Interesting new functionality in Apple’s Messages app in iOS 8 has brought a slew of new features beyond just sending texts.
There are two location sharing options. You can either share your location right then and there, or give your contacts access to your location for a set amount of time like one hour, end of day, or indefinitely.
You now have the ability to send audio within Message, by pressing down the microphone button. Hit the arrow or X to send or delete.
Now when you hit the home button twice, at the top they see recent contacts you’ve interacted with.
Annoying group message? Leave it by going to “details” and tapping “Leave this Conversation.”
For quick camera access, hold down the camera button. It’s automatically primed for a selfie, but you can flip the camera, too. You also have the option to record a video to send — you could think of that as sending a video voicemail.
In Messages settings, you can choose the length of time you want to keep your message history: 30 days, 1 year, or forever.
Whether you’re sending videos or audio, you can decide when you want them to expire from the message history, either after 2 minutes or never.
If you need to keep your group messages straight (perhaps so you don’t text your co-workers something meant for your college friends), you can now name threads. Tap “details” and add the name.
Erin Carson is a Staff Reporter for CNET and a former Multimedia Editor for TechRepublic.
