WhatsApp starts rolling out new in-chat search button on iOS

9to5mac.com Sep 18, 2026

WhatsApp starts rolling out new in-chat search button on iOS

Curated by Shubham · TechCapsules · Sep 18, 2026

AI-summarised brief · reviewed before publication

WhatsApp has begun rolling out a new in‑chat search button for iPhone users after several weeks of beta testing. The button appears at the top of the screen when users scroll up in a conversation, channel, or group chat and disappears when they return to the bottom. It allows users to start a search directly within the chat without navigating to the chat info screen. The feature works the same as the existing search mode and is available across all chat types. WhatsApp’s rollout may take time to reach all users.

💡 Why It Matters

· By embedding search directly in the conversation flow, WhatsApp reduces friction for users seeking specific messages, improving daily usability and efficiency.

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Google Keep update tweaks the homescreen widget on Android

Google has released version 5.26.365.x of its Keep app for Android, redesigning the “Note collection” homescreen widget. The previous Material You‑era sidebar that offered shortcuts for text, list, audio, drawing and photo notes has been removed and replaced with a circular floating‑action button (FAB). Tapping the FAB opens a pop‑up menu, mirroring the interaction of the smaller “Quick capture” widget and adding a second tap for note creation. The new edge‑to‑edge layout displays more of each note, eliminating the empty space that was common in full‑width homescreen configurations. The update follows the earlier rollout of Keep Live for Google AI Plus, Pro and Ultra subscribers and is being distributed through the Play Store.

💡 The streamlined widget reduces visual clutter and aligns Keep’s quick‑capture workflow with Google’s broader UI consistency, encouraging faster note‑taking directly from the home screen.

windowscentral.com · Sep 17

Web apps are freezing in Microsoft Edge, and the fix is a…

The article intended to report that web applications are experiencing freezing issues in Microsoft Edge and that the recommended remediation steps are cumbersome. However, the provided content consists solely of a biographical profile of Sean Endicott, a Windows Central news writer, detailing his professional background, areas of coverage, and extracurricular achievements. No information about the Edge freezing problem, its scope, technical cause, or the specific fix is included in the text.

💡 Without substantive details on the Edge issue, readers cannot assess the impact on their browsing experience or evaluate the proposed solution.

9to5google.com · Sep 17

It’s not just your class, Google Classroom is down in apparent outage

Google Classroom experienced a sudden outage on Tuesday, with Downdetector reporting more than 500 user reports within an hour after the issue surfaced at 12:33 p.m. ET. The disruption appears isolated to Classroom; other Google Workspace services such as Drive and Gmail remain operational. The spike suggests a widespread problem rather than isolated connectivity failures. Google has not issued a statement, but the service is expected to be restored promptly. Classroom, which continues to receive feature updates and third‑party add‑on integrations after its pandemic‑era expansion, is a core tool for educators and students worldwide. The incident follows a minor Drive hiccup the previous day, highlighting the platform’s occasional reliability challenges. Schools across several time zones reported being unable to assign work.

💡 When a single classroom hub goes dark, teachers lose real‑time assignment flow, exposing how tightly curricula depend on Google’s ecosystem.

9to5google.com · Sep 17

Google Home app brings battery-efficient widget, reduces gray device tiles

Google rolled out updates to its Home app, adding a battery‑saving homescreen widget that pauses background updates and polling when the phone’s screen is off, locked, or displaying a screensaver, then refreshes instantly upon unlock. The change also reduces power draw on connected cameras. In the same release, Google fixed a visual glitch that left sensor, camera, smoke and carbon‑monoxide detector tiles gray after users returned from device controller screens, eliminating the need to reload those pages. Additionally, three camera‑related bugs were resolved, and five Gemini for Home voice‑assistant enhancements were introduced. The updates were announced alongside Home MCP improvements and are now available to users of the Google Home ecosystem.

💡 By cutting unnecessary background activity, the widget extends device battery life while keeping smart‑home status current, addressing a common user complaint about power drain.

ign.com · Sep 15

Sydney Sweeney Criticized by Female Athletes as Nude Sports Trading App Ad…

Sydney Sweeney sparked controversy after appearing nude in promotional videos for sports trading app Novig, using footballs and basketballs to cover her body. The ads, aimed at emphasizing the app’s focus on sports, drew criticism from female athletes, including boxer Skye Nicolson, gymnast Gracie Kramer, water‑polo Olympian Tilly Kearns, and sprinter Amy Hunt, who condemned the portrayal as disrespectful to women in sport. Sweeney responded via Instagram, citing her own sports background, but the backlash has cost her over 200,000 followers.

💡 The incident underscores how advertising can perpetuate objectification, prompting athletes to demand respectful representation. It also highlights the growing influence of athlete voices in holding brands accountable for cultural sensitivity.

9to5google.com · Sep 15

Google Wallet for Android getting vertically stacked card list

Google Wallet has begun a trial of a vertically stacked card list, replacing the current horizontal carousel that shows only partial cards. The new layout mirrors the iPhone Wallet, displaying full card designs and allowing users to reorder and set defaults. It is designed to improve one‑handed usability, especially for those with many saved cards, and to better integrate passes on the homepage. Early reports of the rollout come mainly from international users.

💡 The shift signals Google’s push to match iOS’s user‑friendly design, potentially reshaping how mobile payments are accessed worldwide.