iMessage has been one thing of a revelation for Apple. Not solely is it a glossy and dependable messaging platform, but it surely’s additionally confirmed to be one of many options that can preserve individuals within the Apple ecosystem as they don’t wish to lose their blue bubble. However even with RCS on the best way subsequent yr, there’s at all times room for enchancment. With this in thoughts, the next WhatsApp options can be an excellent addition to Messages in iOS 18.
Conceal and lock chats
One of many latest options WhatsApp has launched is having the ability to disguise your locked chats away out of your regular dialogue record and have them solely seem while you enter your password. Not solely does this imply you possibly can cease individuals from seeing sure conversations in the event that they pay money for your telephone, however they received’t even know they’re there.
In the intervening time, the closest you may get to hiding a dialog on iMessage is to delete it. There’s no choice to password-protect conversations on iMessage, not to mention make it disappear. The one possibility is to make use of a slipshod ScreenTime hack to stop entry to iMessage, however that locks the entire app. As Apple likes to go on about its privateness and safety prowess, including this characteristic to iMessage would appear an apparent subsequent step.
Broadcast messages
One other useful characteristic on WhatsApp is broadcast lists. These work by creating a listing of individuals, which might then be despatched the identical message without having to repeat it a number of occasions. Ah, however that’s similar to Group iMessage, you may say. Nicely, it’s not.
With Group iMessage, the clue’s within the identify as something you ship is positioned within the group chat for all of the recipients. Broadcasts are totally different, because the message you ship seems in every particular person’s chat with you, not in a gaggle. So, it’s similar to sending a number of personal messages to plenty of individuals, fairly than carrying on a gaggle dialog. It’s kind of just like the HomePod’s Intercom options however for texts.
There are many little WhatsApp options that will be nice for iMessage.
Dominik Tomaszewski
Present energetic standing
It is a easy however actually useful little characteristic that has been on WhatsApp for years. Once you open the app and search for a contact, you’re informed the final time the particular person was energetic on the service. It’s primary however is nice for letting you already know if somebody is round or hasn’t opened WhatsApp for some time and isn’t simply ignoring you.
Whereas iMessage lets you already know when somebody has learn your newest textual content or if they’ve notifications muted, it doesn’t let you know their energetic standing. In iOS 17, Apple launched Examine In, which routinely lets somebody know while you’ve reached a selected vacation spot, so including an possibility standing needs to be a logical subsequent step.
Set messages to vanish
Snapchat might have been the one to pioneer disappearing messages, however WhatsApp has adopted the characteristic into its app as effectively. The thought is straightforward: Specify how lengthy you need the messages to stay accessible (24 hours, 7 days, or 90 days), then something you ship can be routinely deleted from the recipient’s chat when the time elapses.
Because of this you keep some management over the messages, even after you’ve despatched them, which once more is one other neat characteristic that will be welcome in iMessage. (There may be an auto-delete possibility in Messages, however turning it on doesn’t take away messages you’ve despatched, it solely strikes them right into a Not too long ago Deleted folder in your telephone.)
Export messages to electronic mail
If you wish to protect your conversations for eternity or use them in one other app, you’ll want to repeat and paste every particular person message or take a prolonged screenshot. Some third-party apps can export messages, however WhatsApp has constructed exporting performance proper into its app, which might be a welcome addition to iMessage. There have been quite a lot of occasions after we wanted to save lots of a dialog, and a easy Export possibility would save us quite a lot of hassle.
