Facebook quietly implemented the change late last year. The social network initially introduced the ability to use Messenger without a Facebook account in June 2015, in Canada, Peru, the U.S. and Venezuela.

Users were able to start Messenger accounts by supplying their name, phone number and a photo.

Facebook cited limited use of the capability, with a spokesperson saying, “If you’re new to Messenger, you’ll notice that you need a Facebook account to chat with friends and close connections. We found that the vast majority of people who use Messenger already login through Facebook, and we want to simplify the process. If you already use Messenger without a Facebook account, no need to do anything.”

CEO Mark Zuckerberg revealed plans last January to unify the infrastructure powering messaging via Facebook, Messenger, Instagram and WhatsApp.

Four of Nat Geo’s Instagram accounts (the main National Geographic account, National Geographic Travel, National Geographic Adventure and National Geographic Your Shot) will share pictures of New Year’s Eve celebrations taken by its photographers around the world. These four Nat Geo Instagram accounts have a combined follower count of around 175 million users.

The campaign aims to share a “realistic view” of New Year’s Eve celebrations. The photographers who wish to participate weren’t given any restrictions or requirements related to the photos they capture.

Two example photos from the campaign are embedded below. The first photo, taken by Michaela Skovranova, begins the campaign by showing off the New Year’s Eve celebration in Sydney.

The second image, captured by Ian Teh, highlights the arrival of midnight in Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia.

Additional photos will be shared on Instagram as different time zones around the world reach midnight. A total of 40-50 images will be shared throughout the day, with the final photo being taken in Molokai, Hawaii. The campaign will end with an Instagram Story post that includes a quick look at the photos taken during the day.

Josh Raab, director of Instagram at Nat Geo, said, “National Geographic often spends months or years working on its stories. This is an opportunity to show our viewers the world in near-real-time. We plan to give honest depictions of New Years’ Eve as our photographers experience them across the world.”

Note: These screenshots were captured in the Spotify application on iOS.

Step 1: On the Spotify home screen, tap the gear icon in the top-right corner of the screen.

Step 2: Scroll down and tap “Notifications.”

Step 3: Tap the toggle to the right of any notification type to turn it on or off. If the toggle is green, the notification option is currently turned on. If the toggle is black, the notification option is currently turned off.

Rose Parade attendees will be able to point the camera in the Snapchat application at the official Rose Parade logo to activate an AR lens that contains a 3D rose, along with elements from Honda’s “Our Hope for the Future” float.

Parade viewers at home and in other locations will be able to scan a special Snapcode to unlock a world lens that offers different experiences for the rear- and front-facing cameras. When using the front-facing (selfie) camera, a rose crown is placed on the user’s head, and rose petals fall from the top of the screen. When the rear camera is activated, an interactive version of Honda’s float appears on the screen, which users can tap to hear special sound effects.

Honda’s 2020 Rose Parade float features figures of six children who have different passions, such as medical science and the arts.

In a press release, Steve Morikawa, vice president of corporate relations & social responsibility at American Honda, said, “Honda believes everyone, especially children, should follow their dreams. By nurturing children’s passions and encouraging them to achieve their dreams, there is hope for a bright future.”

Facebook Dating was introduced at the social network’s F8 developers’ conference in 2018, and it finally made its U.S. debut in September.

However, the feature has not proven to be a match made in heaven.

Piplsay polled 21,242 Americans, and it found that two-thirds were unaware of the existence of Facebook Dating.

57% had never heard of it, while 24% knew about it but weren’t using it, 10% didn’t know about it but were interested and just 9% were actually using it.

Respondents who knew about Facebook Dating weren’t exactly champing at the bit, as 60% said they were uninterested because there are so many other dating applications, while 22% said “not particularly, it’s like any other dating app” and just 18% found it to be better than other dating apps.

Among those actually using Facebook Dating, 51% said they didn’t really expect to find better dates, while 26% said they did and 23% didn’t know. Men (37%) were more optimistic than women (20%) when it came to finding better dates.

Piplsay found that 16% of millennials in its survey were using Facebook Dating, compared with just 12% of Generation Z.

