Apple introducing new iMessage features to take on competitors

You'll be able to send messages in your own hand writing or animations that take over the entire screen

Apple on Monday unveiled iOS 10 at its annual developer conference in San Francisco, stepping up its game to compete with Google and Facebook.

In order to compete with Facebook and Google, who are making their messaging and texting apps as fully-featured as possible, Apple has decided to open up its messaging platform, iMessage, to outside developers.

By opening up its messaging platform, Apple will also ask developers to create anything from silly “stickers” to payment programmes within iMessage, ramping up competition against Facebook Messenger.



With iOS10 update, expected to be rolled out, Apple is adding a bunch of new and exciting features to its messaging platform, including features to send messages in your own hand writing or animations that take over the entire screen.



Another feature allowing users to customise the size of the text, making it bigger while it lands on screen or whisper it in small fonts, will also be introduced.

"Invisible ink" is another exciting new feature which allows you to send a message or photo that remains hidden -- the receiver simply has to swipe to reveal it.



After the update, iMessage will allow you to swap words with emojis. Just tapping on a word would give you an option to replace it with an emoji.



You can also respond back to someone’s message quickly by simply tapping on their message to send one of six quick responses that let people know what you’re thinking.



Besides writing back messages in your own hand writing, you can also sketch simple pictures with your finger using the new feature "digital touch" which turns the keyboard area into a little sketchpad.

The announcements come with Apple aiming to move deeper into services amid slowing sales of its profit-leading iPhone, and a weak tablet market that has hurt sales of its iPad.



Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments section below.