Life under quarantine has been challenging, to say the least. Whether it’s a government-imposed lockdown or a necessary self-imposed one during this worldwide pandemic, we’re all feeling the effects of having to stay cooped up inside our homes every day. It’s no wonder that we’ve turned to our only saviour, the powers of technology and the internet to get us through these tough times. And, to help keep you occupied during your long days, we’ve compiled this guide on how to use iMessage to its full capabilities.
In-App Gaming
Yeah, online games are cool and all but did you know you could play games with your friends while you’re chatting with them on iMessage? Imagine Facebook Messenger only much cooler because who even uses Messenger anymore.
With the iPhone iMessage’s in-app installations from the App Store, you and your friend can play games like Darts, Archery, Tanks, and more.
All you need to do? Open a chat and press on the App Store logo in the bar below.
Search the game you’d like to play and download. I personally love GamePigeon because of the wide variety of games it has, including Pool, Twenty Questions, and Cup Pong.
Once you’ve selected your game, just invite your friend to play along with you and there you have the perfect pastime—all while you can exchange the latest gossip without having to move away to another app!
Controlling Someone’s Mac Remotely
Ever had your parents after your life to help them with something on their laptop but they just aren’t getting your instructions? Well, if you don’t stay with your parents and can’t help them so readily, I’ve got a solution that might save you some headaches.
iMessage comes with a feature that allows you to share screens and remotely take control of the other person’s screen (as long as they allow you). All you need are two MacBooks and a good internet connection to make this work.
To do this, open iMessage on your Mac and click on the chat with the person you want to talk to. Then, head to ‘Buddies’ in the Menu Bar and click ‘Ask to Share Screen’.
Conversely, they can click on ‘Invite to Share My Screen’. The other person will get an invite, which they’ll have to Accept to place the call.
You’ll now be able to view their screen and talk to them on an audio call to explain things as you need to. And if you want to properly show them how to do things on their own system, ask them to select ‘Allow [your name] to control my screen’ from the upper right corner of the screen.
Et Voila! Now it’ll be as if you’re right beside them as you try to explain how to work Facebook again. I won’t guarantee that you won’t get calls while you’re trying to focus on working from home, though…
Chatting Made Fun Using Effects, Stickers, and More
Besides these two incredibly useful features, there are honestly so many things that make chatting on the iPhone iMessage an absolute dream as compared to normal messaging apps like WhatsApp.
For one, iMessage has a cool Reaction feature that’s honestly a lifesaver for when you want to end a conversation but don’t want to seem rude—or when you just don’t know what to say!
When you do know what to say and want to put some emphasis on your message with a loud slam, or want to keep it private for one pair of eyes only by sending it with invisible ink, there are tons of Bubble and Screen effects for you to choose from. Just long-press on the blue arrow beside your message and the ‘Send with effect’ screen will show up.
There’s also Animoji, Memoji, and Stickers, which are the perfect way to add some spice to your conversations by making them much more interactive and entertaining. You can download different types of stickers from the App Store, or just use your Memoji.
If you’re too lazy to type and want to send messages in your own handwriting, turn your phone landscape and click on the icon showing squiggly lines on the lower-right part of your keyboard to open a writing pad. You can also use Digital Touch for this, to send drawings and all sorts of cool effects.
Suffice to say, with all these cool features, it might just become a bit easier to pass your time while you’re bored out of your wits at home.
Now that you know how to use iMessage to exploit its full potential, which feature are you most excited to try? Do you know any others that are helping you stay connected with your friends? Drop them in the comments below and let’s have a chat!
Read More: All the Rumoured iMessage Features We Might See in iOS 14
