.

Now it seems that the phones will be directly updated to the Android Marshmallow. The update is currently in Beta stage, post which it will hit the developer version and finally it will shape up as a stable OTA update, the entire process will take some time. We still aren’t sure if the update is coming for international users as well, or just the Chinese users for now.

We would suggest the novice users to wait for the stable version as the Beta is susceptible to bugs and other malfunctions which might ultimately affect your phones functionality. On the other hand if you won’t mind getting your hands dirty and experiment along with the device, the beta update is for you. We shall be posting more details as and when they become. Stay tuned.

HTC One X9 unveiled, comes with a 5.5-inch display, 13MP camera with OIS, and 3,000 mAh battery

After unveiling the premium mid-range smartphone, the HTC One A9, the Taiwan-based smartphone manufacturer has announced yet another smartphone. The HTC One X9, which was unveiled in China yesterday, comes with a 5.5-inch 1080p display, an octa-core processor with MediaTek, a 13-megapixel primary camera with OIS, and a 3,000 mAh battery.

HTC One X9 Specifications

• Android 5.1.1 Lollipop with HTC Sense UI
• 5.5-inch IPS LCD display, 1,080 x 1,920 pixels (401 ppi), 170-degree viewing angle
• 13-megapixel primary camera (BSI sensor), dual-tone LED Flash, OIS, 4K video recording
• 4-megapixel UltraPixel front-facing camera, ƒ/2.0 aperture, 24.7 mm wide-angle lens, and 1080p video recording
• MediaTek Helio X10 (MT6795T) with 2.2GHz octa-core 64-bit CPU and PowerVR G6200 GPU
• 3GB RAM, 32GB internal storage, and microSD card slot (2TB)
• Dual BoomSound speakers with Dolby audio
• Dual-SIM, 4G LTE/3G HSPA+, dual-band Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth v4.1, GPS (with A-GPS and GLONASS), microUSB v2.0 port
• 3,000 mAh battery; 153.9 x 75.9 x 7.99 mm; 173 grams

The HTC One X9 is a metal-clad smartphone, just like other high-end smartphones from the company, and utilises a design that we saw in the One A9. However, you can also notice design cues from the HTC Desire series of smartphones with 2013 and 2014. It features a 5.5-inch 1080p IPS LCD display and front-facing dual stereo loudspeakers with HTC BoomSound and Dolby Audio.

There’s 3GB of RAM, 32GB  of internal storage, and a microSD card slot that can intake cards of upto 2TB. For imaging, there’s a 13-megapixel camera with OIS, dual-tone LED flash, and an ability to record 4K videos. There’s a 4-megapixel UltraPixel wide-angle camera with ƒ/2.0 aperture and 1080p video recording.

In terms of processing hardware, the One X9 is equipped with a MediaTek MT6795T processor with 64-bit octa-core CPU and PowerVR G6200 GPU. The One X9 comes with a dual-SIM card slot and can connect to 4G and 3G networks. Other connectivity features include dual-band gigabit Wi-Fi, Bluetooth v4.1, GPS, and microUSB v2.0 port.

It isn’t clear whether it is running Android 5.1 Lollipop or Android 6.0 Marshmallow. The HTC One X9 will be available in two colours; Gunmetal Grey and Silver. It will be available in China soon with a price tag of CNY 2,399 (~ Rs. 24,477). The company hasn’t announced its plan to launch the HTC One X9 in other markets around the world, but it is expected that it could reach India in Q3, 2016.

Microsoft Builds Android App Store For Its Own Android Apps Inside Of The Android App Store

Microsoft has a new app out called ‘Microsoft Apps‘ on Android that contains a list of its Android apps that you can download on the Android app store.

There are two parts to this development. The first is that Microsoft’s cross-platform work continues, and that the company has yet to let up an inch on its work to bring its software and services to users on every rival operating system. And, the second point is that Microsoft has created an effective Android app store — catalog? — inside of the actual Android app store.

An early comment noted that fact. From the app’s page on Google Play:

That comment is almost correct. At the same time, it can be difficult to sort through tens, and hundreds of thousands of apps to find the precise one that you are perhaps looking for. Microsoft wants to make sure that if you want to use its stack on Android, you can do so without unnecessary sleuthing.

