Apple’s iOS 8 - Message App – Various New Features

Messages are always stored by default on the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch and sometimes the text, images, video and other media is viewed after a long time. Keeping all these could take up valuable storage space on the device.

The new feature option in iOS 8 now enables users to select the duration of messages that can be stored on the devices and the new setting will be useful in controlling the time limit of text messages and picture messages which get stored on the device.

Too many messages, a backlog of messages could accumulate over a period of time and take up a considerable amount of space not only on the iPhone but in the form of iCloud backups as well. Apple has provided an option in the first iOS 8 beta by including a `Store Messages’, option which is found in the message section of the app setting.

The message app provides various new features with the upgrade of Apple’s iOS 8 especially for those who participate in group messages which might take up a lot of space or even tend to get annoying. Users have the option of choosing to save the messages forever, for a year or just for 30 days. As of iOS 8, `Store Messages’, default setting is forever.

Message History Setting – 30 Days/Year/Forever

Long text message thread especially those which are accompanied with images tend to utilise more space on an iPhone and Apple taking this into consideration has addressed this problem in iOS 8 by including a new `Message History’ setting. By launching the Setting app, users can customize this, choose messages and change the `keep messages’ option according to their requirements of 30 days, a year or forever.

Selecting the option of 30 days or one year warns the user that the setting would delete all text messages and attachments from the device permanently once it reaches the expiration date. With regards to threads which may remain active, Apple has provided an easier option to go back and view the older attachments and access the unique functions which are available by going to the `details’ menu that is at the upper right area of a message thread.

Functions - `Leave this Conversation/Do Not Disturb’ 

User can then scroll down to the attachments section and view the pictures, video and the other media which have been sent and can also add a name of the group message thread if they intend to do so. If the group message thread tends to get annoying, a new ‘leave this conversation’, function is also available in iOS 8.

Besides this, iOS 8 also enables users to send current location of the conversation to members or even share their location for three different option of time, of one hour, until the end of the day or indefinitely. Sometime, conversation could be unwelcome or bothersome and for this issue, Apple has included a `Do not Disturb switch’, and on enabling this, notification will go on mute mode for on-going conversation making sure that the phone is not buzzing when new messages come in.

These features are besides the new quick sharing functions in sending video, audio images together with text in the new iOS 8.