How to Set Up and Use iMessage by MacLife
iMessage is Apple’s new messaging service that is a combination of both MMS messaging and instant messaging, with the added bonus of sending other iOS 5 users messages at absolute no cost. The service is similar to FaceTime, and that it’s free and you can set up an email address to use with the service instead of giving out your phone number. Read on for how to properly set up the service in iOS and a few tips for getting the most out of this free utility.
What You Need:
>> iOS 5
>> iPad, iPhone or iPod touch
>> Wi-Fi or cellular connection required to send and receive messages
1. Setting Up iMessage
Setting up iMessage is a rather simple process that begins by simply navigating to Settings > Messages.
Once there, ensure that the iMessage switch is set to ON. You can also turn on Send Read Receipts and Send As SMS. Note that the Send as SMS option will use your cell provider’s network to send the message, which may charge you an SMS fee if you don’t have a unlimited text messaging plan.
After configuring those options, tap on the “Receive At” button to see more iMessage settings. On this page, you will be able to set your active Apple ID. Below that is where you can set email address that others can iMessages. By default, anyone can iMessage your Phone number for free. You can also tap Caller ID to set which email address (or phone number) will appear when you iMessage others.
2. Sending an iMessage
Sending an iMessage is the same as sending an MMS or SMS message on your iPhone before iOS 5. When sending messages, the Send button will be blue if you are sending an iMessage, or green if you are sending a standard SMS/MMS message. The placeholder text will also dictate “iMessage” or “Text Message”.
This is a standard Text Message. Note the green colored Send button.
This is an iMessage. Note the send button is a lovely blue color.
The nice thing about iMessage is that you can see when someone is typing a message because a small bubble will appear with an ellipsis.
3. Sending Attachments with iMessage
You can send attachments (movie or pictures) by tapping on the small Camera button that appears beside the body text field. Tapping on this button will let you choose between taking a picture or video, or selecting a picture or video from your Photo Library.
After adding a picture, tap on the Send button to have the picture whisked away to the recipient.
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