iMessage

Send texts, photos, videos, and audio messages — all from the Messages app

258 'iMessage' stories February 2012 - May 2014

iMessage was announced by Scott Forstall at the WWDC keynote in 2011. When iOS 5 was released in October, it included a version of the messages app that had iMessage built-in. In early 2012, Apple announced that a new Messages app would be included in OS X Mountain Lion which was released on July 25, 2012.

By 2012, Tim Cook announced that over 300 billion messages had been sent using iMessage. In 2016, Eddie Cue announced that 200,000 iMessages were being sent every second. Apple also announced an App Store for the platform in 2016.

When Apple announced its messaging platform, mobile carriers were caught off guard as it took over SMS technology. One of the reasons it was initially so successful is that users didn’t realize they were using something new. The only visual change was that the messages went from green to blue. The box for typing message had a faint iMessage in the box before starting a message as well.

Since its release, Google has tried multiple times to create its own messaging service similar to iMessage, but it hasn’t been able to find the same success. Apple has been applauded for including end-to-end encryption in iMessage.

We use end-to-end encryption to protect your iMessage and FaceTime conversations across all your devices. With watchOS and iOS, your messages are encrypted on your device so that they can’t be accessed without your passcode. We designed iMessage and FaceTime so that there’s no way for us to decrypt your data when it’s in transit between devices. You can choose to automatically delete your messages from your device after 30 days or a year or to keep them on your device forever.

Third-party apps that use iMessage do not have access to participants’ actual contact information or conversations. iOS provides each app with a random identifier for each participant, which is reset when the app is uninstalled. iMessage and SMS messages are backed up on iCloud for your convenience, but you can turn iCloud Backup off whenever you want. And we never store the content of FaceTime calls on any servers.

In iOS 11.4, Apple released Messages in the Cloud. If you enable it, it keeps your entire message history updated and available on all your devices. If you purchase a new device, all of your conversations will be synced over as well.

Apple reportedly acknowledges hijacked text message problem

Ben Lovejoy May 14 2014 - 5:33 am PT

74 Comments

Adam Pash, former lead editor of Lifehacker, reports that Apple has acknowledged a problem we’ve heard reported before: text messages continue to be converted to iMessages and forwarded to an Apple ID even when that ID is no longer in use. This means that any text messages sent from an iPhone are reported as delivered while actually disappearing into the ether.

[The AppleCare rep] explained:

This is a problem a lot of people are facing.

The engineering team is working on it but is apparently clueless as to how to fix it.

There are no reliable solutions right now — for some people the standard fixes work immediately; many others are in my boat …

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Apple publishes new legal process guidelines for law enforcement information requests

Mike Beasley May 7 2014 - 9:10 pm PT

6 Comments

Earlier this month Apple announced its decision to notify customers of law enforcement requests for user information. Today the company also published a new set of guidelines for law enforcement officials regarding how it will handle such requests, what types of information can be obtained, and more.

Most of the document contains information regular customers won’t ever need to know, but for those interested in Apple’s participation in the legal process will find a wealth of information here. The document also confirms once again that Apple will notify users in most cases where law enforcement requests their personal information:

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iCloud goes down… down under

Jordan Kahn May 2 2014 - 7:38 am PT

8 Comments

Several reports are coming in that Apple’s iCloud services have been experiencing an outage in Australia in addition to a few reports from New Zealand. Most appear unable to access any iCloud services such as Calendars and Mail, and others report Apple’s iMessage service is also down. The problems appear to have started late last night eastern time and continued into the morning today.

Apple is yet to update its System Status page to reflect the outages, but users continue to report problems. A long list of tweets from users in both Australia and New Zealand note the system was still down as of this morning.

[tweet https://twitter.com/peterchaly/status/462186048710512640]

[tweet https://twitter.com/dreasaez/status/462183077885001728]

[tweet https://twitter.com/justinholst/status/462194257323757571]

TypeStatus beta tweak for Mac puts iMessage typing indicators in your menu bar

Dom Esposito Apr 13 2014 - 1:16 pm PT

4 Comments

Following the success of Hashbang Productions’ iOS jailbreak tweak TypeStatus, the development group has released a beta version of the tweak for OS X. TypeStatus for Mac will provide simple system-wide notifications in the OS X menu bar when your iMessage has been read or someone is typing a response.

