Latest news with #Messages
CNET
4 days ago
- CNET
iOS 26: Friends Can't Decide What to Eat? Here's How to Create a Poll in Messages
Apple released the second public beta of iOS 26 on Aug. 7, and the beta brings a new Liquid Glass design, call screening and more features to the iPhones of developers and beta testers. It also introduced a host of new features to Messages. One of the more useful features is the ability to create a poll in the messaging app. Group chats can be chaotic, and sometimes it feels like only a few people are talking. Creating a poll in a group chat is a nice way to let everyone voice their opinion on a given action or decision, like where to go for dinner. That way, all the members of the chat can have a say, rather than just the loudest voices. Here's how to create a poll in Messages and what you should know about the feature. Don't forget, Apple is still beta testing iOS 26. That means the update might be buggy for you, and your device's battery life may be affected, so it's best to keep potential troubles off your primary device. If you want to try out the beta, I recommend downloading it on a secondary device. It's also possible that Apple could adjust certain features currently in the iOS 26 betas, including its polls feature in Messages, before the stable version of iOS 26 is released this fall. How to create a poll in Messages 1. Open Messages and tap into a chat. 2. Tap the plus (+) button to the left of the text box. 3. Tap Polls. Don't like pineapple on your pizza? That's fine, more for me. Apple/Screenshot by CNET A box with Choice 1, Choice 2 and Choice 3 will appear over your text box. Tap into Choice 1, and you can enter what that option is for your poll. Once you have that filled out, hit the return button on your keyboard, and you will automatically be taken to the line for Choice 2. You can have between two and 12 choices per poll. Once you've filled out your choices, you can type a message to send with your poll to provide additional information about sending the poll to the group, and people will be able to vote on their choice. What else you should know about polls in Messages Recipients can add options to polls -- if someone creates a poll in Messages and you don't see an option you want considered, you can add it to the poll. Tap Add Choice beneath the poll, and you can add another option or two, as long as there is space for them. Remember, you can only have 12 options in a poll. Voting in a poll is easy. Just tap your choice, and that option will be illuminated. However, you can vote for as many choices as you want, but you can only cast one vote per option. So it's kind of like a survey that says, "Check all that apply." That means it's possible that a poll can have more votes cast than there are people in the chat. There doesn't appear to be a way to limit the number of votes a person can cast otherwise. When an option receives a vote, that option will grow relative to the other options like a bar graph. That way, you can easily tell at a glance which choice is winning. Who votes for what choice isn't hidden, either. When you vote for an option, your Apple ID image will appear next to that option. Anyone in the chat can also long-press on a poll and tap the option Poll Details to see who voted for what option and who hasn't voted yet. This could give you a chance to remind someone to vote in case they forgot or got distracted. Or it could be a fun way to poke fun at your friend Josh, who voted to grab pizza five nights in a row -- one cannot live on pizza alone, dude. For more on iOS 26, here are my first impressions of the iOS version, how to enable call screening in the beta and all the other new features Apple said the update will bring to your device later this year.
CNET
6 days ago
- CNET
Here's How to Add a Background to Your Text Chats in iOS 26
The iOS 26 beta brings chat backgrounds to Messages, giving a visual identifier for each chat so you can easily tell if you're messaging the right person or group. It's a nice quality-of-life update that can help you distinguish whether you're texting your family chat or your family chat minus your one uncle you don't get along with. Apple released the first public beta of iOS 26 on July 24, and that beta brought a new Liquid Glass design and other new features to the iPhones of developers and beta testers. The beta also brought a host of changes to Messages, including adding backgrounds to chats with saved contacts. Here's how to change a chat background in Messages with iOS 26. Don't forget, iOS 26 is still in beta. That means the update might be buggy for you, and your device's battery life may be affected, so it's best to keep those troubles off your primary device. If you want to test the beta, I recommend downloading it on a secondary device. It's also possible that Apple will adjust chat backgrounds and other update features before the final version of iOS 26 is released this fall. How to add and change a chat background in Messages 1. Open Messages. 2. Tap into a chat with a saved contact. 