WhatsApp has launched a digital payments pilot in the U.S., allowing a limited number of people to send and receive money with the same ease they would a regular message. This payment feature is powered by the Meta-owned Novi digital wallet service, which uses Pax Dollars (USDP) to facilitate transfers, and they all go through instantly.
Meta launched Novi back in 2020, saying, “With Novi, sending money will be as easy as sending a message. You’ll be able to use Novi as a stand-alone app, as well as in Messenger and WhatsApp. There will be no hidden charges to add, send, receive or withdraw money, and your transfers will arrive instantly. All Novi customers will be verified using government-issued ID, and fraud protections will be built in throughout the app.”
New in the US: use your @Novi digital wallet to send and receive money right within a @WhatsApp chat. People use WA to coordinate sending money to loved ones, and now Novi will help them do that securely, instantly and with no fees. https://t.co/4wG4t8zwKh
— Will Cathcart (@wcathcart) December 8, 2021
Novi says the WhatsApp integration means you can either log in to your Novi account with WhatsApp or create a Novi account directly from the app. Either way, you’ll need an account to get going, and making one is easy. Accessing Novi in WhatsApp, if you’re one of those who have access, works like sending any old attachment. Just tap the Paper Clip button, select Payment, enter the amount, and send it.
As for the USPD currency being used, it’s a stablecoin — a cryptocurrency that’s doesn’t fluctuate much and is backed by the regular U.S. dollar to prevent fluctuation and fraud. This means you can expect 1 USPD to equal 1 USD, so what you send and what you can expect to be received should always be in sync. The Pax Dollar is being used as part of a partnership with Paxos and Coinbase by Meta, even though the company already had its own Diem cryptocurrency. In October, the head of Novi, David Marcus, said the company was simply waiting for regulatory approval, and this is likely the current status quo.
Meta initially rolled out a pilot for Novi in the U.S. and Guatemala in October. While today’s pilot includes the U.S., the new WhatsApp functionality does not extend to Guatemala at this time, as spotted by WABetaInfo.
Are you tired of paying for streaming services you never watch just to get a phone plan feature you actually want? T-Mobile has good news for you! The carrier is rolling out new plans, called T-Mix, in early November to replace its old Experience lineup with a build-your-own perks system called Picks.
The benefits you choose vary from streaming and gaming to food delivery, AI, satellite service, and phone discounts. But if you are satisfied with your existing plan, you can keep it.
Merely days after the iPhone Duo hit the shelves, images of broken screens on the phone started popping up across social media. Until now, it’s been unclear what’s causing the line of defective pixels that appears vertically along the crease, as well as horizontally, on the phone’s inner display.
Apple has finally acknowledged the issue, which has shown up on iPhone Duo units owned by customers as well as demo units in stores. In a statement shared with Bloomberg, Apple says that not all iPhone Duo units are affected and that those that are tend to show the display fault early on. The company added that users who experience problems with their iPhone Duo display should contact AppleCare for a replacement.
Not long ago, Apple treated independent repair like an act of outright hostility. The Cupertino giant locked down parts with serial-number pairing, while repair tools remained firmly out of reach of anyone outside its authorized repair network. More importantly, the company waged a legal and lobbying battle against right-to-repair legislation.
I've covered enough of these fights over the years to know what a shift looks like. That's why what happened in October 2026 genuinely caught me off guard. The day the iPhone Duo went on sale, what may be the most mechanically complex iPhone to date, Apple pulled off a surprising about-face. It published teardown-style repair manuals for a handful of major components.