Apple has improved the Messages app with the iOS 14 update in a big way. While the app itself has not received any major redesign, the company has added a number of new usability features and improvements that help improve the overall experience of using the app. If you rely heavily on iMessage, you are going to be pleased with all the changes in iOS 14. Below is a look at all the changes and improvements that Apple has made to the Messages app in iOS 14.
None of the changes made by Apple in iOS 14 to the Messages app is revolutionary or game-changing, but they at least help the app catch up to the likes of WhatsApp and Telegram in terms of basic features at least.
If you cannot wait to try out the new Messages experience, you can always install the iOS 14 beta on your iPhone.
What’s New in Messages in iOS 14
Pinned Conversations
This is such a simple feature but one that’s going to make using the Messages app so much better. You can now pin up to nine of your important conversations in the Messages app so that they appear right at the top when you open the app. Additionally, in pinned group conversations, you will see the Memoji/avatar of the person who recently sent a message animate around the pin which serves as a good indicator activity.
What’s even great is that you get to see typing indicators near the mouths of the people in the conversation so you can know who is typing without having to open the conversation itself. You will also see the photos of the three most recent participants in the chat.
Group Photos for Group Conversations
You can make your group conversations in Messages stand out by adding Memoji, photo, or an emoji. This will help separate your favorite group conversations from other messages.
Mentions and Inline Replies
Messages are finally getting @mentions support in iOS 14. This is a long-overdue feature as it is now found in almost every other messaging app including WhatsApp and Telegram. Using @mention, you can quickly grab the attention of the person you are mentioning in a group chat. You can also type the @name of the person to send them a direct message. In group conversations, users will have the ability to only receive a notification when they are mentioned.
New Memoji Styles and Stickers
To make your conversations even more fun, Apple is adding new Memoji styles and stickers in iOS 14 and iPadOS 14. There are new age options, face coverings, over 20 new hair and headwear styles, and more.
Typing Indicators
Another small but important usability change in iOS 14 is the ability to see the typing indicator without having to open the chat. The indicator will show up when you are in the chat list itself thereby letting you at a glance know when someone is typing a message.
SMS Filtering
The Messages app in iOS 14 is also getting SMS filtering thereby helping you keep your inbox clean by filtering out all spam and unwanted messages. While SMS filtering is available in iOS 13 as well, it is limited to unknown senders. Apple has expanded on this feature in iOS 14 and lets you filter out transaction SMSes, promotional messages, and more.
New Messages app for Mac
Ok, this one does not really pertain to the Messages app in iOS 14 but still, this is an important change. The Messages app in macOS Big Sur has received a massive upgrade and it is now a Catalyst app. This means the app is basically what you get on iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 so you are going to get the same features and experience with Messages on Mac as you would on your iPhone or iPad. This includes Mentions support, Inline replies, Group conversation pinning, and more.
Apart from the improved Messages app, there are a lot of other new features in iOS 14 to get excited about.
What are your favorite improvements to the Messages app in iOS 14 and iPadOS 14? What features and improvements do you think are still missing from the app? Drop a comment and let us know!
