We are now close to Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference where we are expecting to see the unveiling of new software updates and hardware products. Last year, Apple announced new software updates to iOS, watchOS, and tvOS. One of the biggest announcements at the last year’s event was Apple’s smart speaker, HomePod.
This year’s event, Apple is expected to announce a lot of new exciting things. One such thing lies in iOS 12. Rumors regarding Apple’s new iOS software update have started to heat up for months, hinting at new features and changes.
With that in mind, we have compiled a list of what we wish to see in Messages and FaceTime apps in iOS 12. For some background, Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference will start on June 4 and run through June 8, 2018.
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Group video calls
Call conferencing has been in FaceTime app since the days of iOS 7, allowing you to make a conference call. However, the FaceTime app still lacks of group video call functionality, which is a little disappointing.
In reality, multi-calling feature is not something new out there, as Skype and Facebook Messenger already include support it. Tech experts say that Apple does not want to get left behind and the company has been working on multi-calling feature for years.
iOS 11 was previously rumored to come with multi-user FaceTime video, but it was nowhere to be found at launch. We are expecting Apple to add this feature to iOS 12 this year to compete with rivals.
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Better spam filter
Apple has been in an intense fight against spams in its Messages app. The Messages app now includes the option to turn off notifications for messages from unknown people. However, it seems that we need more from Apple.
To enable this feature, head to Settings > Messages > Unknown & Spam and turn on the switch for Filter Unknown Senders. Once you have turned on SMS filtering feature, it only filters your new messages as spam, meaning that your existing messages remaining the same. Tech experts say that iOS 12 will allow users to filter all their existing messages and include an option to mark someone as not spam.
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Editing and deleting messages
In iOS 11, you cannot delete messages for all people in a group. This year, iOS 12 will change that. Apple’s upcoming software update will include the option to remove messages for everyone.
In reality, this feature has been an essential part of WhatsApp for years, allowing users to quickly get rid of unwanted messages for everybody. However, it leaves a Message Deleted tag in the messaging thread.
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Mark messages as unread
Marking messages as unread is one of the most anticipated features in the Messages app. In reality, WhatsApp now allows users to mark any messages as unread, which comes in handy for those who are too busy to reply to a message. The Messages app in iOS 12 is expected to come with an option to mark messages as unread, so you can get back to them later.
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Disable camera in FaceTime
In the FaceTime app, you cannot quickly turn off camera during a video call. In WhatsApp, you can temporarily switch off video feed and move to audio-calling mode. iOS 12 is expected to include an option to turn off video feed during FaceTime.
Also read: 5 cool things you can do in Apple Maps that you cannot in Google Maps
Got any questions? Let us know in the comments below.