Finally, trust is a key part of relationships, and the social network hasn’t earned it.

Piplsay found that 50% of respondents didn’t trust Facebook to keep their personal data safe on Facebook Dating, while 27% were unsure and just 23% trusted the social network.

Only 31% of men and 20% of women trust Facebook with their data and, by generations, 34% of millennials, 29% of Gen Zers, 23% of Generation X and 10% of baby boomers did so.

Facebook did not respond to a request for comment on Piplsay’s findings.

The professional network analyzed B2B engagement rates on its platform during the 2018 holiday season, from November 2018 through January 2019, and LinkedIn Marketing Solutions head of global go to market Reem Abiedoh shared its findings in a blog post.

According to LinkedIn, while B2B marketers see decreases in online activity on holidays such as Christmas and New Years Eve, with the largest dip occurring on the latter, ad engagements for B2B brands in December 2018 actually rose 18% when compared with the average engagement rate from February through October.

Abiedoh wrote, “LinkedIn members were reading and engaging more with content, particularly on mobile, as well as searching for new jobs.”

They were also looking to hear from brands, as lead gen form submission was up 22% in December 2018.

The professional network added that engagement rates were even higher in the second week of January than they were in November 2018.

It wasn’t all business, though: The professional network found that holiday keywords such as holidays, New Year and Christmas were effective for B2B brands, particularly when used with sponsored content.

Abiedoh wrote, “While B2B brands aren’t necessarily selling gifts, ensuring that a brand’s message incorporates the spirit of the holiday season with key terms will boost conversions and convert buyers into long-term loyalists.”

Looking at specific sectors, LinkedIn found that B2B computer software brands served 13 times more seasonal ads than any other industry last year, and the five highest-performing brands doing so saw click-through rates 2.6 times higher on average.

High-tech saw the highest impression rates with holiday ads on LinkedIn during the 2018 holiday season, with five times the average, followed by finance (three times) and corporate (1.3 times).

LinkedIn said how-to and tips articles drove high engagement rates for B2B holiday creative, offering as examples New Year’s resolutions, checklists and guides on surviving the holiday season.

Abiedoh wrote, “B2B marketers shouldn’t ignore the holiday season—engagement rates clearly show that there’s an opportunity for B2B. So, set your own resolution early to take advantage of this festive time.”

The first game, Pokemon Tower Battle, allows players to compete against each other to see who can create the largest Pokemon tower by stacking creatures on top of one another. Pokemon Tower Battle is available now for Facebook users worldwide.

The second game, Pokemon Medallion Battle, is now available in the Asia-Pacific region (though not currently in Oceania and Vietnam). The card battle strategy game allows players to collect Pokemon in “medallion form” and work to fill their Pokedex and win gym badges.

In a Facebook Gaming blog post, Tsunekazu Ishihara, CEO of The Pokémon Co., said, “We are excited to launch two new entries in the Pokemon franchise on Facebook Gaming. Launching these games through Facebook will allow people all over the world to experience Pokemon in digital form, and we are especially thrilled to collaborate with Facebook Gaming in enabling new audiences to enjoy Pokemon games online.”

In July, Facebook announced its transition of Instant Games from Facebook Messenger to the Facebook Gaming tab. At GDC 2019 in March, the social network revealed that more than 700 million people play games, watch gaming-related videos, or engage with video-game-related groups on Facebook each month.

Conversation about baharat and associated topics Arab cuisine, Arabic, cabbage, Egypt, Iraq, leaf, Lebanon, Levant, meat, Syria and Turkey was up 20.1 times compared with November 2018 and 3.1 times versus October, propelled by women 50 and older.

Facebook IQ wrote, “Baharat is a spice blend from the Middle East. It generally incorporates allspice, black peppercorns, cardamom, coriander and red chili pepper or paprika. The exact mix varies depending on the country—while Turkish versions use mint, Tunisian blends use rosebuds to add flavor. The spice blend has been gaining steam in the U.S., as brands bring it to life in new ways. Some companies are creating versions of sauces that incorporate the blend. And people are sharing recipes on using baharat for daily cooking, whether they’re preparing lamb, fish, chicken or even roasted vegetables.”

