Master iOS 8 Messages with time saving features for sending audio, video, images & text
One of the more robust additions to Apple's iOS 8 is the Messages app, which gets a bevy of new functions including inline audio and video messaging, group chats and advanced image sharing.
Perhaps the most notable of Messages' new features is in-app audio and video recording. With iOS 8, users can capture short audio clips and "selfie" videos directly from the chat window and instantly send the content off to friends using nothing more than gestures.
Audio clip controls, represented by a microphone icon, are located to the right of the text box. Using a tap-and-hold gesture immediately starts the recording process, with a graphical readout of levels and time popping up to the left of the record button.
From the radial menu, users can swipe left to cancel the audio clip, swipe up to send or lift their finger off the screen to activate playback controls. Recipients of the clip will see the content as an audio wave form in line with conversation text.
Video controls are located opposite those of audio clip recording, but perform in much the same way. Users again apply a tap-and-hold gesture to activate the device's front-facing camera, but swiping right starts recording, while an upward swipe shoots off a still selfie. Once video recording mode is running, users can remove their finger from the screen and choose to end the clip or send it off immediately via radial menu icons.
Alternatively, releasing the tap-and-hold gesture without swiping right or up allows users to switch to the rear-facing camera or manually control video record and still image functions before sending it off to a friend.
Tapping on the camera icon also brings up the image sharing pane, which now includes a preview of recent photos stored to a device's Camera Roll. The preview is navigable by swiping left and right and users can quickly tick an image or images to send. Older photos and videos can inserted by accessing the Photo library, while the option to take a photo on the spot carries over from iOS 7.
Both senders and recipients can view a compilation of the conversation's attached files through the Details window, which also contains options for sharing and sending your location. If an immediate location is shared -- in one hour, one day or indefinite time spans -- all participants in the chat will be able to plot a user's whereabouts via a Maps insert. Sending location data, on the other hand, is a one-time message that includes metadata for viewing in the iOS 8 Maps app.
On the topic of groups messaging, iOS 8 Messages allows users to create and label conversations, invite friends and, most importantly, leave the thread at any time. In addition, Do Not Disturb settings can turn off alerts for a specific group chat, offering granular control over conversations taking place between members located in different time zones.
Finally, Messages also integrates with Notification Center to bring interactive notifications to all areas of iOS, including the lock screen. For example, when a banner appears at the top of the screen, users can tap it to pull up messages, or swipe down to bring up a text entry box and keyboard. From here, users can type their reply, or even quickly record an audio clip, and send it without having to close the task at hand.
Perhaps the most notable of Messages' new features is in-app audio and video recording. With iOS 8, users can capture short audio clips and "selfie" videos directly from the chat window and instantly send the content off to friends using nothing more than gestures.
Audio clip controls, represented by a microphone icon, are located to the right of the text box. Using a tap-and-hold gesture immediately starts the recording process, with a graphical readout of levels and time popping up to the left of the record button.
From the radial menu, users can swipe left to cancel the audio clip, swipe up to send or lift their finger off the screen to activate playback controls. Recipients of the clip will see the content as an audio wave form in line with conversation text.
Video controls are located opposite those of audio clip recording, but perform in much the same way. Users again apply a tap-and-hold gesture to activate the device's front-facing camera, but swiping right starts recording, while an upward swipe shoots off a still selfie. Once video recording mode is running, users can remove their finger from the screen and choose to end the clip or send it off immediately via radial menu icons.
Alternatively, releasing the tap-and-hold gesture without swiping right or up allows users to switch to the rear-facing camera or manually control video record and still image functions before sending it off to a friend.
Tapping on the camera icon also brings up the image sharing pane, which now includes a preview of recent photos stored to a device's Camera Roll. The preview is navigable by swiping left and right and users can quickly tick an image or images to send. Older photos and videos can inserted by accessing the Photo library, while the option to take a photo on the spot carries over from iOS 7.
Both senders and recipients can view a compilation of the conversation's attached files through the Details window, which also contains options for sharing and sending your location. If an immediate location is shared -- in one hour, one day or indefinite time spans -- all participants in the chat will be able to plot a user's whereabouts via a Maps insert. Sending location data, on the other hand, is a one-time message that includes metadata for viewing in the iOS 8 Maps app.
On the topic of groups messaging, iOS 8 Messages allows users to create and label conversations, invite friends and, most importantly, leave the thread at any time. In addition, Do Not Disturb settings can turn off alerts for a specific group chat, offering granular control over conversations taking place between members located in different time zones.
Finally, Messages also integrates with Notification Center to bring interactive notifications to all areas of iOS, including the lock screen. For example, when a banner appears at the top of the screen, users can tap it to pull up messages, or swipe down to bring up a text entry box and keyboard. From here, users can type their reply, or even quickly record an audio clip, and send it without having to close the task at hand.
Comments
The most important thing to me is whether or not Messages will store images you send as pointers to the image in your Photos folder, or whether it will continue to copy the images to Messages, thus redundantly storing multiple copies of the media and bloating the size of the Message app.
Which Build number? Same as GM?
12A365 on my 4S
On a more severe note I wish iMessage groups wouldn't replicate groups and split those conversations at seemingly random times across different platforms. I call this iMitosis.
I wish Apple would link images in Messages from Photos rather than copy them. It results in a bloated Messages app.
*ding* “New message from ‘Bunch A Morons’...”
The most important thing to me is whether or not Messages will store images you send as pointers to the image in your Photos folder, or whether it will continue to copy the images to Messages, thus redundantly storing multiple copies of the media and bloating the size of the Message app.
thats not a bug, it's a design opinion. if it used pointers, and you deleted the original, what is shown in your message history? a broken image? copies the source file prior to deletion? likewise, if you had edited the image after sending it, the message log would reflect this and show you the edited image -- despite the recipient having seen only the original, non-edited version. the message history is now misleading.
etc.. it's a design decision.
thats not a bug, it's a design opinion. if it used pointers, and you deleted the original, what is shown in your message history? a broken image? copies the source file prior to deletion? likewise, if you had edited the image after sending it, the message log would reflect this and show you the edited image -- despite the recipient having seen only the original, non-edited version. the message history is now misleading.
etc.. it's a design decision.
Don't you see how easy it would be to use a two-way pointer, and that if the original image was modified or deleted, only then copy it to messages?
Easy and efficient. Duh!
Scroll to the top, hit edit, select msgs you want to delete, hit delete button.
OT: would be nice if AI removed the names of closed accounts in the @ (reference/mention)section. But with the large .png files already infesting this site I guess I should;t hold my breath for any optimisation action on their part.
Oh, < / rant >
Don't you see how easy it would be to use a two-way pointer, and that if the original image was modified or deleted, only then copy it to messages?
Easy and efficient. Duh!
if you edited the image after sending it, what are you suggesting? the prior-to-editing version is spun off into a separate file and attached to the message in the spot where it was sent? could be done. but its added hassle and its not clear what the payout is -- saving some disk space? if most people wind up editing or moving their pics then it was for nothing. we already have a way to save space and thats to set the thread to purge after 1 year.
i just cant imagine ever worrying about this.
Where did the ability to delete individual messages from a conversation go? It was there in IOS 7. Hold down a message, choose More... and select the messages you want to delete and hit the trash can at the bottom. Now, there is no trash can at the bottom, only a camera, an area to type and the microphone.
still there for me, in exactly the same way.
I swear it did not work yesterday. However, for other reasons, I did a full reboot today, and was preparing to take a snapshot of the screen to prove my point, and it now functions correctly. I suppose I should know, if it doesn't work, re-boot. Sorry for the misleading information, as it does work as advertised.