The Messages app has long been a mainstay on the iPhone and iPad as the default way Apple would like you to send messages. But it can handle a lot more than just plain, old text messages.

You can spruce up your messages with photos, videos, emoji, stickers, music, animated GIFs, and other cool content. You can switch between typing and dictating your message. To organize your texts, you’re able to filter out unknown senders and pin frequent conversations at the top. And with the latest version of iOS/iPadOS, you can edit and even unsend a text.

To enjoy the most recent enhancements, make sure you’re running the current operating system for your device. Go to Settings > General > Software Update to see if your software is up to date. If not, you’ll be prompted to download and install the latest update.

Now, let’s check out 16 of those top tricks to help you use Apple’s Messages app.

1. Edit a Sent Message

With iOS 16 or higher, you can revise a text that you’ve already sent in case you need to fix a typo or other mistake.

If your recipient is running iOS 16, iPadOS 16, or macOS Ventura or higher, the corrected message will replace the original one. If they’re still using an older version of the OS on their mobile device or Mac, that person will receive a new message with the corrected text. The original message remains, and a notice tells them that the message was edited. Either way, you have only 15 minutes to edit a sent message, so don’t delay if you spot an error.

To try this out, send someone a text with an intentional mistake.

Press down on the sent text and select Edit from the menu. Fix the mistake and then tap the checkmark to send the new and corrected version. The new message replaces the original one on the recipient’s end.

2. Unsend a Sent Message

You’ve sent a message to the wrong person or want to recall it for some other reason. With iOS 16 or higher, you can unsend it. If your recipient is running iOS 16, iPadOS 16, or macOS Ventura or higher, the original message will simply vanish. If they’re still using an older version of the OS, the original message remains with a notice that it was unsent. The full effect works only with iMessage texts and not with SMS or MMS messages. And you have just 2 minutes to unsend it, so you’ll need to be quick here.

To try this, send a text to someone. Press down on that text and select Undo Send from the menu. The text then disappears on the recipient’s end with a notice that you unsent a message.

3. Add a Photo or Video

You can easily attach a photo or video to a text. Tap the iMessage field and add some text. To snap and add a new photo, tap the left arrow button and then tap the Camera icon. Snap your picture. You can then jazz up the photo with special effects and filters. When finished, tap Done and then send the text.

To add a new video, follow the same initial steps but set the camera to video mode. Tap the red button to start the recording and again when you’re finished. You can then apply certain effects. Tap Done and send the text.

To add an existing photo from your Photos library, tap the App Store icon and then tap the Photos icon. Your photo gallery appears at the bottom. Swipe through your library and select the photo you want to attach. Add text if you wish and then send the message.

To add an existing video, follow the same initial steps. Select the video. You can play it before you send it. If all looks good, fire off the text.

4. Search for the Right Emoji or Sticker

Looking for the perfect emoji or sticker to include in a text? Just search for it. Open a message and tap the emoji icon in the lower-left corner of the keyboard. Type a word or phrase to find an emoji you want to use, then tap the one you wish to add it into your message. For more options, tap the App Store icon and select Stickers. Choose the sticker you want to send.

5. Record and Add a Memoji

Here’s a cool way to send an audio message to someone. From the App Store row, tap the icon for Memoji. Select your favorite memoji and then tap the red recording button. Record your message, making sure you move your eyes and mouth to capture your facial mannerisms. When done, tap the recording button again and then send your text.

6. Add an Animated GIF

One fun way to spruce up a text is through an animated GIF. From the App Store row, tap the icon for Images. Swipe through the results or search for specific ones by name or subject. Select the animated image you like and then send the text.

7. Dictate Your Message

Instead of struggling to tap out your text with your fingers, why not dictate it? Tap the microphone icon, either the one next to the iMessage field or the one at the lower right of the screen. Then just dictate your words. When done, review the message for errors. You can easily fix a mistake by tapping in the area and correcting the glitch. Then send the text.

8. Reply Inline

Sometimes a group conversation can get muddled with new conversations interspersed between replies, but you can reply to a specific comment in the thread to keep everything organized. To do this, press down on the comment to which you want to respond and tap Reply. Type your response in the Reply field and send the text. The person who posted the original comment will then see your direct reply.

9. Mention Someone by Name

You can now include someone’s name in a text message as a mention. Doing so can make it easier for that person to see or respond to any texts that reference their name. To do this, type the person’s first name, then tap the name and select the person from the pop-up icon. You can also type @ followed by the person’s name, and it will automatically turn into a mention. 

10. Add a Group Name and Photo

You can set up both a name and an image for each of your group conversations. Open a group conversation, tap the icons at the top, and then select Change Name and Photo. Type a group name. Then tap the camera icon to take a photo, the Photos icon to add an existing photo from your device, the smiley icon to add an emoji, or the pen icon to create an image with text and color. Swipe down further to choose other emoji and Memoji. Tap Done and then Done again to save your changes.

11. Hide Alerts for New Messages

Sometimes you don’t want to receive a notification every time there’s a new text from a certain person or group. No problem. To stifle those alerts, open the conversation and tap the icon for the person or group at the top. Turn on the switch for Hide Alerts.

12. Get Notified of Mentions

You may want to hide alerts for a group conversation but still wish to be notified if someone mentions you in the conversation. To set this up, go to Settings > Messages. In the Mentions section, turn on the switch for Notify Me. Now, if a conversation that you muted mentions you by name, you’ll receive a notification.

13. Collaborate on a Note

You’re creating a note on your iPhone and would like other people to review or contribute to it. Tap the Share icon and select Collaborate from the Share menu. Make sure Collaborate is checked. Tap the option for Only invited people can collaborate and set the access and permissions. Select the person or group which whom you want to collaborate on this note. Send the text inviting people to collaborate.