Women 50 and up also had a sweet tooth last month, driving conversation about Berliner up 3.9 times year-over-year and 0.4 times month-over-month.

Associated topics included baking, butter, donuts, flour, fruit preserves, Germany, milk, recipes, sugar and yeast.

Facebook IQ wrote, “A traditional German pastry, Berliners are unique because of their filling. Instead of a hole in the center, these doughnut varieties have a filling, such as jam and custard. Now, Berliners are becoming even more popular in the U.S., especially as a new wave of German bakeries is opening in major cities like San Francisco. Niche holidays, like National Doughnut Day, are also spurring interest. Additionally, people are sharing recipes for Berliners, allowing at-home bakers to put their own spin on this tasty treat.”

Men 18 through 49 rocked out to grunge and associated topics alternative rock, classic rock, concerts, David Grohl, Foo Fighters, Grammy Award, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Pixies and rock music.

Discussion was up 2.4 times year-over-year and 0.7 times month-over-month.

The social network’s research arm wrote, “The 1990s seem to be back in a big way, and grunge is re-entering popular culture. People are returning to music from the decade, and new musicians are even bringing back the distorted sounds and angsty lyrics that defined the genre. Additionally, grunge-inspired fashion is hitting the racks. People are donning flannels, destroyed denim jeans and skater shoes, finding inspiration from celebrities and influencers sporting these styles across fashion publications and social media posts. Sometimes a new trend is just a revival of an old one, and grunge seems bound to grow as younger audiences discover what made it big to begin with.”

Here comes the sun: Talk about solar cell was up 14.6 times versus last November and 1.9 times month-over-month, with men accounting for slightly more than women.

Associated topics included battery, electric car, hybrid vehicle, hydrogen, hydrogen vehicle, selenium, solar car, solar energy, solar power and Toyota.

Facebook IQ wrote, “Solar cells convert energy from the sun into electricity, and a group of cells forms a solar panel. These panels have become increasingly popular among people and businesses as an environmentally friendly energy solution. Researchers around the world are working on making solar cells even more efficient, and auto brands are exploring using solar energy to fuel the cars of the future. Conversations around sustainable energy sources seem set to grow as people look to live greener lives and reduce their carbon footprints.”

Fish cakes, fish cakes, roly poly fish cakes: Conversation about taiyaki—and associated topics batter, cheese, chocolate, cooking, custard, ice cream, pancakes, red bean paste, sweet potato and wagashi—soared 70.2 times year-over-year and 1.2 times compared with October, dominated by women 18 through 34.

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Cyber Monday and Small Business Saturday also heated up the holidays and events category on both platforms.

Facebook felt a little bit country in November, as the entertainment category was paced by the Country Music Association Awards, Garth Brooks and Dolly Parton.

The CMA Awards were joined on Instagram by the People’s Choice Awards, Jumanji and Yoda.

The Pittsburgh Steelers paced the sports category on Facebook for the month, while sports fans on Instagram chatted up Odell Beckham Jr., Carmelo Anthony and Maurkice Pouncey.

In the people category, Instagram users discussed Kendall Jenner, Alexis Ohanian and Ayesha Curry, while Curry, Walter Mercado and Marie Kondo captured the attention of Facebook users in November.

The brands and products category on Facebook was paced by Motorola and Burberry, while Groupon and the Chrysler Pacifica led the way on Instagram.

Finally, in the food and drink category, Instagrammers gulped down Pepsi Max, hot toddies and hot buttered rum, while Mtn Dew Amp and the old fashioned were the beverages of choice on Facebook.

Facebook IQ measured subjects that drove disproportionately high volumes of discussion on both social platforms, marking the latest in a Facebook-Adweek Hot Topics monthly series that began in 2015.

Check out the data-based graphics below to learn more about recent, topical social trends:

Twitter said in a tweet that when users share lists, those tweets will contain images, instead of often-unwieldly URLs.