iMessage
A thread of conversation in the Messages application on macOS Sonoma | |
| Developer | Apple Inc. |
|---|---|
| Type | Instant messaging |
| Launch date | October 12, 2011 |
| Platform(s) | iPhone, Apple Watch, iPad, iPod Touch, Mac, Apple Vision Pro |
| Operating system(s) | iOS 5 and later, iPadOS, OS X Mountain Lion and later, watchOS and visionOS |
| Status | Active |
| Website | support |
iMessage is an instant messaging service developed by Apple Inc. and launched in 2011. iMessage functions exclusively on Apple platforms – including iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and visionOS – as part of Apple's approach to inter-device integration, which has been described by media outlets as a means of achieving vendor lock-in.[1][2][3][4] iMessage uses the Messages app client.
Core features of iMessage, available on all supported platforms, include sending text messages, images, videos, and documents; getting delivery and read statuses (read receipts); and end-to-end encryption so only the sender and recipient can read the messages, and no one else; even Apple itself cannot read them. The service also allows sending location data and stickers. On iOS and iPadOS, third-party developers can extend iMessage capabilities with custom extensions, an example being quick sharing of recently played songs.
iMessage was introduced with iOS 5 in 2011,[5] and was added to Macs with OS X Mountain Lion in 2012.[6] In 2020, Apple introduced a redesigned version of the Messages app with macOS Big Sur which added some of the features previously unavailable on the Mac, including location sharing and message effects.
- ^ Kellen (April 9, 2021). "Apple Admits Why It Keeps iMessage Off Android". www.droid-life.com. Archived from the original on December 3, 2023. Retrieved December 3, 2023.
- ^ "Apple confirms iMessage locks users into iOS, and putting it on Android would hurt Apple". ZDNET. Archived from the original on July 16, 2024. Retrieved December 3, 2023.
- ^ Higgins, Tim (January 8, 2022). "Why Apple's iMessage Is Winning: Teens Dread the Green Text Bubble". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Archived from the original on October 20, 2022. Retrieved December 3, 2023.
- ^ "Apple iMessage Is a Lock-In Abomination". PCMAG. April 9, 2021. Archived from the original on July 16, 2024. Retrieved December 3, 2023.
- ^ "iOS 5 - See new features included in iOS 5". Apple. Archived from the original on March 8, 2012. Retrieved October 10, 2011.
- ^ "OS X Mountain Lion - See everything the new OS X can do". Archived from the original on June 15, 2012.