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A detailed look at the Messages app’s new features in iOS 8 (Video)

At first glance, you may not notice anything different about the Messages app in iOS 8, but there is definitely a lot more going on when compared to iOS 7. Within the Messages app, Apple added several features including Tap to Talk which allows you to quickly record an audio/video message to send and playback inline within the app and the ability to quick reply to incoming messges.

Along with that, there’s a new Details tab that contains several useful features like an attachment gallery, Do Not Disturb (per message thread), and location sharing abilities. Check out our hands-on video with the new Messages app to get a first look at all of new feature you can expect when iOS 8 is released later this year.

If you’re a fan of group messages, Apple has also added some great features in this department. You now have the ability to add/remove contacts from a group message and label a group message’s thread. There are several new features available in the Messages app that we’re excited about. Check out the video below.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0WlJ9oFRV4]

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Comments

  1. world webcams - 10 years ago

    Great video and you reported this in a very nice way with style and easy to understand

  2. Harry Coomer Property - 10 years ago

    They need to add a “Mark as unread” option for SMS’s. Very frustrating!

  3. Apple Beta - 10 years ago

    Interesting thing about messages: If you leave a conversation/ thread on your iOS 8 Beta device. It will still continue on a iOS 7 device and a 10.9 Mac. I have not tested this on the Yosemite update (as it is my work machine), but I was a bit disappointed that it was not apple ID wide. I’m hoping that was an oversight and at least gets changed to work across to OSX too, or in my opinion it is a useless feature. If anyone can confirm that it stops on Yosemite I’d love to know- thanks! (re-post, might be better here instead of the iOS8 general thread).

  4. donknotts28 - 10 years ago

    Recents on app switcher??

  5. adibendahan - 10 years ago

    Dear Apple, In 2014 any messaging app that is not cross-platform is completely useless.

  6. bqecze - 10 years ago

    Using iOS beta 8 on iphone and Yosemite on MBP, just noticed that all text messages are now forwarded to iMessage on MBP whether they are iMessage or not. Works quite well

  7. Another iOS release rolls around and my iMessage still won’t sync between my devices. It’s just ridiculous.

  8. Hazriq Ishak (@hzrqishk) - 10 years ago

    What happened when we sent the audio message to iOS7 user? Will they be able to listen to it?

  9. Lance Owens - 10 years ago

    I am unable to find the microphone on the update? I have an iphone 5, and see the predictive words pop up, but no mic?

  10. Chloe Pollard - 10 years ago

    Is there a way to have photos in ALL text conversations, rather than just groups?
    Ridiculous if not, I love Apple but they’re so behind on so many things! My boyfriends 1 year old phone without any software updates has this function.
    For example the option to have photos in the inbox, so you can glance quickly and pick a conversation with the photo, and then photos in the actual conversation between two people especially, rather than just groups, to determine between the two.

    I have iOS8 but I’m not a developer, how do I give feedback? Can any developers out there do this?
    Really disappointed with IOS8! :(

  11. Penny Davis - 10 years ago

    Thumps up. I enjoyed this. Thanks!

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