Coolest Things to Check Out on the Message App Store
iOS: If you live in Messages group chats, then you know how cumbersome it can be to exchange anything other than your own images. Logging in and out of other apps, copying and pasting links, looking for the Share button that ends up in different places each time can be frustrating. Luckily, you can eliminate the annoyance of switching apps by using the Message app store, which is next to your text box in the Messages app. There are some useful tools out there, as well as a few tried and true services to help you share music with friends, place a group order for some Sunday brunch, or even pay for that brunch when you forget your card (again).
How to get them
The Message marketplace requires several clicks more than the iOS app store. In iOS 10, you need to open the Messages app and either create a new message (with a selected recipient) or select an existing one from the list. From there, you can click on the miniature App Store icon on the left and select App Store from the available messaging apps window.
IOS 11 users will do the same, although you’ll see a list of available apps in the bar at the bottom of the screen. Remember, some of the apps you already have on your iOS device (like Spotify or Google Maps) have messaging apps. You can see which apps include messaging-friendly versions by visiting the list of apps in Messages.
While some iOS apps may come bundled with their respective messaging apps, you might not want them to clutter your carefully crafted choices. To specify which apps you want to see in your list, open Messages, tap the app icon, and scroll down the apps bar until you see the More icon. From there, you can enable, disable, and reorder your messaging apps. You can also mark apps as favorites by hitting the plus sign while editing, making sure they are the first options you see when you need them.
Spotify and Apple Music
Messaging apps like Spotify and Apple’s own music app let you send songs from the text box without having to switch and download the music app itself. On Spotify, you can search for any song in the directory and send a 30 second snippet, while Apple Music lets you choose from a list of recently played tunes. This is a great time saver if you just want to share what you listen to in the morning on the road with a few friends, or you need to remember a lead to a song you heard last weekend.
Fandango
If you’re looking for movie time, Fandango’s iMessage app lets you go from start to finish and buy movie tickets right from your keyboard. You can send the movie schedule in text messages or just buy tickets and send them the route.
Scribble
If you are planning a party at your home, you need to know when everyone will be available. Use Doodle, a scheduling app that lets you quickly pick when you’re available and share it with your cohorts, allowing you to vote on the day everyone is ready to get down to business.
Open table
Opentable’s latest update adds support for iMessage, so you can also schedule dinner you’ve been putting off for weeks. You can select restaurants from a list of recently visited places, invite guests and drag and drop restaurant tables from the Opentable app in iMessage if you’re using two apps at the same time on your iPad.
Tipito
At the end of a particularly drunk brunch with friends, don’t think too much about counting. Fortunately, there is the Tipito iMessage app. Enter the bill, tip and number of guests to calculate who owes what, and send it immediately to all well-fed members.
Venmo
You can also just let the new guy take over the expenses and give him the money back when you can. Venmo, for example, allows you to request and pay from your keyboard and is directly linked to your bank account. If you’re an absent-minded person, getting a reminder and paying a bill can happen at the same time, saving you the trouble of remembering who you owe. I mean, their name is right here and that Eggs Benedict was second to none.