The app has racked up four review so far, giving it an average score of 4 stars.

The new app might not make sense until you realize just how many apps Microsoft has on Android — you can take a spin through the full list here. It’s extensive. It’s almost odd to recall how big a splash bringing Office to Android and iOS once was.

Microsoft fans have a new toy, and the company has a potential conduit for its apps on the Android platform. Not too bad a turn of events for the Redmond-based software company.

Samsung makes the Galaxy A9 official with 6-inch display, 3GB RAM and 4,000mAh battery

After a much detailed leak, the Samsung Galaxy A9 has finally gone official. As of now, the device has been launched in China, but we hope it to be available in other regions as well. The smartphone is available in White, Gold and Pink color variants, however, Samsung has not revealed the pricing and availability information yet.

The Galaxy A9 is the most premium looking smartphone in Samsung’s A-series. It employs the same metal and glass build found on other Galaxy A handsets such as the Galaxy A8. The device comes with 6-inch Full HD Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 1920×1080 pixels. It is powered by a Snapdragon 652 (which used to be S620) processor clubbed with 3GB of RAM. There is 32GB Internal Storage onboard, which can be further expanded up to 128GB via micro SD card. The phone also boasts a Fingerprint sensor, which is embedded in the physical home button.

In the imaging department, the Samsung Galaxy A9 features a 13-megapixel primary camera with Optical Image Stabilization (OIS), S5K3L2 sensor, f/1.9 aperture, LED flash. It sports an 8-megapixel front-facing camera with an equal lens at f/1.9 aperture. The smartphone runs Android 5.1 Lollipop and supports a variety of connectivity options such as dual-SIM, 4G LTE, 3G, Wi-Fi a/b/g/n, Bluetooth v 4.1, ANT+, and NFC. Backing the smartphone, is a 4,000mAh battery that is equipped with the QuickCharge technology.

Kim Kardashian’s Buttmoji Owns The App Store

It seems like 2015 was the year of the “emoji.” I mean, a damn emoji was the “word of the year.” This year is ending with a massive bang on the App Store thanks to Kim Kardashian and her…assets.

Fire up the App Store on your devices and here’s what you’ll see for the top paid app:

The app, KIMOJI, costs $1.99. What do you get? Well, emojis having to do with Kim Kardashian, of course. Not bad for a keyboard app, eh?

It currently has 2 stars, so maybe people aren’t getting as much out of it as they thought. The initial popularity certainly spun up tons of interest though, as the App Store magically went down during the flurry of asscitement:

No, but it’s still a fun story.

Huawei Nexus 6P gold colour special edition goes on sale in India at Rs 43,999

New Delhi: The 64 GB Gold Edition Nexus 6P is available for pre-orders on Flipkart starting Monday at Rs 43,999.

Huawei today announced the availability of the limited edition Nexus 6P Gold in India. The smartphone would be exclusively available on Flipkart at Rs 43,999.

The 64 GB Nexus 6P special edition would be available with an additional 10 percent bank offer for first 3 days starting 21st December, 2015.

Running on its latest version of Android 'Marshmallow 6.0', Nexus 6P offers a pure android experience, sweetened by amazing apps and sandwiched by some cutting-edge hardware, available across Nexus devices.

Elegantly designed the Nexus 6P is designed with an all-metal unibody. Crafted from aeronautical-grade anodized aluminum with diamond chamfers encircling its edges, the sculpted back of the phone accents the low-light-loving, fast-movement-capturing camera.

Nexus 6P features a 5.7-inch WQHD 518ppi AMOLED display perfect for playing games, watching movies and getting work done in stunning clarity, and front-facing stereo speakers for crisp, clear sound. With the latest version of the octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 v2.1 processor under the hood, Nexus 6P delivers great performance, and the 3450mAh battery keeps you talking and texting from day to night.

Nexus 6P also features an 8MP front facing camera with Google's innovative HDR+ technology, making it one of the best selfie cameras in the market.

