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iOS 5 features: iMessage brings free texting to iPad, iPod touch

by Chris Rawson Oct 12th 2011 at 3:00PM

Until now, the iPhone has had an exclusive on built-in texting via Apple's Messages app. That's changed in iOS 5, and now the iPad and iPod touch have joined the party. iMessage allows for free texting across all iOS devices running iOS 5 so long as they have internet access.

If you've already been using Messages on the iPhone or iChat on the Mac, you've already got a general idea of how iMessage works. It's a basic IM client with support for sending text, photos, videos, contacts, and locations to the other party. iMessage shows a small ellipsis when someone is typing a response, and at your option you can set up iMessage to send read receipts to the other party once you've read and received the message.

One of the nice features of iMessage is it allows you to set it up with the same email address on multiple devices. You can begin a conversation with someone on your iPhone while you're out and about, then pick up at exactly the same spot when you get home and use your iPad. Texting takes place virtually instantaneously; I had the above conversation with a TUAW staffer on the other side of the planet, and it was as seamless as you'd expect from a modern IM app.

On the iPhone, differentiating between texts sent via traditional SMS or through iMessage is easy. SMS texts you've sent will show up with a green background, while iMessage texts show up in blue. While you'll still have to pay the traditional fees for any SMS texts you send, it bears repeating that all iMessage texts go out over Wi-Fi or 3G and are completely free. I've also noticed that texts sent via iMessage tend to go out much faster than those sent via SMS. I don't know if that's a consequence of my wireless provider's somewhat lackluster network or whether there's something inherent to the SMS protocol that makes it slower, but the difference in speed is quite noticeable.

iMessage can send messages to any device that's running iOS 5. The iPhone remains the only iOS device capable of sending text messages to non-iOS devices, and the fact that there are still so many of those out there means iMessage isn't going to "kill" SMS texting any time soon. On the other hand, if everyone in your circle of friends has a device running iOS 5, iMessage could very well obviate the need for an unlimited texting plan on your iPhone.



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Until now, the iPhone has had an exclusive on built-in texting via Apple's Messages app. That's changed in iOS 5, and now the iPad and...
 

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32 Comments

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Donna

I am finding the very frustrating, when connected to wifi (I message) it shows blue then after message sent it
Shows (sent in green) meaning it was not free what gives!!

January 22 2012 at 6:23 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to Donna's comment
DoDa

You have to go to settings / messages / scroll down to the option which says "Send imessage as text if imessage not available" and switch that off and it'll stop sending out imessages as text messages etc -

February 07 2012 at 12:54 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Katrina

I have 2 Iphones with the same Itunes account and an IPAD the IPAD is receiving all text messages between the phone how can I disable that part of it?

November 23 2011 at 2:20 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Ade

I'm not the only one with this problem thank god! I can't tell the difference and I'm also trying to message people overseas so it kinda makes a difference to me.

October 14 2011 at 6:18 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Los

I've had mixed results. Worked last night with a user in another country with iOS5, but today it's sending some messages as iMessage and some as SMS. Now I'm sure ATT will be glad to charge me international texting rates. Going back to Whats App

October 14 2011 at 11:52 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Brandon Thraves

When i send a message to a friend now, his contact name has been replaced by his email address on top of the screen...

How do I get rid of the email address and get his name back????

October 14 2011 at 7:16 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Brandon Thraves

When i send a message to a friend now, his contact name has been replaced by his email address on top of the screen...

How do I get rid of the email address and get his name back????

October 14 2011 at 7:13 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Amats

Just a quick question: My husband sent several messages to me via iMessage to my iPhone and they were sent via SMS instead ( paid not free ). He also sent a message from his iPhone 4 to his brother's iPhone 4 and again, it was SMS and not iMessage.
Is it only free over wifi and not 3G? After the snafu he received a message from AT&T saying that he went over his SMS quota. Definitely not free. Any ideas? Thanks.

October 13 2011 at 11:17 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
2 replies to Amats's comment
Brandon Thraves

restart both of the phones and all phones have to be updated too... i had the same problem and i just restarted then it appeared.

October 14 2011 at 7:15 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
DoDa

You have to go to settings / messages / scroll down to the option which says "Send imessage as text if imessage not available" and switch that off and it'll stop sending out imessages as text messages etc -

February 07 2012 at 12:55 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Stephanie Dc

I'm from the Philippines and I tried using iMessage on my ipod touch. It seems when I send a msg to a friend's iPhone in the US who is also running on iOS 5, the SEND button is disabled or greyed out. Anyone who has an idea on this? Philippines is not supported or something? thank you so much

October 13 2011 at 10:12 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Francis Loughlin

It's not free!! iMessage eats into the data allowance when on 3G. I have unlimited SMS but a capped Data Allowance so iMessage is of no benefit when I am outside WiFi range. However there seems no way to switch it off, anyone I know who has upgraded to iOS5 are automatically messaged through iMessage rather than SMS.

October 13 2011 at 7:13 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to Francis Loughlin's comment
Peggy Owusu

u can turn it off in the settings

October 13 2011 at 6:56 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Tarek Yassine

Having an issue with the "seemless transition" between devices - started an iMessage convo on my iPhone 4, picked up my iPad 1 and the convo isn't there. Any ideas?

October 13 2011 at 12:41 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to Tarek Yassine's comment
simulacra

It depends on the caller id for the phone, if you look through settings on the phone you'll se that you can receive messages over 2 protocols, your phone number and an email address.
Set the caller id on the phone to your mail adress both devices will be in sync.
If not you'll receive the first message to both devices, but if you answer on your phone iMessage will stop sending the messages to your e-mail address and the iPad is out of the loop.

October 13 2011 at 7:15 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
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