3. Tap either the person's or group's name near the top of the chat. 4. Tap Backgrounds. You will see up to seven options near the top of the Backgrounds menu: None (default), Photo, Color, Sky, Water, Aurora and Playground on Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhones. Color, Sky, Water and Aurora are all abstract, live backgrounds. Tapping any of these also gives you multiple filters you can choose from. For instance, tapping Sky gives you the options of Dusk, Haze, Sunset and three other filters. The Dusk filter is my favorite Sky background. Apple/Screenshot by CNET If you tap Photo, you can choose any of the photos in your Library to be your background. After selecting a photo, you can crop the image to better fit the screen or apply a filter to the image. When you're happy with the background, tap the checkmark in the top right corner of your screen and the photo will become your background for that chat. The Playground option opens Image Playground, Apple's AI image generation tool, and is therefore available only on Apple Intelligence iPhones. You can describe an image by typing a description into the textbox at the bottom of the screen, or you can pick different suggestions and themes Image Playground offers. Once Playground generates a background you like, tap the checkmark in the top right corner of your screen. You will then be taken to a new page where you can apply a filter to the background if you want. Then, tap the checkmark in the top right corner of your screen again and that image will be your chat background. Beneath all these options, there's also a Suggestions section. These suggestions are mostly filled with photos and an option for Image Playground on specific iPhones. Tapping any of the photo suggestions takes you to the same menu where you can resize or add a filter to the photo before accepting it. Tapping the Image Playground option just opens that menu -- it's kind of odd that this is a suggestion as well as an option, and they don't seem to do anything different. If you don't like any of these options, or you get tired of them, you can always remove the background by choosing the default option, None. Be aware that if you add, change or remove a chat background, the other people in the chat will see that alteration. So it might not be a good idea to make the family chat background a picture of you doing a kegstand. And don't forget, you can add or alter chat backgrounds only with people you have saved in your contacts. Otherwise you won't see the Backgrounds option mentioned above. Do I have to choose a background for every chat? Everyone will see a chat background when you choose one. Apple/Screenshot by Joseph Maldonado/CNET No, and if you choose a background for one chat, it won't carry over to any other chats. So the chat with your parents might have a picture of your graduation as the background, and the chat with your siblings might have a picture of you giving them a noogie as the background. This can also be a nice visual cue for you to help you keep track of who you're talking with. For example, you and your spouse might have a chat background of hearts. If you aren't paying attention and tap into a chat and don't see your hearts background, you know you shouldn't text this person and ask them to pick up toilet paper from the store on their way home. Similarly, if you have backgrounds for most of your group chats and you get a message from a chat without a background, you know you should double-check who is in the chat so you don't boldly announce to strangers that you survived a bathroom trip without toilet paper. For more on iOS 26, here are my first impressions of the iOS version, how to reduce the Liquid Glass effects on your iPhone and all the new features Apple said it will bring to your device later this year.
Yahoo
31-07-2025
- Yahoo
Apple Is Quietly Giving iMessage a Simple But Useful New Ability
It's been a feature that, admittedly, should've been available years ago. When iOS 26 rolls out this fall, it will deliver several highly anticipated new features to your iPhone's Messages app. At June's WWDC, Apple revealed that the Messages app will get typing indicators for group chats, the ability to create polls to vote on, custom backgrounds, a live translation feature, and a dedicated folder to filter out spam messages. However, now that early adopters have gotten their hands on the pubic betas, it's been uncovered that Apple is adding another highly-requested new ability to Messages. It's one that's been a long time coming. A better way to copy To date, a common frustration with the iPhone's Messages app has had to do with its 'Copy' function. Instead of being able to copy a single word or phrase from an iMessage that somebody has sent you, you're only option has been to copy the entire message. And that's annoying. After pasting the copied text, be it in another chat or in Google Search, you're then forced to delete the excess text that you didn't want. It's not quick or practical. But good news! With iOS 26, Apple is introducing a new 'Select' function that allows you to highlight and copy just the specific text you want. Hooray! To do this, simply long-press on the iMessage you want to copy from and, just like before, a drop-down menu will appear. Only this time, there's a new 'Select' option. Once selected, you can then highlight the exact word or phrase you want copied and leave out all the rest. Then just tap 'Copy.' This works across both text messages and iMessages, and promises to be a game-changer for those who wish to copy things like phone numbers, addresses, landmarks, simple words …. or really anything in the confines of a message. When's it coming? iOS 26 will be released this September, coinciding with the launch of Apple's iPhone 17 lineup. For those wanting early access, Apple has already released the public beta of iOS 16. Tucker Bowe has been on Gear Patrol's editorial team since 2014. As a Tech Staff Writer, he tracks everything in the consumer tech space, from headphones to smartphones, wearables to home theater systems. If it lights up or makes noise, he probably covers it.