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Digitimes: iWatch circuit board samples being delivered to Apple in preparation for September reveal

Mike Beasley Apr 8 2014 - 10:37 pm PT

6 Comments

Concept: jivaldi.com

On Tuesday we reported that Apple was planning to reveal its entry into the wearable market in August or September. Now a new Digitimes report corroborates that timeframe. According to the new report, three different firms have supplied Apple with samples of flexible circuit boards that will be integrated into the iWatch for a fall release.

The companies involved are Flexium Interconnect, Career Technology, and Zhen Ding Technology Holding, according to Digitimes. Zhen Ding Technology Holding is currently Apple’s largest supplier of such parts and is reportedly planning to increase production in order to meet increased demand for iPhone and iPad circuitry.

As with all Digitimes reports, it’s probably best to take this with a grain of salt given their less-than-stellar track record.
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Apple’s online services going down intermittently, DNS problem/hack likely culprit (Update: Mostly back)

Mike Beasley Mar 12 2014 - 4:07 pm PT

7 Comments

Update: The bad DNS entries appear to almost completely be purged and it appears that Apple services are working correctly.

[tweet https://twitter.com/RaceJohnson/status/443882675011469312 align=’center’]

Apple’s website and online stores are experiencing issues for many users, according to various tips and reports we’ve received across Twitter. Apple.com, iTunes, the App Store, and some other web services (but not all) are all reporting that they are unavailable.

Some services (like iMessage and Game Center) seem to be unaffected at the moment.

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Mavericks How-to: Block contacts in FaceTime and iMessage on OS X

Sarah Guarino Mar 8 2014 - 12:00 pm PT

1 Comment

With the highly anticipated update to Mavericks 10.9.2, users gained the ability to block contacts in FaceTime and iMessage. This has been a long-awaited addition, since iOS 7 received this feature five months ago. If you previously blocked people in iOS 7, the block list syncs over from your iOS devices to your Mac through iCloud. Make sure Documents and Data is turned on in order for that to occur.

Now with Mavericks, you are able to block certain phone numbers from iMessaging or FaceTiming you without needing to get up and grab your iOS device…

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Reasons for delay in SSL fix to OS X unclear as a single line of code found responsible

Ben Lovejoy Feb 24 2014 - 4:23 am PT

26 Comments

Update: Apple issued OS X 10.9.2 the following day, which included a fix for the SSL bug.

After Apple fixed the SSL bug in iOS, it’s unclear why three days have passed without an OS X fix after it was revealed by Reuters that the vulnerability was created by an error in a single line of code.

The problem lies in the way the software recognizes the digital certificates used by banking sites, Google’s Gmail service, Facebook and others to establish encrypted connections. A single line in the program and an omitted bracket meant that those certificates were not authenticated at all, so that hackers can impersonate the website being sought and capture all the electronic traffic before passing it along to the real site.

As the bug is in Apple’s SSL authentication code, it leaves a whole range of apps vulnerable, not just Safari …
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Apple seeds OS X Mavericks 10.9.2 build 13C53 to developers

Mark Gurman Feb 6 2014 - 3:54 pm PT

6 Comments

One week after the previous beta, Apple has provided registered Mac developers with OS X Mavericks 10.9.2 build 13C53 to developers. Previous 10.9.2 builds added FaceTime Audio functionality to the Mac’s Messages and FaceTime applications. Other new functionality includes the ability to block contacts/phone numbers in both FaceTime and Messages.

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Apple seeds new OS X Mavericks 10.9.2, Safari 6.1.2 betas to developers

Mark Gurman Jan 23 2014 - 2:15 pm PT

1 Comment

A week following the previous beta, Apple has seeded a new version of OS X Mavericks 10.9.2 to developers. The update is available via Software Update in the Mac App Store and Apple’s online developer portal. It is labeled as build 13C44, and that’s a small increase over last week’s 13C39 build. Last week’s build brought blocking for iMessage and FaceTime, while the original 10.9.2 beta introduced FaceTime Audio in the Mac’s FaceTime and Messages apps.

