For many, the iPhone has become their go-to smartphone, because of its great camera and its incredibly intuitive interface, among other reasons. But did you know that there’s a feature in the iPhone that you might have forgotten about? And one that can actually save you money if used correctly? I’m talking about the secret chat feature built into your iPhone! Here’s how it works! Did You Know That Your iPhone Has a Secret Chat Feature?
What are FaceTime chats?
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They allow you to video chat with someone without using SMS or any type of internet connection. The audio and video quality is usually very good, but it can take some time for FaceTime calls to connect because they’re actually being handled by Apple’s servers—not your cell network. Make sure you have Wi-Fi or a data connection before initiating a FaceTime chat. If you don’t have Wi-Fi access, your call will be routed through Apple’s servers and could cause additional charges to appear on your bill if you aren’t paying attention! Also note that not all carriers support FaceTime so be sure to check whether your carrier supports it before trying it out.
How do I make an iMessage group chat?
When it comes to group chats, iMessage is limited. Unlike other apps (like WhatsApp), you can’t create a group chat through iMessage. The only way to make an iMessage group chat is to be able to talk on FaceTime with multiple people at once. If that’s not possible, you’ll have to rely on another platform like Facebook Messenger or Google Hangouts. But once you can make an iMessage group chat, follow these steps Open up your Messages app and select Group Facetime from your contacts list. Enter in each person’s phone number and then tap Call. Once everyone has been added, hit Done in the top right corner of your screen and you will now see a new icon appear on your iMessage app that allows for group chats. Clicking on it will bring up a small pop-up box asking who you want to invite and whether or not you want video enabled for each person who receives it. Click Add next to their name if you want them in your group chat! Once everyone has been added, simply type out whatever message you’d like all of them to see.
What about multiple recipients in group chats on my Mac, iPad, and Apple Watch?
Group chats on your iOS devices have hidden functionality that allows you to send messages to everyone in a group chat. This works both with group iMessage chats and group Facetime audio or video calls, but only if at least one of those people is participating in a FaceTime or FaceTime Audio call. If no one’s calling, you can still create the group chat on your device and use it to message all members at once, just like any other normal chat thread. This is pretty simple once you know how, so let’s get started! First go ahead and start up either an audio or video call by tapping on one of your contacts. Did You Know That Your iPhone Has a Secret Chat Feature?
Do I need to download something special to be able to join group chats on my Mac or iPad?
The short answer is yes. It’s possible to change or edit any message you send in Apple’s iMessage service. Whether or not you want to do that may depend on if you can get away with it, and whether or not it’s simply easier to start a new conversation than try to fix an old one. (Note: These instructions apply only to those using iOS devices, including iPhones and iPads.) How do I change a subject line in Messages on my iPhone?: Tap your conversation and then tap Edit at the top-right of your screen. Tap any part of a message in your conversation (not outside of it), which will select all text within that message; then tap Replace and retype your desired title for that message.
How do I delete a message thread in Messages on my Mac or iPad?
To delete an entire thread in Messages, find the conversation that you want to erase in your list of threads. Tap and hold on it until all of your messages start jiggling, then tap Trash at bottom right. If you only want to delete part of a conversation, select individual messages and swipe them away; they’ll disappear from view when they’re gone. Make sure you save anything that you want to keep before proceeding. Once you empty Trash, there’s no going back! Also keep in mind that if two or more people deleted separate portions of a single conversation, after emptying Trash, those previous messages will reappear. What can I do about message notifications?: Sometimes receiving too many iMessages can really distract you from getting stuff done.
How do I control who sees the messages in Messages on my Mac or iPad?
When you use iMessage on your Mac or iPad, messages that you send to other people also appear as conversations in your Messages app on iPhone. If you prefer not to see those messages on all of your devices, here’s how to disable that feature: Open Settings. Tap Messages. To turn off Messages syncing, slide Messages to Off/white. To turn it back on, slide it back to On/green. To keep Messages from syncing but still receive group messages from some people, tap Everyone under Group Messaging and choose specific contacts who can still send group texts. Learn more about group messaging. To stop getting group texts from everyone altogether, tap Everyone under Group Messaging and turn Group Conversations off. What happens if I delete an iMessage conversation?: Deleting an iMessage conversation removes it from all of your devices (Macs and iPads included). However, you can still see older messages by tapping Back on any device where you’ve previously opened a deleted message thread with someone else—the message thread will reappear in its original location with no loss of data or context. Did You Know That Your iPhone Has a Secret Chat Feature?
Can I edit the subject line of an existing conversation?
While not immediately obvious, you can actually change all of these fields. On an open conversation, tap on Details and then Edit Subject Line. This will automatically add Edit to your current conversation’s subject line, but when you start typing in here, it will be removed. It may seem like a small thing, but if you use iMessage heavily (and why wouldn’t you?), being able to edit your conversation names can be super handy. So go ahead and edit away! Just don’t forget to hit Save once you finish.
Is there another way to create new conversations instead of using the compose window in Messages on my Mac or iPad?
Mac users can create new conversations in Messages by choosing File > New Message (or pressing Command+Shift+N). On an iPad, you can open the Conversations view by tapping on Mailbox > Open In > Messages. The option to create a new conversation is at the bottom of that view. Note that you must have two or more separate accounts set up on your device for it to appear; otherwise, you’ll only see buttons to reply and forward messages. Because iMessage works so seamlessly with your existing contacts list and Apple ID, these steps may not be immediately obvious—but they can definitely help if you need to quickly start an IM session without making it part of your ongoing conversations thread.
Why won’t some people see my photo/video messages sent via iMessage or FaceTime when they have iOS devices but not OS X computers (or vice versa)?
The main reason why some people won’t see photo or video messages you sent via iMessage or FaceTime is because they are using an older version of iOS and OS X that does not support these features. You’ll be able to tell if someone has an older version of iOS and OS X because their contact information in your list will show their phone number rather than an Apple ID name. If someone has an older version of iOS, they can update to a newer version in Settings > General > Software Update. On their Mac, they can update to a newer version in System Preferences > Software Update.