iMessage "phoney" sticker pack to be removed from App Store

With iOS 10, Apple's Messages app (previously known as iMessage) received a lot of new features, including special effects and stickers. But it seems Apple is not too keen on some of the creative forms it's being put to use with, particularly when it can wreak havoc on conversations with "phoney" messages.

Grammar sticker pack for iMessage is a must for grammar-nazis

While Apple is apparently trying to track down and block all porn GIFs you might come across in iMessage GIF search (good luck with that), there's a sticker pack that will surely make you love this new iMessage ability.

Apple simplifies iMessage deregister

If you use Apple devices, you've probably been using iMessage even without noticing it. Apples message services transparently turns your SMS into iMessages when talking with other Apple devices. The service works great... until the day you replace your iPhone with another smartphone, and find you can no longer receive messages from your iPhone friends.

iMessage Hell - going from iOS to Android

If you have an iPhone, you certainly appreciate the simplicity of the iMessage system. Instead of having to deal with multiple apps depending on which person you want to chat with, via traditional SMS or iMessages, Apple uses a single, unified,system. Your iPhone automatically detects if the other person has an iOS device, and if so, it changes the green SMS indicator to a blue iMessage one. Simple enough, no fuss about it.

The problem arises when you decide to switch from an iPhone to another device. The iMessage system thinks you still use iMessage, resulting in messages sent by your friends with iPhones to go via iMessage instead of regular SMS. For them it shows the message has being delivered, for you... you'll never see it or even know about it. (Some friends that have switched from iPhone to Android says that eventually, the system notices it and begins sending SMS... but it can take days.)

I don't think there's an easy way to "fix" this. Even worse is if you consider a user that frequently changes devices, using both an iPhone and a different smartphone, and regularly swapping the SIM card. Making it highly likely he won't receive SMS from friends with iPhones. In any case, if/when you're about to say goodbye to your iPhone and replace it with an Android device (or other), maybe it's better for you to turn off the iMessage service before doing so.

How to fool your friends in iMessage

If you're an iOS7 user and you regularly iMessage your friends, here's a nice prank you can play on them (or that you can use whenever you need to tone down someone that is constantly harassing you). The iMessage show an animated status bar whenever the other party is typing a message. The trick is quite simple and takes advantage of iOS7 animated GIF support.

All it takes is for you to download a fake animated GIF that looks like the "typing" status:

All you have to do is send this image to your "friend", and you can then do whatever you want, knowing that at least for a while, the other party will be staring at their iPhone screen, waiting for the long message you0re typing to finally pop up. Depending on the situation, they may either laugh at it, or be greatly annoyed - but no matter the case, you'll have accomplished your goal: to be free from iMessaging for a while! :)

Do donwload that animated GIF and keep it handy on your photo roll. Sooner or later it will come in handy!

iMessage for Android pops up in the Play Store - but stay clear of it

iMessage is Apple's messaging system that you can find in iOS and OS X. It's quite clever in the sense that it transparently takes over your regular SMS messages should the destination have a compatible device. Apple does it's thing and make it quite easy to use: you simply start typing a message, and instantly you know if the destination has as iMessage capable device or if it will be sent via regular SMS.

The bad part is that it's only available on Apple's systems, meaning you have to use other messaging apps should you want to talk to friends with Androids, for instace.

But now we have an iMessage for Android - which would be awesome if it were developed by Apple, but unfortunately it isn't, and it is highly suspicious to say the least.

Indeed the app does work, but I would advise against you trying it. Not only it requires your Apple ID and password (a big no-no); but even if you use a test account the app has permissions to download and install other apps. Meaning: it might infect your device with who knows what! (Not saying that it does or it will... but that it can; and that, at the very least, should serve as enough warning for you to keep clear.)

Looks like we'll have to wait for a safe iMessage app to pop up for Android... although it's unlikely for it to happen soon. (Remember when Steve Jobs said Facetime would be open for all to use?... Until this day we're still waiting...)

iMessage Flood Crashes your iPhone

Apple iMessage service might be one of the most useful aspects of the platform, but unfortunately is also prone to misuse and abuse. I can't really believe that Apple implemented the iMessage without a way for a user to block messages from unknown contacts (which is not the same as the recent option not to show notifications for messages received from unknown contacts in the notifications section - that takes care of the notifications, but you still receive the messages just the same).

The issue is that there's nothing stopping anyone from flooding you with thousands and thousands of messages, day in and day out.

And to make things worse, by using gigantic unicode messages filled with strange characters... they can even crash your iMessage service and preventing it from even restarting (as the "bad message" will make it crash again).

C'mon Apple... would it be that hard to figure out someone out there would "abuse" the system? Please fix this: by limiting the rate of messages that can be sent to single recipient, and... even more important, the chance for users to block (and possibly report as spammers) senders they don't know/want to know.