iMessage is an app that hundreds of thousands of individuals use day-after-day. However regardless of this, it’s been largely left alone by Apple for fairly a while.
That’s set to vary this 12 months. At WWDC 2024, Apple revealed an entire host of enhancements coming with the discharge of iOS 18, which is in a developer beta proper now and can be launched for all iOS 18 supported gadgets this fall, together with the brand new iPhone 16.
Listed below are all of the modifications which might be coming your approach.
RCS for trouble-free messaging with Android
After years of Google pestering, Apple lastly relented and promised to undertake the RCS normal sooner or later in 2024.
No, it received’t finish the blue/inexperienced bubble divide of iPhone-to-Android messaging, nevertheless it ought to take away the limitations that made Android customers second-class residents in cross-platform iMessage group chats. Which means higher-quality media sharing, learn receipts, longer character limits and extra.
Nevertheless, it’s price noting that Apple will apparently solely assist RCS Common Profile 2.4 fairly than the present model (2.6), which suggests it lacks end-to-end encryption and some Google-specific options.
All new Tapbacks
Presently, Tapbacks — the emoji responses that stick beneath messages, normally despatched in lieu of a full reply — are fairly restricted. There are simply six to select from: a coronary heart, a thumbs up, a thumbs down, a ‘Ha Ha’, two exclamation marks and a query mark.
That modifications with iOS 18. As with WhatsApp and Slack, you’ll be capable of use any emoji as a Tapback, opening doorways to the eyes, considering face or smirk emoji if you happen to suppose it applicable.
However Apple goes past its rivals by additionally letting you employ stickers as Tapbacks. If you happen to swipe left on the prompt Tapbacks, you’ll be capable of see your most used emoji and stickers, for a extra private method.
Talking of personalization, Apple is about to introduce wealthy textual content formatting choices, that means you can also make your textual content daring, italicized, underlined or crossed out.
However Apple isn’t leaving it there, and has introduced eight particular results that may be added to any character. These are massive, small, shake, nod, explode, ripple, bloom and jitter — in all probability not one thing you’ll wish to pop into each message, however a pleasant novelty all the identical.
AI-generated emoji
The personalization doesn’t cease ther. Apple introduced “Genmoji” — or AI-generated emoji as one in every of its massive AI options for iOS 18.
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Simply write in a immediate — like a smiley with cucumbers on the eyes, seen above — and your iPhone will generate an emoji to pop into your iMessage dialog.
Simply observe that this Apple Intelligence characteristic solely works with the iPhone 15 Professional and iPhone 15 Professional Max. You want an A17 Professional processor. The brand new iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Professionals must also assist this characteristic.
Scheduling messages forward of time
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Generally, it’s good to put in writing a message that can be mechanically despatched at a time of your selecting. You are able to do that with Gmail, however not with iMessage — till now.
There is not any have to set a reminder with Siri. With iOS 18 you may merely put together a message, faucet the ‘+’ button on the left and choose a time with the “Ship Later” possibility.
Messages by way of satellite tv for pc
Beginning with the iPhone 14, Apple launched satellite tv for pc communications for instances while you’re with out cell reception. The corporate says it has already saved lives.
With iOS 18, suitable handsets will be capable of ship iMessages and SMS by way of satellite tv for pc — although solely the previous has end-to-end encryption.
There may be nonetheless a query mark over the long-term pricing of this — Apple initially stated that satellite tv for pc communications is on the market freed from cost for the primary two years of an iPhone’s utilization. The corporate then prolonged this by a 12 months for the iPhone 14, so we’ve nonetheless not reached the purpose when anyone has theoretically needed to pay. At this level, it’s not clear if and when anyone will — and extra importantly, how a lot it’s going to price in the event that they do.