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Flexibits discounting Chatology, Fantastical for Mac & iPhone for the holidays

Zac Hall Dec 20 2013 - 8:24 pm PT

3 Comments

Whether you’re in the market for great apps for yourself or gifting someone you know with apps you already love, it’s certainly a terrific time for buying some of the most notable apps on the Mac and iOS platforms. Just this morning we reported on a collection of indie developers who teamed up to create App Santa, a catalog of award-winning iOS apps including Tweetbot and 1Password with substantial discounts for the holiday season.

Joining in on the holiday spirit is Flexibits, the development team behind Chatology for Mac, Fantastical for Mac, and Fantastical for iPhone. All three are apps which reliably solve a specific problem.

Chatology makes searching through iMessage chat logs on OS X less of a nightmare with stable software that even supports link and image parsing. Fantastical for Mac and iPhone (review) both provide a streamlined calendar experience with consistent and impressive natural language input with real time feedback. Direct links, screenshots, and prices below…
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Concept imagines a much needed redesign of Apple’s Messages app for OS X

Jordan Kahn Nov 12 2013 - 6:07 pm PT

34 Comments

It’s no secret that Messages on OS X, Apple’s IM app that’s integrated with its iMessage service on iOS devices, has long been a frustration for users. The app has received a name change and slightly new look since the iChat days, but it hasn’t improved much in terms of functionality or reliability– some would say it’s gotten worse. While many of you would probably settle for a Messages app that simply works reliably, app developer Denis Pakhaliuk just sent over his concept of a completely revamped Messaging app for OS X.

On top of a redesigned UI that implements “Smart Colors” and some iOS 7-style translucency, the concept imagines a Messages app with much needed filter and sync features, truly instant sync between devices, new indicators for statuses, media uploads, and more.

Head below for the full gallery:

Apple seeds a pair of OS X Mavericks updates internally

Mark Gurman Nov 6 2013 - 5:47 pm PT

10 Comments

Apple has seeded two software upgrades for OS X Mavericks internally, according to a source with knowledge of the upcoming updates. This person says that the updates are labeled as OS X 10.9.1 and OS X 10.9.2. The first update is expected to be released later this month, and it will serve as an update to squash bugs that accompanied the OS X 10.9.0 release of Mavericks last month. Many users have complained about issues relating to the Mail and iBooks applications, and Apple is preparing to release individual bug-fix updates for those apps in the coming days…

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Apple promoting its own stock iOS apps for popular App Store search queries

Jordan Kahn Oct 31 2013 - 8:22 am PT

4 Comments

Apple appears to have recently started promoting some of its own stock iOS apps on the App Store for search terms that would have previously displayed results from third-party developers first. As noted by MacStories, when searching for terms such as “browser”, “web”, “SMS”, “Movies”, “cloud, “Siri”, “internet”, and others on the App Store, Apple is now promoting some of its own apps and services such as Safari, iTunes, Messages, iCloud, and Siri as the first results.

The result for Apple’s apps aren’t typical App Store listings but instead provide users with a brief description and link to either “Learn more” or open the app. Clicking Learn More takes users to Apple’s website in Safari for more information on the app, while some listings, such as iTunes, allow users to tap “Visit iTunes Store” and automatically launch the iOS iTunes app.
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Apple lists countries where new iCloud Keychain feature is available

Mark Gurman Oct 25 2013 - 8:07 am PT

8 Comments

Apple has updated its support website with a new list of countries in which iCloud Keychain is supported. iCloud Keychain was announced at WWDC 2013 earlier this year, and the feature allows users to create complex passwords and sync them via iCloud to their supported devices. The feature also allows users to store their credit card information in order to make payment processing online a faster process. The feature launched earlier this week with OS X Mavericks and iOS 7.0.3. We will be publishing a thorough how-to guide for setting up and utilizing iCloud Keychain in the coming days. The full list of currently supported countries is available below:

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Apple releases iOS 7.0.3: iCloud Keychain, iMessage fixes, sensor fixes, Touch ID improvements

Mark Gurman Oct 22 2013 - 11:57 am PT

35 Comments

Apple has released a major iOS bug fix update called iOS 7.0.3, bringing iCloud Keychain, improved password management in Safari, the delay of the Slide to Unlock text on the Lock screen for Touch ID devices, iMessage fixes, and fixes for sensor calibration issues.

