Apple just made a big change to iMessage — here’s how to use it (AAPL)

Apple

When you downloaded iOS 11, you may have noticed something new inside iMessage: a strip of app icons at the bottom of the screen. 

The icons, called an app drawer, include a brand-new GIFs button, quick access to the App Store, the ability to send songs via Apple Music, and more.

The new app drawer is Apple's way of building off the changes it made to iMessage in iOS 10. Back then, Apple introduced a special iMessage App Store and added drawing features. But iOS 11 takes things one step further — and it's going to make your life a lot easier. 

Here's how to use the new iMessage:

The app drawer will either pop up automatically when you open up a conversation, or it can be accessed by clicking the App Store icon next to the camera icon on the bottom. Once it appears, you can swipe left or right to check out all the apps.

Apple

The app drawer is where the drawing feature lives now. This feature was introduced last year with iOS 10 and it lets you send animated drawings through iMessage.

Apple

There's also a GIFs button that lives in the app drawer. The best part is that it's searchable, so you can quickly find the reaction you're looking for. Click on the GIF you want and it'll automatically pop into the text field.

Apple


See the rest of the story at Business Insider