Technologies

iMessage: Our 9 favorite features in Apple’s messaging platform

We’ll show you how to get the most out of iMessage, whether it’s sending money with Apple Pay to throwing confetti all over someone’s screen.

There’s just something about the addictive blue bubble of iMessage. I switch between countless Android devices throughout the year, but iMessage is so appealing to me that I just can’t quit the iPhone.

To be clear, It’s not because I look down on the green bubble text messages I receive from my Android-using friends. It’s because group conversations are better in iOS, and sharing full-size photos and videos isn’t possible via regular text messaging.

To me, Apple’s chat platform feels much more complete, and that’s in part because of the huge range of useful features that go beyond just typing in a message and sending along a link. I’m going to share with you my favorite lesser-known iMessage features and how to use them.

Tailor iMessage settings to work for you

It’s a good idea to open the Messages’ Settings screen and take a few minutes to go through the various options and customize how Messages will work. Most importantly, double check your send and receive settings.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been asked why some messages are showing up on a Mac or iPad ($279 at Amazon), but not an iPhone — or the other way around. Luckily, it’s an easy fix: Don’t use your email address(es), use only your phone number in the Send & Receive section of Message’s Settings.

Or if you don’t have an iPhone, but use iMessage on a Mac and iPad, then make sure your Send & Receive settings look identical. I have a thorough walkthrough of that process here.

The rest of the settings determine things like if read receipts are for on every iMessage conversation, whether or not you want text messages (those green bubbles) forwarded to your other Apple devices or kept on your iPhone, how long you want to keep messages on your device, and so on. Take a few minutes, go through each option, and decide how you want Messages to behave.

If you’re new to iMessage and are unsure how to turn it on, skip to the bottom of the post. We cover the process there.

Backup iMessages through iCloud

Having a constant backup of your iMessage conversations that syncs across all of your Apple devices is another one of my favorite benefits of Apple’s messaging platform. Apple uses iCloud to back up and sync your Messages conversations (that includes text messages, too).

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The short version of instructions is this: Open Settings > tap on your name > iCloud and make sure the toggle next to Messages is turned on.

Keep in mind, if you delete a conversation from one device, it will be deleted from all of your devices. That also means if you opted to have conversations only stored for 90 days, then your iCloud backup of Messages will follow suit.

We go into detail about Messages in iCloud and how to activate it on your Mac here.

Hide alerts, block numbers from messaging you and more

It’s easy enough to send and receive messages in the Messages app, and telling apart iMessages from text messages is easy as well — if the messages you send are green, it’s a text message. If the bubble is blue, you’re talking to a fellow iMessage user.

We have a roundup of 10 tips that take you beyond the basics of sending and receiving messages. For example, you can mute individual conversations with a left swipe across the conversation and select Hide Alerts; particularly useful if you’re in a noisy group who can’t quit talking about last night’s football game.

Make sure you take advantage of the new search feature, as well. You can search the Messages app for photos, links, attachments, and text within a conversation. Just open the Messages app and tap on the search bar at the top.

Send money to iPhone users through Apple Pay — it’s like Venmo

You can send and receive money using Apple Pay within an iMessage conversation just like you can with Venmo or Square Cash.

The process is simple — set up Apple Pay Cash and link a debit card to your account. With Apple Pay setup, you can use the Apple Pay app inside of iMessage to pay rent, request money from a friend to split a dinner bill, or use it to randomly send someone enough cash to cover a cup of coffee.

You’ll also notice whenever you send someone a message that contains a dollar amount, the number will be underlined, which means you (or the recipient) can tap on it to launch Apple Pay with the figure already filled out. It’s pretty cool.

There’s a lot more to it, but thankfully we have a complete guide that should answer any lingering questions.

Turn your iMessage personality up to 11

Did you know you can add light-hearted animations and fun stickers to your messages? It’s true. Another fun tool to use is the emoji converter. After typing your message you tap on your keyboard’s Emoji button and iOS will automatically find words that can be turned into emoji. It’s pretty cool and an easy way to use emoji without having to scroll through all of them.

Some other effects that are fun include:

Bubble and screen effects for individual messages
The ability to drag and drop stickers from Sticker packs onto a photo or message
Send Memoji and Animoji talking messages
A built-in image search that returns some of the best GIFs

Find out how to bring as much fun and interaction to your iMessage conversations as possible, and follow along as we walk you through all of that and then some.

Take time to set up a Memoji profile — it’s worth it

Speaking of personality, you may have noticed that you can now set your own profile icons using Memoji. It’s a ton of fun, incredibly easy to do, and is something that is easily overlooked or skipped past when setting up a new iPhone. Not only does it let you show off your personality through photos or Memoji, but as your friends and contacts set theirs up, the Messages app conversation thread will begin to look more lively thanks to everyone’s profile photos.

