iPhone users can add a little excitement to an iMessage with a somewhat hidden feature in Apple’s Messages app. To add impact, lasers and pyrotechnics can display on an iPhone, complete with accompanying sounds and vibrations. Thanks to an iPhone that can do so much more, messages don’t have to be limited to text, emoji, and photographs anymore.
The iPhone features a unique function that cannot be seen but can be felt. Apple offers one of the most advanced smartphone vibration systems for providing feedback to a user about an action taking place, known as haptics. This sounds like the rumble of a game controller when you wreck a car or win a prize. Haptics are utilized in everyday actions on an iPhone, such as unlocking the phone, flipping a switch, or increasing a special effect in an iMessage.
Apple’s iPhone Messages software features a fun feature that allows you to create a full-screen effect to an iMessage that incorporates both audio and haptics. These have an effect on the message as long as they are not overdone, which would take away the novelty. There is a method for gaining access to these effects.
A message is normally sent with a tap of the up arrow, but press and hold the send button to send with a special effect. This will open a window with two tabs: Bubble and Screen. The Laser and Fireworks effects can be accessed under the Screen tab. There are a variety of effects to pick from, and swiping left and right provides a sample of how it will look. The full effect, including any sounds and haptics, will not be felt until the message is delivered, which can be accomplished by tapping the arrow after selecting the desired effect.
Currently, there are eight Screen effects available, including ‘Echo,’ ‘Spotlight,’ ‘Balloons,’ ‘Confetti,’ ‘Love,’ ‘Lasers,’ ‘Fireworks,’ and ‘Celebration.’ The final image appears to be a sparkler blasting out bright embers from the corner. Several effects have sounds and haptics and are rather remarkable, while others are activated automatically by the text entered. ‘Pew pew’, for example, activates the Lasers effect, and ‘Happy New Year’ starts the Fireworks display.
Bubble effects that animate the message in a gentler manner are available for instances when a less spectacular effect is required. ‘Invisible Ink,’ ‘Gentle,’ ‘Loud,’ and ‘Slam’ are among the effects. The final three contain varying degrees of animation to draw attention, ranging from a subtle movement to jiggling and flying-in effects. Invisible ink conceals the contents until tapped, making it both entertaining and reminiscent of a secret message. These amusing effects are part of what distinguishes iPhone iMessages from SMS texts.