Remember when texting was the only way to send a written message to someone via your phone? Thankfully, we do not live in those dark times anymore. However, Apple’s Messages app all too often feels like its a relic from a bygone era.
The Basic Functionality Still Not Available in Messages
Messages can highlight if the person you are having a text conversation with is also using an iPhone, but it cannot do other basic things that we expect from a messaging app in 2020. My main gripe is the poor syncing across multiple devices. On my iPhone, my contacts are obviously there. However, their details don’t always appear in the Mac or iPad version of the app. You can read a message on one device but still have an unread notification on another. It actually thinks the fact that there are different logos for app on different devices says quite a lot about how Apple views it.
Oh, and can you show me to flag a text I’ve received so that I remember to return to it later? You won’t be able to, because the function still does not exist. WhatsApp isn’t perfect, but there’s a reason I use it most of the time, instead of Messages.
Could Help be on Its Way?
Perhaps though, help is on its way in the shape of iOS 14. According to reports, Apple is testing new features for iMessage that could arrive with the expected new operating systems. These include mentions, a bit like you get in Slack. More importantly, it may allow you to retract something you’ve sent it, potentially saving users from those texting horror moments. It may also introduce the ability to mark a message as unread and indicating when someone in a group chat is typing. It isn’t the overhaul of Messages that the app really requires. However, introducing these features would be a much-needed improvement.
And when you delete on one, its gone on all devices – I used iMessage / Messages on multiple devices – the reply from and so on options, turned them all OFF, it was, as we say over here ‘doing my head in’ – no privacy for starters – why should I have to remember to delete the same message on multiple devices?, email doesn’t work that way. Neither should Messages.
I just read this and think you got a few things wrong. Firstly you need to make sure your contacts and iMessage are on using iCloud then they will sync up (sometime it take a few minutes. When you read a message on one device it takes off the notification of all the other devices (I have iPhone, iPad Apple Watch and MacBook). This is one of the main reasons I use iMessages. WhatsApp does not have iPad or Mac apps, so you just limited to your phone.
Mine Wishlist for iMessages is
1. OK sign on tapback.
2. Highlight a text that send to you. (Mention)
3. Group text (I do not use as if one person is on android phone then it send SMS to all people and as mobile company charge for this!). which I tend then to use WhatsApp and FB Messager. But if it could be possible to send to iOS with iMessage and SMS to other then would be good.
4. Deleting text message only works if the person has not read it! even on WhatsApp
5. Would be nice to see if someone typing
They also needs to dramatically improve search in Messages. Let me search by keywords and filters.