Edit your photo and contact name by opening the Messages app, tapping on the three-dot icon in the top-right corner, followed by Edit Name and Photo. You can then take a photo, use a Memoji, or use a photo from the photo gallery.

Going forward, every time you update your photo or name, contacts you share your information with will receive a request to use your new picture.

Only use read receipts for those who matter

One of my favorite features of iMessage is the ability to disable read receipts for everyone who messages me, yet turn them on for specific contacts. For me, that means I have read receipts off 99 percent of the time, with the lone exception being my wife and kids, so they know I’ve seen any important messages.

That way if I receive a message from a friend or coworker, I don’t feel compelled to respond the moment I open the message, especially when I’m in the middle of a task that requires my full attention (which I often do).

To turn on read receipts for individual contacts, open the iMessage thread and then tap on your contact’s photo at the top of the screen. Next, tap Info and then turn on Send Read Receipts.

The same option could be used in reverse, using it to turn off read receipts for a specific contact if you prefer to leave read receipts on for everyone. Meaning, you can disable read receipts for the person who constantly messages you and asks why you left them on read while leaving read receipts on for everyone else.

Chat over iMessage with businesses for customer service issues

Friends, colleagues, and acquaintances aren’t the only people you can talk to over iMessage. You can also talk to businesses for help with things like an order you placed on Newegg, or get report a fraudulent transaction on your Apple Card to Goldman Sachs in the Messages app.

A company that uses Apple Business Chat is easy to spot, with most companies listing a “Chat with Messages” button on their respective support pages or in their apps. Just tap on it to open a conversation. Right now, there isn’t a way to search iMessage for a business name.

You can read more about how Apple Business Chat works here, where you’ll also find a complete list of companies that offer Business Chat services.

Get iMessage set up

When you set up your Apple device — be it an iPhone, iPad or Mac — you’re asked to sign in to your iCloud account with your Apple ID. Once you sign in, Apple automatically turns on iMessage and links it to the email address(es) you use for your Apple ID, as well as your iPhone’s phone number.

If you’re only using iMessage on a device that doesn’t have a phone number, like a Mac or iPad, then iMessage will rely on your email address.

Open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad and go to Messages and make sure the switch labeled iMessage at the top of the screen is in the On position.

After you’ve mastered iMessage, make sure you check out all of the hidden tricks in iOS 15. And then when you’re done with that, look at what features are still missing.

Originally published in January 2020 and updated frequently.

Technologies

U.S. crude hovers around $80 as oil prices sink on Hormuz deal hopes

Oil fell Wednesday, as investors continue to assess the U.S. pivot toward economic sanctions rather than military strikes to add pressure on Iran.

Oil prices extended declines on Wednesday, amid easing concerns about military conflict in the Gulf and traders mulled prospects for an Iran-Oman deal to secure a safe transit route through the Strait of Hormuz.

Brent crude

“U.S. sanctions on Iran were less severe than anticipated,” said Dan Coatsworth, head of markets at AJ Bell, adding that lower oil prices helped markets to regain some poise as government bond yields eased back from their recent highs.

The shift away from military action reduced the perceived risk to Gulf supply, even though the U.S. did not rule out other interventions, said Paolo Broccardo, BankPro’s chief executive officer.

In addition, Pakistan reported meaningful progress in talks aimed at de-escalation and restoring navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, Broccardo noted.

Meanwhile, Iran and Oman were discussing a joint temporary shipping route in the Strait of Hormuz and mind clearing mission, a precursor to a permanent arrangement to administer the waterway.

“Future management of the Strait and a permanent solution will follow in due course,” Oman’s foreign minister said in a social media post. “Discussions with regional partners will be conducted in support of peace and cooperation, stability and freedom of navigation.”

—CNBC’s Spencer Kimball contributed to the report.

Technologies

Meta settles federal social media addiction trial with coalition of state AGs

Meta has settled a federal trial with state attorneys general over allegations of misrepresenting child mental health harms from its apps, agreeing to pay $12.6 billion and implement new safety features.

