Messages is probably the most important app on my iPhone.
I just love texting. It’s timely, but also asynchronous. It’s low effort, but it can be very intimate — or not, depending on who you are messaging.
It can even be a sign of social status: Beware the dreaded green bubble when communicating with poor Visigoths on Android!
For a lot of people, the Messages app is the beating heart of the iPhone experience. It’s where you gossip with friends, share memes with family, and keep in touch with various social groups.
It’s also a direct line to companies and organizations. You can message support, chase an order, or lodge a complaint. Firing off a text in Messages is often faster — and way less painful — than sitting on hold or digging through some horrible, complex website.
Messages isn’t quite yet an “everything” app like China’s WeChat, which combines social media, mobile payments, banking, food delivery, ride-hailing and more into one interface — but it’s getting there!
The latest update in iOS 26 pushes it a little further in that direction. Here’s a handy roundup that will show you how to take full advantage of everything new in the Messages app.
Also in today’s newsletter:
Apple just released new versions of iOS, iPadOS, macOS and more. Here’s what’s new in iOS 26.3, and why you’ll probably want to update your devices ASAP.
We went hands-on with a new iPhone game controller, and it’s instantly taken the crown of the best one out there.
This inexpensive thumb drive makes backing up your iPhone photo library dead easy.
The question of whether you should get AppleCare+, Apple’s device insurance program, is a source of perennial debate. Here’s a discussion of the pros and cons.
🔥 DEAL OF THE DAY: This super-slim MagSafe charger packs 10,000mAh and can juice up your iPhone either wirelessly or via USB-C. And it’s on sale for a limited time at a whopping 46% off!
The latest leak about the next version of AirPods Pro again points to built-in cameras. Luckily, these are unlikely to turn into a dystopian surveillance network a la Ring!
This AI browser assistant is supposed to be especially good for quickly replying to email in your own tone and voice.
— Leander Kahney, EIC.
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One more thing ...
My headlights aren't that good. We tend to look three or four years ahead, that's about as far as we can see. You can be going down a path saying, “In five years I want to be here,” but then something new happens, and you say, “Forget that, I want to be over there.” Most five-year planning changes too quickly.
Today’s poll
What's your favorite texting platform?
Results from yesterday’s poll: How do you charge your AirPods?
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