How to use Messages in iOS 10, from special effects to iMessage apps

Messages in iOS 10 has new ways for you to express yourself—a lot of new ways. Here’s how to get started.

- Oscar Raymundo

Thanks to iOS 10, your Messages app is way more than a texting app. Way, way more. Now that the official release of iOS 10 is out, here’s your guide to using all the new features in Messages, from sending full-screen effects to installing your third-party iMessage apps from your favorite services like Venmo, ESPN, and OpenTable.

The first thing you should know is that the recipient of your messages will need an iPhone, iPod, or iPad running iOS 10, an Apple Watch running watchOS 3, or a Mac running macOS Sierra in order to view them in their full visual glory. Furthermore, these features are exclusively linked to iMessage, so Android users will have a hard time deciphering the animations as well. For users on Android or running a previous version of iOS, these messages will show up as regular text with a description of what the visual should have been, like “(sent with fireworks).” Not nearly as captivating.

INSTALL THIRD-PARTY APPS

Perhaps the most profound change iOS 10 brings to Messages is the integration of third-party services, turning iMessage into a platform. Access your iMessage app drawer by tapping on the gray arrow to the left of the input field and then on the App Store icon. This is your hub for both iMessage apps (which only live inside Messages) and extensions (which are a part of a broader iOS app). You can press down on any of these iMessage apps and extensions in the app drawer to make them wiggle so you can rearrange or delete them.