iMessage Review

Usability:

Apple’s iMessage is a popular messaging app that is exclusively available on Apple devices, including iPhones, iPads, and Mac computers. One of the things Messages is known for is its usability. Since its inception, the messages app has had a very simple and user-friendly interface that most people will find easy to navigate. The app also allows users to send text messages, photos, videos, and audio messages easily. If someone is highly invested in the Apple ecosystem (tablets, Macs, wearables) messages can be accessed seamlessly across devices. Apple's minimalistic approach to the app makes it less intimidating for people who are not very technologically savvy.

Design:

iMessage's design is minimalistic and has gotten sleeker over the years, but has not deviated too far from its initial look on the first iPhone. The text bubbles from senders and recipients of other Apple users are blue and grey, while messages sent to an Android device are green, which can be slightly controversial in some regards. The conversation layout is clean and easy to navigate between conversations and various messaging options. Effects and animations can be added to texts to make them more personal and can add fun to a conversation. I am currently testing a beta version of iOS 18, which adds the ability to accentuate certain words with effects as well as the addition of more ways to react to senders' messages.

Functionality:

iMessage offers a range of unique features that go beyond basic messaging. These include the ability to send stickers, cash, GIFs, location, and digital touch messages. The app also allows for the integration of third-party apps, enabling users to share content directly within conversations. Additionally, the inclusion of Memoji's and Animoji's adds a unique and personal touch to conversations.

Improvements:

Until this year, Apple's messaging app has been a walled garden for anyone out of the ecosystem wanting to communicate effectively. Messages between Androids and iPhones are limited in capabilities due to Apple's desire to stay proprietary and unwillingness to level the playing field. This has resulted in an unpleasant experience caused by the outdated SMS and MMS protocols Android is forced to send Apple phones, which limits functionality and the quality of this communication suffers. Apple did agree to implement RCS (rich communication service), which is a protocol apps like Google Messages use, which will allow for features like reactions, typing indicators, and the ability to send high-quality photos.

Another proposed improvement is the lack of customization. Apple has been known to strongly control the features it wants and doesn't want its customers to have, and the Messages app is no exception. The design and layout are the same on each device, and users aren't able to change colors, themes, or fonts like other customizable apps offered by other companies. This may not be important to some, but some people would like the option to make something more their own.

Apple decides when its users are worthy of certain features. Often, when Apple introduces a new feature, it is something that has already been available to other platforms for a while. For the premium prices paid, one might expect that they should receive cutting-edge features. Overall, though, the Messages app is very easy to use for the masses, and I can understand its allure. It has evolved over time but not changed so much that it becomes unfamiliar.