What you need to know
- Apple is rumored to be testing new features for iMessage.
- It means you might soon be able to retract messages and use @ to mention specific people.
- The three-dot typing indicator might also be coming to group messages.
Apple is rumored to be testing several new features for iMessages including one that might let you retract messages sent by mistake, or perhaps ones that you regret...
As reported by MacRumors:
Apple is testing new iMessage features internally, according to information obtained by MacRumors. While these features could potentially arrive as early as iOS 14, they could be held back until a later software update or perhaps never released.For starters, there is a new Slack-like mention system that would allow users to tag other contacts with their name like @Joe or @Jane. When you type the @ sign, a list of suggested contacts would appear. This would be particularly useful in busy group chat conversations, as it would be possible to enable the "Hide Alerts" setting and only receive push notifications when you are mentioned directly.
Undoubtedly the biggest rumored feature is the ability to retract messages after sending them. Fine print would show both the sender and receiver that a message has been retracted, but the contents of the message themselves would disappear. There is no detail as to whether there would be a time limit on retracting messages.
Apple's three-dot typing indicator, currently only available in one-on-one conversations, may also be winging its way to group chats.
MacRumors has also highlighted previous rumors suggesting that Apple is working on a Catalyst version of its Messages app for Mac, as noted by Steve Troughton-Smith last year.
There is a whole lot of evidence in Catalina that they're working on a full, Catalyst version of Messages, much like Shortcuts for Mac. So, just like Shortcuts, I decided to cut to the chase and do it myself by calling the system frameworks. Voilà pic.twitter.com/IsXKrGpemdThere is a whole lot of evidence in Catalina that they're working on a full, Catalyst version of Messages, much like Shortcuts for Mac. So, just like Shortcuts, I decided to cut to the chase and do it myself by calling the system frameworks. Voilà pic.twitter.com/IsXKrGpemd— Steve Troughton-Smith (@stroughtonsmith) June 19, 2019June 19, 2019
Stephen Warwick has written about Apple for five years at iMore and previously elsewhere. He covers all of iMore's latest breaking news regarding all of Apple's products and services, both hardware and software. Stephen has interviewed industry experts in a range of fields including finance, litigation, security, and more. He also specializes in curating and reviewing audio hardware and has experience beyond journalism in sound engineering, production, and design.
Before becoming a writer Stephen studied Ancient History at University and also worked at Apple for more than two years. Stephen is also a host on the iMore show, a weekly podcast recorded live that discusses the latest in breaking Apple news, as well as featuring fun trivia about all things Apple.
