iOS 10: Sending Handwritten and Digital Touch Messages
The Enduring Appeal of Handwriting in a Digital Age
Modern life is characterized by pervasive technology. Many individuals are frequently observed looking down at their smartphones, actively engaging with their displays. However, has the skill of handwriting been entirely lost? The answer is no. iOS 10 represents a further integration of handwriting capabilities into everyday communication.
Handwriting Features in iOS 10
The Messages application within iOS 10 now allows users to transmit handwritten messages to contacts. This functionality mirrors the digital touch feature initially introduced on the Apple Watch. We will detail how to utilize both methods for sending more individualized communications.
The process begins by launching the Messages app on your iPhone.
Related: Discover how to dispatch a Digital Touch message utilizing your Apple Watch.
Sending Handwritten Messages
The Messages app provides a dedicated interface for composing handwritten notes. This allows for a more personal touch than standard typed messages.
Utilizing Digital Touch
Similar to the Apple Watch, the Messages app incorporates the digital touch feature. This enables the sending of drawings and handwritten notes directly within a conversation.
These features offer a unique way to connect with others, blending the convenience of digital communication with the personal feel of handwriting.
Sending Handwritten Messages in Messages
To compose and send a handwritten message, begin by opening the desired conversation within the Messages application. Subsequently, rotate your phone to a horizontal orientation, effectively entering landscape mode.
The handwriting input area will then become visible automatically. A selection of pre-written, convenient messages is provided at the bottom of the screen for quick responses.
Using Predefined Messages
To browse the available canned messages, simply swipe left across the options. Tapping on a message will instantly populate the handwriting box with its content.
Should you wish to select a different message, the “Clear” button, located in the upper-left corner, will erase the current selection. Then, a new message can be chosen.
Once satisfied, tap “Done” to return to the main conversation view.
Sending the Message
The selected message will appear within a designated box in the conversation. You have the option to add a textual comment alongside the handwritten note.
To dispatch the message, tap the blue and white up arrow button.
The recipient will then view the handwritten message directly within their Messages conversation on their iPhone.
Creating Custom Handwritten Messages
Alternatively, you can craft a personalized handwritten message. Utilize your finger or a stylus to write directly within the handwriting box.
The “Undo” function allows you to correct mistakes by erasing the most recent strokes. This can be repeated as many times as needed.
Currently, a “clear all” option is unavailable for custom messages; therefore, repeated use of “Undo” is required to fully clear the writing area.
When your message is complete, tap “Done”.
Switching Between Handwriting and Keyboard
If you decide to type your message instead, tap the keyboard icon situated in the lower-right corner of the handwriting box.
This will display an optimized keyboard layout for landscape mode. To revert to handwriting mode, simply tap the handwriting button in the same location on the keyboard.
Finalizing and Sending Custom Messages
Your custom-written message will then be displayed in a box within the conversation. A typed comment can be added if desired.
Finally, tap the Send button to deliver your message.
The custom message will appear in the conversation, presented in the same manner as a predefined message.
Sending Digital Touch Messages
Initially featured on the Apple Watch, the Digital Touch functionality was subsequently integrated into the iOS 10 Messages app for iPhone users. This feature enables the transmission of hand-drawn sketches, subtle haptic taps, and even sensor-recorded heartbeats.
To initiate a digital touch message, launch the Messages application and select the desired conversation. Subsequently, tap the heart icon – distinguished by the presence of two fingers – located to the left of the iMessage text input field.
Note: If the on-screen keyboard is currently active, the icons positioned to the left of the iMessage text box may not be visible. To reveal these icons, simply tap the right-facing arrow icon.
Utilizing the Digital Touch Panel
The digital touch panel will then appear. For demonstration purposes, we will send a sketch to a contact, utilizing the color red. The colored circle on the left side of the screen indicates the currently selected color for the message.
To ensure our message is rendered in red, we will tap on the colored circle to modify the color selection.
Note: It is also possible to dispatch a digital touch message within a selfie video by selecting the camera icon.
A selection of seven colored circles is presented on the left. Tapping the red circle will set red as the active color for our message.
On the right side of the panel, three icons represent three of the six available types of digital touch messages. Allowing a few seconds to pass…
…will reveal three additional icons, showcasing the remaining digital touch message types. Since we intend to send a sketch, we will tap the icon displaying the blue squiggly line.
Selecting a specific type of digital touch message will bring up a dialog box. This box details each message type and provides instructions for sending it. To close this dialog, tap the “X” icon located in the upper-left corner.
Creating and Sending Your Message
Compose your message within the black box provided. You have the option to utilize different colors for various parts of your message. Simply tap a colored circle at the top of the screen to change the current color.
If you are dissatisfied with your creation, tap the “X” icon in the upper-left corner to clear the message and begin anew. Once satisfied, tap the blue Send button in the bottom-right corner to transmit your message.
The message will appear as a drawing within a black box in the conversation. Digital touch messages are ephemeral, disappearing after a short duration unless explicitly saved. To preserve a sent digital touch message, tap “Keep” below the bottom-right corner of the black message box.
To conceal the digital touch panel, tap the digital touch icon once more.
If you have chosen to save a message, a “Kept” message, displaying the time, day, or date, will be shown.
Receiving a Digital Touch Message
Upon delivery to the recipient, the message will be displayed within a black box on their end as well.
An “Expires in” message will indicate the remaining time before the message disappears. A “Keep” link will become available, allowing the recipient to save the message within the conversation, mirroring the sender’s option.
While Digital Touch is designed for communication between iMessage users on iPhones, it can also be sent to Android devices. However, these messages will be delivered as static images via MMS, lacking the animated effects. Initial tests showed a plain black box, but subsequent messages were received as images displaying the drawn content.