Yahoo
31-07-2025
- Yahoo
Apple Is Quietly Giving iMessage a Simple But Useful New Ability
It's been a feature that, admittedly, should've been available years ago. When iOS 26 rolls out this fall, it will deliver several highly anticipated new features to your iPhone's Messages app. At June's WWDC, Apple revealed that the Messages app will get typing indicators for group chats, the ability to create polls to vote on, custom backgrounds, a live translation feature, and a dedicated folder to filter out spam messages. However, now that early adopters have gotten their hands on the pubic betas, it's been uncovered that Apple is adding another highly-requested new ability to Messages. It's one that's been a long time coming. A better way to copy To date, a common frustration with the iPhone's Messages app has had to do with its 'Copy' function. Instead of being able to copy a single word or phrase from an iMessage that somebody has sent you, you're only option has been to copy the entire message. And that's annoying. After pasting the copied text, be it in another chat or in Google Search, you're then forced to delete the excess text that you didn't want. It's not quick or practical. But good news! With iOS 26, Apple is introducing a new 'Select' function that allows you to highlight and copy just the specific text you want. Hooray! To do this, simply long-press on the iMessage you want to copy from and, just like before, a drop-down menu will appear. Only this time, there's a new 'Select' option. Once selected, you can then highlight the exact word or phrase you want copied and leave out all the rest. Then just tap 'Copy.' This works across both text messages and iMessages, and promises to be a game-changer for those who wish to copy things like phone numbers, addresses, landmarks, simple words …. or really anything in the confines of a message. When's it coming? iOS 26 will be released this September, coinciding with the launch of Apple's iPhone 17 lineup. For those wanting early access, Apple has already released the public beta of iOS 16. Tucker Bowe has been on Gear Patrol's editorial team since 2014. As a Tech Staff Writer, he tracks everything in the consumer tech space, from headphones to smartphones, wearables to home theater systems. If it lights up or makes noise, he probably covers it.
Jordan News
28-07-2025
- Jordan News
Apple Updates Age Rating System to Better Protect Young Users - Jordan News
Apple has announced a comprehensive update to its App Store age rating system, adding three new categories: 13+, 16+, and 18+, to complement the existing 4+ and 9+ classifications. اضافة اعلان The update is designed to strengthen parental controls and protect children and teens from accessing inappropriate content, coinciding with the anticipated launch of iOS 26 and other Apple system updates this coming fall. Previously, Apple's age classifications for teens were limited to just 12+ and 17+. The new system introduces more precise categories that reflect varying maturity levels, enabling more accurate content labeling. For example, apps with mild violence or fantasy content can now be clearly distinguished from those dealing with sensitive topics or user-generated content. Developer Role in the New System Alongside the update, Apple redesigned the age rating questionnaire within the App Store Connect platform. Developers are now required to provide detailed information about the content of their apps, including moderation tools, medical or violent content, ads, and user-generated material. This ensures more accurate app ratings and allows developers to update the classifications if necessary. Apple has already reclassified existing apps based on previously submitted developer questionnaires. Developers can review and adjust their app ratings as needed. The new system also adapts to local legal and cultural standards to ensure a safe and age-appropriate experience across regions. Expanding Child and Teen Safety Tools The updated rating system is part of Apple's broader initiative to enhance child safety across its platforms. New tools include easier creation of child accounts, the ability to share age information with apps (with parental consent), and features like PermissionKit that let parents manage in-app permissions. Additional protections for teens include blurred sensitive images in Messages and content filtering in FaceTime. Rather than relying on sensitive data like birth dates, Apple now uses a new API that enables apps to receive age information with parental approval—striking a balance between privacy protection and compliance with child safety demands. Apple reaffirmed its opposition to certain U.S. state laws, such as those in Utah and Texas, which it views as threats to user privacy. Implementation Timeline Developers have until January 2026 to complete the updated rating questionnaires in App Store Connect. Once completed, the new age ratings will be displayed on app pages to provide more transparency and content accuracy. These changes are already appearing in beta versions of iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS Tahoe 26, visionOS 26, and watchOS 26, with the official rollout expected in September alongside the launch of the iPhone 17. This marks a significant shift in Apple's approach to child and teen protection in the digital space. It equips parents with stronger control tools, gives developers clearer guidelines, and provides users with a safer experience—all while respecting privacy. At a time when tech companies are under growing legislative pressure to verify the ages of underage users, Apple demonstrates its ability to balance safety with digital freedom.
