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254 'iMessage' stories February 2012 - February 2019
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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.

UK’s GCQH wants Apple and others to secretly add law enforcement to encrypted chats and calls

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Feb 1 2019 - 5:18 am PT
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Britain’s Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) – the UK equivalent of the NSA – is calling on Apple and other tech companies to secretly add law enforcement agents to Messages chats, FaceTime calls and other forms of encrypted chat on demand.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has said this would be like the recently-discovered FaceTime bug, only worse …


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Comment: It’s time to rethink iMessage notifications

Avatar for Bradley Chambers Jan 20 2019 - 6:00 am PT
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One of the best parts of iMessage is its seamless integration with SMS. One of the worst parts about iMessage is its reliance on looking like SMS in an app. I still remember when iMessage originally launched in iOS 5. With an 80+ year-old office building, getting text messages was nearly impossible for me. When Apple launched iMessage, I was able to use Wi-Fi, it was a game changer for me. Over six years later, iMessage is mostly the same. It’s still heavily tied to the same app that uses SMS. While it’s added iMessage “apps”, it’s still largely the same app and service that Apple launched years ago. I’ve realized that out of my major frustrations with iMessage, how it handles notifications is at the top of the list.
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Chinese state media announces Apple is developing ‘advanced technology’ to reduce iMessage spam

Avatar for Benjamin Mayo Aug 2 2018 - 3:40 am PT
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For the last few days, Chinese state media started a mini smear campaign on Apple, criticising the company’s App Store policies and voicing frustration at ongoing SMS and iMessage spam in the region.

Reuters reports that the Chinese media quoted an Apple rep announcing that Apple will be rolling out new ways to block iMessage spam accounts, and is developing ‘advanced technology’ to automatically identify junk messages. In a statement to Reuters, Apple said that they have been ‘working to reduce the issue of spam for quite some time’.


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Microsoft says it would love to work with Apple to bring iMessage support to Windows

Avatar for Chance Miller May 10 2018 - 2:31 pm PT
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At its Build developer conference this year, Microsoft revealed a new “Your Phone” application that it hopes will make iOS and Android devices work better with Windows 10 PCs. The app bring things such as photos, texts, and more directly from your smartphone to your Windows PC.

One key missing feature, however, is iMessage support – but Microsoft says it would love to work with Apple to change that…


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Telstra acknowledges widespread iMessage & FaceTime outage, says it’s working on a fix

Avatar for Chance Miller Feb 20 2018 - 5:45 pm PT
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Update: Telstra says the issue has been resolved and service is being “progressively restored.”

Earlier today some customers experienced a disruption to Apple iMessage and FaceTime services. We worked with Apple to resolve this issue. Services are now being progressively being restored. We apologise for any inconvenience this caused.

Telstra, one of the largest mobile carriers in Australia, is experiencing a widespread outage of iMessage and FaceTime services. Oddly enough, this outage only seems to affect Apple’s services, as everything else functions normally. The carrier has confirmed the outage on Twitter and says it is working on a fix…


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Receiving an Indian character crashes Messages and other apps in iOS 11 [U: Mac & Watch too]

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Feb 15 2018 - 4:09 am PT
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Update: It’s now been confirmed that the issue affects both Macs and Apple Watches too.

There have been a number of cases where sending a particular message to an iOS device causes the Messages app to crash, leaving users unable to re-open it – and a new one has emerged in iOS 11.

Sending a specific Telugu (Indian language) character to a device running iOS 11.2.5 causes the app to crash, and then fail to re-open. In some cases, it can require a DFU reset to fix it …


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Delta enabling free in-flight iMessage, WhatsApp, and Facebook Messenger use starting Sunday

Avatar for Zac Hall Sep 27 2017 - 9:00 am PT
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Good news for passengers flying Delta: the airline is enabling free in-flight iMessage use on most flights starting Sunday. That means you can use your iPhone, iPad, or Mac to send and receive those blue messages without paying up for data. Delta says the new complimentary in-flight messaging perk, which also includes WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger, is part of a “multi-billion dollar investment in the customer experience.”


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Apple patent describes using iMessage to talk to Siri in noisy or silent environments

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy May 11 2017 - 6:11 am PT
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An Apple patent published today describes using iMessages instead of voice to interact with Siri in environments when speaking wouldn’t be practical.

This could span both ends of the spectrum, from very noisy environments like construction sites, where your voice cannot be heard, to very quiet ones like libraries, where you would disturb people by speaking. It would also be useful for people who don’t feel comfortable talking to their phone in public …


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UK government says Apple ‘cannot get away with’ unbreakable encryption following terrorist attack

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Mar 27 2017 - 4:01 am PT
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British Home Secretary Amber Rudd – in charge of police policy in the UK – has told the BBC that Apple ‘cannot get away with’ apps that offer unbreakable encryption following last week’s terrorist attack in London.

Rudd was speaking after it was revealed that Khalid Masood accessed WhatsApp two minutes before ploughing through pedestrians on Westminster Bridge in a rented car, killing three of them, before fatally stabbing a police officer guarding the Houses of Parliament.

She described end-to-end encrypted messaging as used by WhatsApp and Apple’s Messages app as ‘completely unacceptable’ …


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Starbucks adding gifting via Apple Messages app with Apple Pay next month

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Mar 22 2017 - 11:03 am PT
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During its annual shareholders meeting today, Starbucks announced that it will soon allow customers to send gifts through Apple’s Messages app and Apple Pay. The new functionality will arrive for customers in April alongside Microsoft Outlook integration that will similarly allow users to gift beverages through the app.

In addition, the company announced that it’s expanding the My Starbucks barista feature it first launched earlier this year to let customers order with voice commands and messaging:


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