Star Wars and Android N(irave) | Podcast 045

With most of our regular panel back on the show, join Jonathan Feist with Andrew Grush, Joe Hindy, Nirave Gondhia and returning guest Jimmy Westenberg. Star Wars once again dominates our talks, with the movie release just the day before we recorded, we talk about the promotions and tech utilized by Google and more.

Following up with our Best of Android series on the site, the final winners have been announced and we talk quickly about how we feel about the results. Finally, if you were given the chance to name the next release of Android, what would it be?

The Android Authority Podcast – discussing topics in Android every single week.

Intex to replace native dialer with Trucaller app

Home-bred handset maker Intex Technologies tied up with Truecaller to replace the native phone dialer with the Truecaller dialer application. Under the tie-up, the new Intex Aqua Young devices will incorporate the Truecaller and Truedialer applications. The sub-Rs 6,000 handsets are already available across the country.

“With this association, we are confident of further strengthening our focus of providing a differentiated experience to our consumers and help them experience smart ways of connecting and identifying contacts,” Nitin Goel, General Manager, VAS & Experience, Intex Technologies, said in a joint statement.

With this integration users will have access to a smarter communications experience where they will be able to identify more than 2 billion numbers on incoming and outgoing calls. Further, users will be able to block unwanted calls or hidden numbers.

“This partnership demonstrates how innovative products and solutions can change the face of an industry, and we’re excited work together to bring this product to the market,” said Nami Zarringhalam, co-founder and Chief Strategic Officer, Truecaller.

Truecaller has experienced tremendous growth, doubling their community of users in less than 10 months by providing revolutionary products that solve a global problem. Truecaller was launched in 2009 and has managed to reach a user base of 100 million in India in a short span of time.

In the past, Truecaller formed some strategic partnerships to increase touch points with consumers, including Microsoft, Tata DoCoMo and Twitter, to name a few. It plans to continue to develop these partnerships and interact within the ecosystem, and looks forward to future announcements bringing the Truecaller family of applications to users’ phones.

Apple iPhone 6s and 6s Plus Continue to get Price Cuts in India

In a rather unprecedented move, Apple has (unofficially) slashed the prices for the iPhone 6s and the 6s Plus by 16% since its launch in October. This move seems to be propelled by the fact that the iPhone 6s sales had plunged into a valley right after the festive season of Diwali.

The iPhone 6s 16GB now costs Rs 52,000- Rs 55,000 as opposed to the launch price of Rs 62,000 (Rs 49799 on Amazon at the time of writing). According to ET sources, the price cut seems to have been carried out across all the variants. The latest bout of price cut literally brings the iPhone 6s and the 6s Plus prices down by 16%. Apple had also slashed the price of its iPhone 5s recently bringing it to an all-time low of Rs 20,990 for the 16GB variant.

The iPhone 6s 64GB and iPhone 6s Plus 16GB will cost as less as Rs 61,000 (Rs 60k on Amazon), while the 64GB version of iPhone 6s Plus will start from Rs 69,000. Last month, there were reports of Apple offering discounts via buyback offers, again something which never happened with newly released iPhones.

Another reason for the price cut seems to be the large gulf of price gap between the iPhone 6 and the 6s, thus making the upgrades less attractive. This also seems to be the first time iPhone price has been slashed in the first two months of launch, something that inadvertently points at the initial pricing. Another report points out that Apple had initially imported 320,000 units of the iPhone 6s and the 6s Plus but the deficient demand seems to have hit the same and now the imports have slung to a lower 120,000 in November.

The reason price cuts come out as surprising is the way Apple usually manages its pricing strategy, they are among the few in the smartphone industry who stick by their initial prices. The series of price cuts across most of the iPhone models is a tell-tale sign that Apple wants to spike up the sales number even if it means a direct slash in the iPhone prices, this however will add up as a bonus for folks looking out to buy the iPhones this holiday season.

Samsung Galaxy S7 To Get Pressure Sensitive Screen, Faster Charging Port, Says WSJ

In the cut-throat battle for smartphone buyers in increasingly saturated global marketsit’s become a game of clones for device makers.

To wit: Samsung is set to take a leaf out of Apple’s playbook for the next iteration of its flagship Galaxy smartphone. According to the WSJ — quoting “people familiar with the matter” — the Galaxy S7 will have a pressure sensitive display when it launches next spring.

