Apple ’s Messages appmay have lostthe global messaging wars , but in many country – including the U.S.–it ’s still an unbelievably popular way of communicating . That ’s why Applekeeps elevate it . This fall ’s Messages updates are some of the biggest ever , with the addition of RCS messaging , true emoji and sticker tapbacks , styled and animated text , Send Later , and reenforcement for school text via satellite .
But as the people in my Messages group confabulation all upgrade to iOS 18 and originate film vantage of some of these new feature article , it all became too much for me . All these new features are in force , yes , but they can also be spectacularly trouble . This is why Apple ’s next big whole tone in Messages need to be to give user the major power to control when and how we ’re interrupted in way far beyond what ’s available today .
Death by tapback
Tapbacks are great . I apply them all the clip , and so do most of my acquaintance . Now that I can wiretap back with any emoji , or even sticker that I ’ve added – not to mention the forthcoming rainfall of AI - synthesized GenMoji that will be potential with Apple Intelligence – the use of Tapbacks will just keep increase in so many of my radical substance .
metalworks
nifty ! They ’re fun ! But they also mother , by default , an extra notification and a haptic tap every meter a unexampled one is made . And that means that the median post in a group text screw thread will now generate three , four , five , or more notification – because it include not just the post , but notifications for every single chemical reaction .
Tapbacks have been expanded to include stickers and other elements–but they come with annoying notifications about new Tapbacks.
aright now there ’s not a mountain a person can do about this . I do n’t want to turn off all notification from Messages , of track , because some message are more important than others . I also do n’t always want to go to the extreme point of shut up an entire group chat , because then I ’ve got no indication that something is going on that I need to get laid about . ( This chance a lot with a silence family group I ’m in , where I will sometimes peek at the Messages icon and see the indication that 15 messages have somehow come in when I was n’t paying attending . )
What ’s a Messages exploiter to do ? What I ’m doing is begging Apple to view adding more coarse-grained controls over notification , and also to apply Apple Intelligence more directly to my chemical group chats .
More than all or nothing
We all need more control over how Messages notifies us about goings on in our individual chats and grouping threads . First off , it would be majuscule if I could set that I wanted to be notified whennew messagesappeared in a chat , but not when a newfangled tapback reaction arrived . The response multiplier in active Old World chat is just too much for me to bear sometimes .
Perhaps Apple Intelligence can be enforce to notifications for Messages .
Apple
Perhaps Apple Intelligence can be applied to notifications for Messages.
Managing notifications should also be impudent . I ’d like to be able to tone down presentment for a chat for some time , so I can get back to employment and charm up on the chat later . Sure , I can set a Focus style , but again … that seems like a workaround when there ’s a more unmediated way to figure out the problem . Namely , “ turn back wiretap me about this New World chat for an hour . ”
Even better , what about using some intelligence activity – you’re able to even post it as an Apple Intelligence feature if you want , Apple – to concentrate the number of notifications in an on-going chat ? think some canny software analyzing the incoming message and realizing that there have been 10 posts and 25 emoji reaction in a chat in the last few minutes and that possibly it ’s deserving waiting until thing settle down a little before summarizing what ’s get going on ? Apple Intelligence can resume message , but I inquire if it could use that analysis to be more aggressive in calming down out - of - control yarn . Consider the Modern Reduce Interruptions Focus modality , and apply it to specific Messages threads .
I love that Apple Intelligence can summarise … well , just about everything . If a thread I ’m on has a huge bit of messages and reaction in it , I do n’t needs need a play - by - playing period , nor do I want to for good mute all notice from that thread . What about allowing me to take to occasional updates from a yarn ? That way , if my Family Chat thread suddenly give a huge fuss of responses – this generally happens once a calendar week or so when my buddy - in - law posts a bunch of young cute exposure of my niece – I could proceed work continuous until , once everything has settled down , I get a single notice from my twist : “ Mike transport new picture of Mia bet soccer ; everyone agrees they are cute . ” That sure beats seeing a message that 15 message are unread or getting pummeled with rafts of sounds or quivering over a five or 10 - minute period as everyone respond .
Apple , what I ’m say is : You ’ve built a fun communication system of rules with Messages , but your all - or - nothing notification organization take in . It ’s time to apply some more intelligence to the matter , as well as give exploiter more control , such as muting reaction or designating certain threads as “ summarize only . ” I fuck those emoji tapbacks , but I do n’t want them to become so annoying that I end up turn them all off .