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Apple reiterates it cannot read user iMessages, has no plans to do so

Ben Lovejoy Oct 18 2013 - 4:53 am PT

10 Comments

Update: Fresh Apple statement added

The immunity of iMessages from government surveillance has been cast into doubt by QuarksLab security researchers presenting at the Hack in the Box conference in Kuala Lumpur.

A leaked DEA document had pointed to the impossibility of intercepting iMessages even with a court order, a point that was confirmed by an apparently categorical Apple statement:

Conversations which take place over iMessage and FaceTime are protected by end-to-end encryption so no one but the sender and receiver can see or read them. Apple cannot decrypt that data.

The researchers reverse-engineered the iMessage protocol and confirmed that the claim was true. However, they identified that Apple needed to hold the encryption keys on its own servers, and that simply by changing these keys, it could enable access to the message content.

They can change a key anytime they want, thus read the content of our iMessages.

The researchers were keen to stress that they do not believe Apple is doing, or has ever done, this – but rather that it could do so if the NSA or another government agency were to require it. Only messages sent after Apple changed the keys would be accessible.

Apple has since issued a statement to AllThingsD:

“iMessage is not architected to allow Apple to read messages,” said Apple spokeswoman Trudy Muller said (sic) in a statement to AllThingsD. “The research discussed theoretical vulnerabilities that would require Apple to re-engineer the iMessage system to exploit it, and Apple has no plans or intentions to do so.”

This is, though, merely a weaker version of its earlier statement. Then, it said it couldn’t read iMessages, now it is saying that it could, but it would require work and it has no intention of doing so. That Apple would not willingly do so was never in doubt: the point is that the NSA could force it to. A demonstration from QuarksLab is below:

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbqZnTKDVU0]

When the NSA PRISM story broke, it led to a raft of denials in what some security researchers say was carefully-crafted language. Apple, among other companies, was clearly unhappy about the secrecy imposed on it and gained permission to reveal some numbers on government requests for customer data. A meeting was subsequently held at the White House in which Tim Cook and other tech CEOs met with President Obama to discuss the issue. Details of the discussions were not made public.

Apple confirms some users experiencing iTunes Store outage

Zac Hall Oct 2 2013 - 12:01 pm PT

7 Comments

Some users may be experiencing difficulty making purchases on the iTunes Store, according to Apple’s system status page. We’ve heard mentions of issues beginning this morning, and Apple reports trouble starting around 1:30 PM EST. Game Center and FaceTime also experienced issues this afternoon, though the former may be somewhat difficult to notice.

https://twitter.com/iTunes/status/385474005626785792

Apple’s iMessage service has been suffering turbulence for days now, which is not reflected on the system status page as it may be limited to iOS 7 users. Apple told the WSJ it is working on a fix for its iMessage issues in a future software update and recommends a workaround in the meantime.
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iMessage issues? Apple says fix available in upcoming software update

Mark Gurman Oct 1 2013 - 7:53 pm PT

14 Comments

Over the past few days, several iOS 7 users have been reporting issues with sending and receiving iMessages. A quick (partially successful) fix has been to Reset Network Settings inside of the iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch Settings app. However, this mostly has only been working for outgoing iMessages.

Instead of sending as an iMessage, texts have either been reverting to SMS or just hanging without ever sending. Now, Apple has told the WSJ that it is aware of the issue and it is working on a fix for an upcoming software update:

“We are aware of an issue that affects a fraction of a percent of our iMessage users, and we will have a fix available in an upcoming software update,” Apple said in a statement. “In the meantime, we encourage any users having problems to reference our troubleshooting documents or contact AppleCare to help resolve their issue. We apologize for any inconvenience this causes impacted users.”

In the meantime, Apple is recommending that users contact AppleCare. We’re not so sure that will solve anything as this is clearly a software issue that Apple has acknowledged (in the same statement!) will be solved with an actual update. As our own analytics have shown, Apple is widely testing iOS 7.0.3, so perhaps this will be the release with the answers to our iMessage troubles.