This follows Apple rolling out its own pressure sensitive 3D Touch tech on the iPhone 6S, its current flagship, this fall. The tech brings an additional interaction layer to the iPhone, allowing users to press down harder to preview and view content — i.e. without having to tap multiple times.

Apple’s new, more sensitive touchscreen tech didn’t emerge out of a vacuum; rather Cupertino tested a similar tech on its Apple Watch wearable first, although the smartphone incarnation of the technology is billed as more sophisticated (hence having a fancier moniker; 3D Touch vs Force Touch).

The 3D Touch advantage represents a pretty marginal hardware gap right now vs Android devices, with relatively few iOS apps having had chance to make especially interesting use of the tech. Even so Samsung clearly can’t rest on its laurels.

Indeed, we’ve seen the exact same hardware feature catch-up race played out when Apple added a fingerprint reader to the iPhone 5S, back in September 2013 — with Samsung going on to put a fingerprint scanner on its flagship device thefollowing spring.

Albeit, on the software side, Apple is frequently accused of appropriating features from Android and adding them years later to iOS. See: Game of clones.

The WSJ’s sources also reckon Samsung will be adding a new high-speed charging USB Type-C port to the forthcoming flagship line, set to be added to both the Samsung Galaxy S7 and the S7 Edge (aka Samsung’s curved screen variant). This port will apparently support delivering a full day’s charge in under 30 minutes — or even significantly less. So even faster than the current fast-charging feature offered by Samsung devices such as the S6.

If true that’s a pretty significant addition. Apple just launched a $99 battery case — a not-so-tacit admission that people struggle with smartphone battery life as it stands. The S7 offering a very fast charge could therefore be a very popular feature — and one which steals a march on current iPhone hardware.

The S7 is also set to include an improved camera optimized for low light photography and with hardware that is flush with the back of the phone, rather than a lens that bulges out, according to the WSJ’s sources. Camera tweaks are pretty much a given with smartphone flagships since they are most people’s daily shooter nowadays, and photo sharing continues to be massively popular.

Other possible additions for the S7 line include a retina scanner, and the return of an external memory card slot (in the S7, not the S7 Edge), according to the newspaper’s sources. Samsung ditched the micro SD card slot when it redesigned the flagships last year — a decision that earned it plenty of blowback from the Android community, as did its decision to ditch removable batteries. So again adding a faster charging feature may help throw those disgruntled folk a bone.

The S7 is slated to launch in the U.S. in mid March, with its unveiling, like last year, due around the Mobile World Congress tradeshow — at the end of February.

We’ve reached out to Samsung for comment and will update this article with any response. The company recently reshuffled the leader of its mobile division — the first significant management change since Lee Jae Yong assumed the vice chairmanship of Samsung Group from his father last year.

In recent times Samsung’s mobile business has struggled to compete with Apple at the high end while also being squeezed on profits by fierce competition at the lower end from the likes of China’s Xiaomi.

Apple Is Reportedly Developing Its Own, Energy-Efficient Screens For iPhone And iPad

Apple is reported to be working on its own display technology in a move that could lessen its dependence on third-party suppliers like Samsung and Sharp, and boost the battery life of its products.

Bloomberg reports that the U.S. company, which is unique for designing its own chipsfor its smartphones, is said to have opened its own secretive facility in Taiwan where it is working on screens for iPhones, iPads and other devices. (The company is advertisingfor positions at the plant.)

That could mean good news for customers who worry about the battery life of their devices. Screens tend to use a significant amount of power, but sources from the new Apple facility reportedly told Bloomberg that Apple is working to make its screens “thinner, lighter, brighter and more energy-efficient” — that means less battery strain. Indeed, those sources suggested that Apple is looking to switch to organic LEDs, which could massively save on power consumption.

You may have to wait a while for the benefits to be seen in your daily life and devices, but it appears that things are moving in the right direction at a quicker pace.

Google Self-Driving Car’s Chris Urmson On California DMV: “Same Old Status Quo”

Yesterday, the California DMV posted a draft of proposed regulations for self-driving vehicles. Obviously, Google was waiting to see what came down and now that they’ve had some time to look through it all, their head of the Self-Driving unit, Chris Urmson, has responded with a Medium post.

