iMessage plays an integral part in the Apple ecosystem. Exclusive to Apple devices, iMessage has been one of the strong pillars to drive people to keep investing in Apple’s latest hardware lineup. Over the years, iMessage got a number of features that put it head to head with rivals like WhatsApp and Telegram. If you are new to the iOS world, check out some of the best iMessage tips and tricks.
Apple often takes inspiration from the popular third-party IM (Instant Messaging) apps and services to integrate new features in iMessage for iPhone. With recent releases of iOS, Apple has made some notable improvements to iMessage to make it the preferred choice for the majority to communicate with friends and family. Let’s get started with the best iMessage tricks.
iMessage Tips and Tricks
1. Pin Conversations on Top
We receive dozens of messages from friends, family, banks, marketing companies each day. Sometimes, the most important messages get tucked away in those irrelevant messages. With iOS 14, one can easily pin conversations on the top for easy access and reach.
There are three ways to pin conversations in the Messages app. You can either use the swipe gesture, use a long-tap option, or select multiple conversations at once and pin them at the top.
Apps like WhatsApp and Telegram pin the conversations at the top with a small Pin icon indicator. Apple’s implementation is different and, in some ways, better than WhatsApp and Telegram. When you pin a conversation in the Messages app, you will see a rounded profile avatar of users. I like and prefer that compared to WhatsApp’s implementation.
2. Use SMS Filters
Unlike Android, you can’t use any third-party messaging app on the iPhone. Apple has packed an SMS filter that allows you to filter Unknown senders, Junk, Promotions, and Transactions from the important messages. You can enable the option by going into the Settings app -> Messages -> Message Filtering -> and select SMS Filter. You will notice the Filters menu at the upper left corner in the Messages app.
3. Disable Read Receipts
Similar to WhatsApp, iMessage allows you to disable read receipts so that the other person in the conversation won’t know that you have read the message. Open the Settings app on the iPhone and navigate to Messages > disable Send Read Receipts option. When the option off, people won’t get notified when you have read their messages.
4. Raise to Listen
Raise to listen allows you to quickly listen and reply to incoming audio messages by raising the phone to your ear. By default, the audio message will expire after two minutes. The option is enabled out of the box but you can turn it off from the Settings > Messages > Audio Messages menu.
5. Mark All Messages as Read
You can easily mark all unread messages as read in iMessage. Open the Messages app and tap on the three-dot menu in the upper right corner. Tap on the Select Messages option and select Read All at the bottom left corner. If you are tired of seeing a three-figure unread badge on the Messages icon then go ahead and use this trick to mark all messages as Read.
6. Send Images In Original Quality
By default, iMessage compresses the image quality when you try to send a picture to the other person. However, you can change the behavior from the Settings app. Open the Settings app on the iPhone and go to Messages, scroll down to the bottom and disable Low-Quality Image Mode.
7. Add Expression to a Message
This is my favorite iMessage trick. Most IM apps allow you to add an expression to a message with an emoji. iMessage has a different approach here. You can long-tap to a message and choose from a heart, thumbs up/down, question mark, and expressions to react to a message.
8. Send Memoji
Memoji is Apple’s way of adding a fun element and differentiating itself from rivals. When you send an iMessage to someone, you can tap on the little memoji icon and it will open a bunch of ready-to-use avatars with various expressions. At any point, you can create your own memoji with a bunch of customization options.
9. Download iMessage Apps
The Messages app on your iPhone lets you use a whole host of third-party iMessage apps to enhance your text messages. Most third-party iMessage apps do little more than offer stickers for you to add to your messages. But the best iMessage apps go way beyond that to take texting to a whole new level.
iMessage apps are always connected to a full-size, standard app on your iPhone. For example, the Spotify iMessage app is a part of the regular Spotify app. That means you can download iMessage apps from the App Store as you would any other app.
However, there is also a separate iMessage App Store you can use if you only want to see apps that work with iMessage.
10. Use Polls
This is one of my favorite third-party iMessage apps on the iPhone. Download the app from the iMessage Store and it allows you to create polls on the fly. You can add multiple choices, change votes, view results without voting, and even choose from different poll templates to get started.
➤ Download – Poll
Go through the tricks above and start using iMessage like a pro on your iPhone. While you are at it, do let us know about your favorite iMessage feature in the comments section below.
