News
Venmo’s biggest makeover in years comes at a very interesting time
Venmo is rolling out a significant redesign over the coming months that aims to make the app more useful, social, and easier to navigate. This is the peer-to-peer payments app’s biggest refresh since 2021.
The timing is notable. PayPal, which owns Venmo, is restructuring to spin Venmo off as a standalone business unit — a move widely seen as laying the groundwork for a potential sale. Stripe has reportedly expressed interest in buying PayPal outright. In that context, a splashy redesign looks less like a routine update and more like a window-dressing job ahead of a transaction.
The rollout will begin this week, followed by additional features over the next few months. By the time fall arrives, the entire redesign is expected to be available to all users.
One of the first changes users will notice starting this week is the revamped feed. Where it once showed a simple list of who paid whom — with GIFs, a heart button, and comments — the new feed will feature a wider variety of visuals and larger images, along with more ways to respond to payments, such as reactions and quick action buttons like “Pay Again” and “Say Thanks.” It’ll also be more personalized, surfacing tailored cashback offers from brands you shop from and product suggestions based on previous purchases.
Another addition is the ability for users to endorse their favorite local businesses directly through the app. A new “Give a Shoutout” button will be available under payments in the feed.
As Alexis Sowa, Venmo’s senior vice president and general manager, explained to TechCrunch, “One of the things that we hear a lot, especially from Gen Z and younger audiences, is a real desire to support and endorse local businesses or merchants that they like. With this feed redesign, we’re giving an opportunity for them to share what we call social proofing. In the future, you will be able to kind of endorse that business — give a thumbs up, almost to say, ‘I go to you.’”
Two new tabs, “Send” and “Money,” will also launch in the next few months. In the Send feed, your most frequent contacts now appear as a row of profile icons front and center, instead of requiring you to dig through past contacts or user names. The bill-splitting “Groups” feature” is now easier to access, too, letting users split expenses with up to 30 people. You can also send gifts to friends and schedule payments in the Send section.
Techcrunch event
San Francisco, CA
|
October 13-15, 2026
The Money tab, meanwhile, is where you can manage your expenses as well as access Teen Accounts and Crypto.
There will also be a new Rewards tab that pulls all limited time offers in one place. This is also where Venmo’s Stash program will live. Launched last November, this gives users up to 5% cash back when they shop with their favorite brands in the app, money that’s deposited directly to their Venmo Mastercard Debit Card.
Sowa said the redesign came out of a year of user research, and that one of the biggest findings was how many features people didn’t know existed. “One of the biggest insights is how many features and functionalities we have that [customers] just have no idea exist in the app,” she said.
The update reflects a broader trend in what younger users expect from payment apps — less utility tool, more social platform. For instance, apps like Verse and Daylight offer features that let users keep up with their friends’ spending behavior, and the European fintech app Revolut offers features like group bill splitting and in-app chat.
Venmo’s core audience increasingly wants to see and share financial activity the way they would on any other feed, and the app is clearly trying to meet that expectation before a potential new owner comes knocking.
When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.
The University of Jos came alive with music, glamour and excitement as Afro Soul sensation Big Chinni delivered a captivating performance at the Mr & Miss UNIJOS 2026 pageant, one of the institution’s most anticipated annual social events.
The event, held on the University of Jos campus, attracted hundreds of students, alumni and guests who gathered to witness the crowning of the institution’s new king and queen and to celebrate creativity, fashion and student excellence.
Big Chinni thrilled the audience with an energetic Afro Soul performance, delivering a blend of soulful melodies and vibrant stagecraft that kept the crowd singing and dancing throughout her set. Her performance added excitement to an evening dedicated to showcasing talent, confidence and youthful creativity.
The pageant, widely regarded as a flagship event on the university’s social calendar, featured dazzling fashion displays, entertainment performances and competitive segments leading to the emergence of the new Mr & Miss UNIJOS 2026.
The event was powered by NASCO Cornflakes, one of Nigeria’s leading breakfast cereal brands, whose colourful branding featured prominently across the venue, including the red carpet and main stage. The company’s support underscored its commitment to promoting youth development, campus engagement and student-focused initiatives.
Organisers said the collaboration between NASCO Cornflakes and the pageant reflected a shared vision of celebrating excellence, talent and the vibrant lifestyle of young people.
With her memorable performance, Big Chinni further strengthened her growing reputation as one of the emerging voices in the Afro Soul music scene, leaving the audience entertained and making the 2026 edition of Mr & Miss UNIJOS one of the most talked-about campus events of the year.
News
Presidency Replies Cardinal Onaiyekan, Says Remarks Were Political, Not Representative of All Christians
The Presidency has dismissed comments by Cardinal John Onaiyekan criticising President Bola Tinubu’s administration, describing the cleric’s remarks as personal and political rather than representative of the entire Christian community in Nigeria.
The President’s Special Adviser on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, made the remarks in a post on his X account on Saturday, August 1, while responding to Onaiyekan’s criticism following the recent visit of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) to the President.
Cardinal Onaiyekan had accused the Tinubu administration of being more focused on winning political contests than addressing the country’s pressing challenges.
Responding, Bwala argued that the cardinal was expressing the views of the Catholic Church and not speaking on behalf of all Christians in Nigeria. He also claimed that the Catholic institution largely supported Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi during the 2023 presidential election.
According to Bwala, the cardinal’s comments were political rather than spiritual and did not reflect the opinions of all Catholic faithful.
“Cardinal Onaiyekan wasn’t speaking for Christians; he was speaking for Catholics, the very institutions rooting for Peter Obi. In fact, likely the institution where Peter Obi also said in 2022, ‘Take back your country.’ Therefore, the Cardinal is more political than spiritual. And not all Catholic members are supporting Peter Obi,” he wrote.
Bwala also defended President Tinubu’s response to the Catholic bishops’ assessment of the nation’s economy, arguing that the President was entitled to disagree based on available economic data.
“The President was well within his right to disagree with their assertion regarding Nigeria’s economy based purely on facts, statistics and numbers considered within the proper context,” he stated.
He further accused the cleric of applying a different standard to members of the church, suggesting that religious leaders often encourage worshippers to make positive declarations despite difficult circumstances.
“Ironically, the same priest would rebuke their members if they said, ‘We are suffering’ or ‘We are poor.’ They would instead tell them to declare, ‘We are doing great’ or ‘We are rich,’ even when they are facing hardship,” Bwala added.
The presidential aide maintained that there is a broader Christian body comprising various denominations, including the Catholic Church and the Catholic Bishops’ Conference, and argued that such organisations should remain politically neutral.
“There is a body comprising all Christians, including the Catholics and the Catholic Bishops’ Conference, and that body’s position is neutral and should remain so; otherwise, it becomes political,” he said.
The exchange follows renewed public debate over the role of religious leaders in commenting on governance and national affairs.
-
News4 days agoProphet El-Buba Boosts Peace Ambassadors JTF with Security Outposts, CCTV and Patrol Bikes
-
News4 days ago
Microsoft is openly competing with OpenAI, Anthropic more than ever
-
News3 days ago
Abia N150m campaign billboard fee, APC agenda against opposition – Kenneth Okonkwo
-
News3 days ago
2027: Defections, reconciliation moves reshape Niger’s political landscape
