IMessage was announced by Scott Forstall at the WWDC 2011 keynote on June 6, 2011. In 2020, Apple announced an entirely redesigned version of the macOS Messages app which adds some of the features previously unavailable on the Mac, including location sharing and message effects. Launched on iOS in 2011, iMessage arrived on macOS (then called OS X) in 2012. On iOS and iPadOS, third-party developers can extend iMessage capabilities with custom extensions, an example being quick sharing of recently played songs. The service also allows sending location data and stickers. iMessage functions exclusively on Apple platforms: macOS, iOS, iPadOS, and watchOS.Ĭore features of iMessage, available on all supported platforms, include sending texts, images, videos, and documents getting delivery and read statuses (read receipts) and end-to-end encryption so only the sender and recipient - no one else, including Apple itself - can read the messages. IMessage is an instant messaging service developed by Apple Inc. IPhone, Apple Watch, iPad, iPod Touch, Mac A thread of conversation and media in the Messages application on iOS 8