Since these regulations are in draft form, the long back and forth between companies and the DMV begins now. However, many were not impressed with what has been initially proposed. The key takeaway from these is that California would like a licensed driver behind the “wheel” at all times. Well, fully autonomous cars might not have wheels. Because people don’t want to drive.

California’s Lt. Governor Gavin Newsom said in a statement:

These latest draft regulations may prove too onerous, create road blocks to innovation, and may ultimately drive the development of this promising industry to other states.

Urmson’s tone similarly cuts to the chase:

In a perplexing move this week, however, California seemed to shrink back from its leadership: the CA DMV proposed a draft rule that would require a self-driving car to have a licensed driver at all times. This maintains the same old status quo and falls short on allowing this technology to reach its full potential, while excluding those who need to get around but cannot drive. While we’re disappointed by this, we will continue to work with the DMV as they seek feedback in the coming months, in the hope that we can recapture the original spirit of the bill.

Google has been pretty damn transparent when it comes to their self-driving project, even publishing monthly reports that talk about accidents that took place and learnings from the team.

Urmson’s closing is equally as strong, challenging California to be a leader in the US in this type of innovation.

California is a state with both world-class car culture and world-class innovation, and we can do better. Instead of putting a ceiling on the potential of self-driving cars, let’s have the courage to imagine what California would be like if we could live without the shackles of stressful commutes, wasted hours, and restricted mobility for those who want the independence that the automobile has always represented.

There’s no “winners” or “losers” here yet, but the conversation about self-driving cars isn’t starting off the way that Google and other companies have hoped. Consumers simply don’t know enough about the technology to weigh in yet, which is why Google is trying to, and overdoing it sometimes, explain the ins and outs the best they can. Its program in Austin is a shining example of that. They’re not simply testing the roads there, they’re testing the community. Talking to them about what they think.

If the people don’t want to drive their cars, then states are going to have to put in more work to understand why and how.

Facebook Makes Changes To Its Real Name Policy Enforcement Process

After over a year’s worth of controversy around Facebook’s real names policy, Facebook has announced a couple of changes to its process in order to better serve all of its members, including those in the LGBTQ community.

Last October, Facebook promised it would make changes to its real name policy after a number of false account flagging incidents led to the suspension of LGBTQ members’ pages. Facebook requires people to use the names their friends and family know them by. For many drag performers, for example, their drag names are the names people know them by, but that didn’t prevent the suspension of their accounts.

While Facebook is not getting rid of its real names policy, it is starting to test new tools to improve the policy in order for it to work better “for everyone, especially for communities who are marginalized or face discrimination,” Facebook VP of Global Operations Justin Osofsky and Product Manager Todd Gage wrote on Facebook’s blog.

For one, Facebook’s new reporting process requires people to provide more information and context around why they’re reporting that name in the first place. Before, reporting a potentially fake name was as easy as the click of a button.

Secondly, Facebook is testing a new tool for people to defend and verify their name if someone else flags it. So, if your account gets flagged, even though you’re using your drag name, or are using a different name in order to protect your privacy out of fear of abuse, harassment or stalking, you’ll have a week to be able to describe your situation before Facebook suspends your account.

“SF Pride is committed to our diverse community and is encouraged by the positive steps Facebook has both taken, and continues to work on, in addressing the reporting tools associated with their Authentic Names policy,” George Ridgely, Jr., executive director of SFPride, told TechCrunch in a statement. “We appreciate all of the engaged community leaders and Facebook for their contributions in this effort. It has been our priority to work closely with all parties to facilitate ongoing working-group meetings, as well as a forum that will bring together members of the community and Facebook to discuss these changes.”

Facebook has also received criticism around requiring people to provide forms of legal identification, which don’t always reflect someone’s preferred name.

Facebook has since expanded the options and documents that people can use to verify their name, and early next year, Facebook will look at ways to “reduce the number of people who have to go through an ID verification experience, while preserving the safety of other people on the site. We will also continue to work on making the experience itself more compassionate and easier to navigate.”