Apart from bigger Emojis and iMessage effects, iOS 10 Messages has another interesting feature for adding a personal touch to your messages. That is the Handwriting mode. This feature is not in plain sight and many users may stumble upon it by accident.
When you rotate your iPhone to landscape orientation, the screen will display a plain white canvas where you can write whatever you want with your fingers to compose a custom handwritten message and then send it to your friends and families.
But what if you just want to view the conversation in landscape orientation rather than the white canvas? Fortunately, it’s very easy to hide the canvas. To find out how, read the guide below.
How to Disable Handwriting Mode in iOS 10 Messages
Step 1: Open the Messages app and go to a specific conversation.
Step 2: Rotate your iPhone to landscape orientation.
Step 3: A white canvas will be displayed for composing handwritten messages. To hide it, tap on the keyboard icon in the bottom right corner.
Step 4: The canvas will hide to display the conversation in landscape.
How to Enable Handwriting Mode in the Messages app in iOS 10
After you disable handwriting mode, it’s very easy to turn it on again.
Step 1: Go to a specific conversation in Messages.
Step 2: Tap on the text field where you input your message. This should display the virtual keyboard.
Step 3: Switch to the stock iOS keyboard by tapping on the globe icon.
Step 4: Next, turn your iPhone to landscape orientation.
Step 5: Press the handwriting icon in the bottom right corner of the keyboard. This will hide the keyboard and replace it with a white canvas where you can compose your handwritten message.
I’ll admit that it took me a while to realize that I should switch to the stock iOS keyboard before I can turn on handwritten messages after disabling it. So make sure that you are on the iOS keyboard as the handwriting icon will not appear on third-party keyboards.
What do you think of handwritten messages in iOS 10? Let us know in the comments below.