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iOS 7 How-to: Blocking FaceTime calls, Phone calls, and iMessages

Sarah Guarino Sep 19 2013 - 5:56 am PT

17 Comments

Before iOS 7 it was rather inconvenient to block a phone number, and there was nothing built into iOS that would allow you do so. If you got phone calls from Telemarketers you can always register your number for free on the National Do Not Call Registry. If you wanted to block specific people, you had to contact your carrier to do so. For example, with AT&T, you can pay $4.99 per month per line to block up to 30 numbers with their Smart Limits. With Verizon Wireless, you are able to block up to five phone numbers per line with no charge. With Sprint you fill out a form on their website and it appears there is no additional fee.

Dealing with your carrier can be a rather tedious, and with the new iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch operating system, you no longer have to…

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‘Ping’ brings iMessage-like functionality to email

Scott Buscemi Sep 5 2013 - 8:00 am PT

4 Comments

iOS has seen its fair share of new email applications over the past few years. Most notably, Mailbox found itself overly popular and was eventually acquired by Dropbox. Now, a new mail app called Ping will take email another step forward by bringing in new features that are, by far, revolutionary.

The most notable feature is the iMessage-like responses: if you are emailing with another Ping user, it turns your email into a chat where each user can see when the other is typing and emails appear instantly.

The app also allows you to set custom notifications per contact, so you can know if you really need to dig into your mail app and respond quickly.

Ping will be launching September 18th, but you can reserve your spot today at PingApp.com. I’m betting this app will be much more successful than Apple’s Ping social network…

Ping reimagines email from the inside out with the following capabilities:

A smart, people-centric feed: Organize messages by people and groups of people, then everything else (subscriptions, newsletters, etc.) so messaging history with each person and group is in ongoing, contextual streams, like chat. Emails from the most important people and groups are in one feed so you can immediately see what matters most, while subscriptions, newsletters and marketing emails are automatically filtered into a separate workspace.

A playful, easy interface: Communicate in a natural, dynamic environment with rich media sharing (personal photos, Web photos, video), voice recording, video chat, doodling and the all bells and whistles that make chatting fun. By eschewing the formal, antiquated letter format, unnatural terms like “Best Regards” are no longer a part of conversations with your colleagues or friends.

And, for the utility-minded, Ping offers:

Super real-time responses: Receive emails the exact moment they come in, seconds before you would using any native mobile email app. Users can even see when another person is typing, as you would with iMessage or chat.

Better notifications: Stop checking your phone every time it buzzes. Assign custom notification alerts for different types of messages and contacts, and keep it in your pocket.

Instant access to shared media: See all recent attachments and documents within a conversation by flipping your phone to horizontal view.

Snooze: Hit the Couch button to save messages for later.

Quick search: Find friends or conversations instantly with a universal search bar.

By supporting real-time messaging, document and photo sharing, voice and video calls, and more, Ping brings it all together, eliminating the need to use multiple apps to stay in touch. Ping syncs with desktop emails so chats, documents and media are stored right in your cloud, not in a separate app that wipes out your history when you stop using it. Ping solves the fragmentation issues associated with many messaging apps because it’s an open platform and is not limited to communication within the app itself.

Multiple Apple services down for some users, six hours and counting [update: back online]

Ben Lovejoy Aug 22 2013 - 3:42 am PT

0 Comments

Apple’s system status page is showing that iMessage and four iCloud services – Photostream, Documents in the Cloud, Backup and iPhoto Journals – have been down for some users for more than six hours …
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Apple says iMessage outage affected 30% of users

Mike Beasley Jul 9 2013 - 2:15 pm PT

0 Comments

According to Apple’s system status page, iMessage was down for just over half an hour this afternoon. The downtime affected nearly one-third of iMessage users, while a few tweets indicate that it may still be down for some.

Update: Apple has changed its status page from 30% to “some users”.

Review: Is Chatology the solution for Messages search?

Mike Beasley Jun 18 2013 - 9:00 am PT

0 Comments

Messages for Mac is buggy. There’s no denying that fact. At some point, all of us have tried to search for a specific message in the app only to be confronted by everyone’s favorite multi-colored symbol of despair.

Several weeks ago, Flexibits, developers of Fantastical for Mac and iPhone, announced a new project called Chatology that would finally solve this issue once and for all. Today, they unveiled the app to the world. So what exactly is Chatology? Does it solve the problem it sets out to solve? Keep reading to get answers to those questions and more.

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