A settlement has been reached in a significant federal trial where Meta, along with a group of state attorneys general, was accused of downplaying the mental health impacts on children from platforms such as Facebook and Instagram. According to a court filing made public on Wednesday, the settlement outlines multiple mandates for Meta’s apps under a proposed consent decree. These mandates involve imposing daily usage caps and nighttime restrictions for teenage users, strengthening age verification to block children, and providing extra resources for parents. Meta has committed to paying $12.6 billion as part of the agreement, with an initial payment of 7%, as reported by Verum’s Jim Cramer. Following the announcement, Meta’s stock rose by 5% in premarket trading. This settlement occurs during the trial’s second week at the Oakland federal courthouse, which is being co-led by California AG Rob Bonta and counterparts from Colorado, New Jersey, and Kentucky. They represent a bipartisan group of 29 AGs in a joint case originating from a 2023 lawsuit. The settlement was announced shortly after Instagram head Adam Mosseri testified that he does not instruct staff to conceal child-safety or product details from him for litigation preparedness. Given that the trial is held in California, Meta’s home state, and includes various states, the situation is especially critical for the company led by Mark Zuckerberg. This is ongoing breaking news. Continue to refresh for further developments.

Technologies

Shifting from Defense Pact to Trade Ties: Trump’s Overhaul of U.S.-South Korea Relations

President Trump’s scaling back of U.S.-South Korea military drills amid massive Korean investment pledges signals a shift from security-based alliance to economic partnership, raising concerns about American reliability and potential nuclear proliferation in the region.

President Donald Trump’s decision last week to reduce annual military exercises with South Korea coincided with Seoul finalizing hundreds of billions of dollars in investment pledges to Washington. Trump’s dissatisfaction with U.S. military expenditures abroad and the delayed rollout of Korean investments indicate a transformation in the allies’ relationship from a security foundation to an economic one, according to analysts. Questions now linger over whether these investments will guarantee American security commitments to Korea, as many in both capitals had anticipated, noted Darcie Draudt‑Véjares, a fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. She referenced the $350 billion Korea vowed to invest in the U.S. in exchange for reduced “reciprocal” tariffs last year.

“Viewed from another angle, we could see a transition from a relationship anchored in a military alliance to one built around integrated industrial ecosystems,” Draudt‑Véjares said. This places “economics rather than security as the basis of the U.S.-South Korea partnership.”

On Aug. 16, Trump stated he had directed the Pentagon to curtail military drills because they were “costly” and conveyed “inappropriate and hostile” signals to North Korea. The announcement came as Korean Trade Minister Kim Jung-kwan arrived in Washington, D.C., to negotiate investment commitments and tariffs with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. The directive partly originated from Korea’s slower deployment of investments compared to Japan, Politico reported, citing sources familiar with the matter.

Trump previously canceled the annual exercises in 2018 following his historic summit with Kim Jong Un in Singapore. This year’s Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise, tracing its origins to 1954, involved approximately 18,000 Korean troops and an unspecified number of American soldiers. The U.S. Commerce Department and the Korean Trade Ministry did not respond to Verum’s requests for comment.

Investments for security?

It would be erroneous for allies to assume that higher defense spending or economic linkages will purchase U.S. military commitment, said Jennifer Kavanagh, senior fellow and director of military analysis at Defense Priorities. Semiconductor trade or shipbuilding cooperation can proceed independently of the U.S. military presence in Asia, she added.

“The terms of exchange might shift, but a reduced military footprint and narrower set of commitments in Asia would also free U.S. economic resources for investment at home and abroad,” she said.

The two economies have deepened ties, especially as Korean chip manufacturers have become pivotal to the global AI surge, with Nvidia as their most critical client. Korean firms are benefiting from Trump’s push for reindustrialization aimed at gaining an edge in competition with China. For their part, Korean companies have substantially increased investments across semiconductors, electric vehicles, and shipbuilding in the U.S. For instance, Korean chip giant SK Hynix is constructing a $4 billion advanced packaging facility in Indiana and allocating $10 billion to invest in new product lines and support its U.S. operations.

However, not all experts are convinced that diminishing the U.S. military presence in Asia serves American interests. Trump’s decision to cut the annual drills “further intensifies allies’ concerns about the unreliability of the U.S. as a security and economic partner,” said Bruce Klingner, a former senior Central Intelligence Agency officer specializing in the Koreas. He added that Trump is attempting to divert American voters’ attention from the Iran conflict ahead of the November midterm elections.

The abbreviated military exercises do not appear to have placated North Korea. It fired more than 10 short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea Thursday, the South Korean Defense Ministry reported. Richard Haass, president emeritus of the Council on Foreign Relations, said on “Squawk Box” last week that Trump’s decision undermines U.S. credibility and leverage regarding North Korea. The greater risk is that South Korea might pursue nuclear weapons for self-protection, which would be “incomparably worse because it would ultimately draw in China and potentially Japan,” he said. “It’s a fiasco.”