The recipients you invited can then open the note in the Notes app on their devices and review or edit it.

14. Restore Deleted Messages

You’ve deleted a message by mistake and want it back. No problem. Your iPhone stores deleted messages for a certain amount of time. To set this up, go to Settings > Messages > Keep Messages. Set the duration for keeping deleted messages to 30 days, 1 year, or Forever.

To restore a deleted message from the Messages app, tap Filters at the upper-left corner and select Recently Deleted. Tap the message or conversation you wish to bring back and then tap Recover. Confirm your action.

15. Filter Messages by Known or Unknown Senders

Clean out the Messages inbox clutter by filtering out all the one-time alerts and messages from unknown senders. Go to Settings > Messages. Under the Message Filtering section, turn on the switch for Filter Unknown Senders. Then in Messages, tap the Filters link in the upper-left corner and choose between All Messages, Known Senders (anyone in your contacts), and Unknown Senders (anyone who is not). You can also view unread messages this way.

16. Pin a Conversation

Trying to hunt down a specific thread among all the conversations that appear in your Messages inbox can be challenging. Now you can pin up to nine specific conversations at the top of the screen so they’re easily accessible.

There are three ways to pin a conversation: 1) Press down on it and select Pin from the pop-up menu; 2) Press down on it and drag and drop it at the top; 3) Tap the ellipsis circle icon at the top, select Edit Pins, and then tap the Pin icon next to the conversation you want to pin.

That conversation then appears at the top of your inbox. To access a thread, tap on its pin. To remove it, press down on the pin and select Unpin from the menu. Alternatively, tap the ellipsis circle icon, select Edit Pins, and then tap the minus icon next to the conversation you want to unpin.

Save $25, and get a $10 Amazon gift card for free: As of Dec. 29, TurboTax Deluxe federal and state software is on sale for $54.99 at Amazon; that’s a 31% discount. The e-bundle also includes a free $10 Amazon gift card.

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The New Year is creeping up fast, and soon enough it will be the dreaded tax season. If you plan to file your own taxes (and save money on a CPA), getting organized ahead of time will help you avoid stressing over finances this spring — so consider taking advantage of this early TurboTax deal.

TurboTax Deluxe federal and state tax software is on sale at Amazon for $54.99, or 31% off. Plus, the e-bundle includes a free $10 Amazon gift card. TurboTax Deluxe is recommended for homeowners, people who have high medical expenses, or those who make multiple charitable donations each year. This disc includes five federal e-files and one state file via download, plus you get free product support if you need some extra help down the line.

Additionally, TurboTax Deluxe features an Audit Risk Meter, which flags common audit triggers like unaccounted-for income or an unusual number of tax deductions so that you can take the necessary steps to reduce your chances of being audited.

Set yourself up for an abundant 2023 with this deal while it lasts.

BOGO: As of Dec. 29, GlassesUSA is offering a buy one, get one free deal with free shipping when you purchase any pair of clearance glasses using the code BOGOFREE.

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Anyone who wears glasses knows just how important they are. They are indispensable companions at work and at home, and they can also be a fashion statement. If you need an upgrade or want to change your look, you’re right on time — GlassesUSA has a great deal going into the new year.

As of Dec. 29, GlassesUSA is having a BOGO — buy one, get one free — deal thanks to their New Year’s clearance sale. Using the code BOGOFREE, you can order one pair of premium eyeglasses as well as a non-premium pair and you’ll get the less expensive pair for free, plus free shipping. You can also use the code COZY50 to take 50% off frames only with basic prescription lenses (with some category exceptions like premium and sale).

Along with lesser-known quality brands, you can also find designer frames from brands such as Versace, Michael Kors, and RayBan, to name a few. Some of GlassesUSA’s frames could be eligible for FSA or HSA benefits if you have some funds you need to use up before Jan. 1. And should you be unsatisfied with a product or need adjustments, GlassesUSA also offers free returns.

Now’s a great time to invest in some new frames for a new you! Take advantage of this BOGO deal while it lasts.

The Apple Watch is the latest consumer tech product to come under fire for perpetuating racial biases, representing one part of a wider tech industry issue that revolves around racist and sexist AIs and racially insensitive practices. 

A new class action lawsuit, filed Dec. 24 on behalf of a group of New York residents and Apple users, alleges that the wearable tech’s blood oxygen measurement feature does not accurately account for differences in skin tones, providing inaccurate readings for users with darker skin and perpetuating a widespread racial bias in both health and medicine. 

The tool, known in the medical field as an oximeter or pulse oximeter, reads blood oxygen saturation levels by shining a light through the device wearer’s skin. Then, using a series of red, green, and infrared LEDs and light sensors, the monitor can estimate the percentage of oxygen in a red blood cell.

But that measurement process has long been noted as an insufficient system, unless the sensors are intentionally adjusted and monitored for skin tone variation. In 2020, responding to the lifesaving need to accurately monitor pulse and oxygen levels of those contracting the COVID-19 virus, medical professionals (and even viral TikTok accounts) brought the issue to public attention and scientific scrutiny. In the last two years, this built-in racial bias has been continuously noted, with valid concern for those using these devices during at-home health monitoring. The lawsuit asserts that patient records show “‘reliance on pulse oximetry to triage patients and adjust supplemental oxygen levels may place Black patients at increased risk for hypoxemia.'”

Apple introduced its blood oxygen measurement in its Apple Watch Series 6 in September 2020, coinciding with a global increase in handheld pulse oximeter purchases that ballooned into a billion dollar market by 2021. The latest version of the watch now retails between $400 to $800, a “premium price” that, according to the lawsuit, is based on unique features like the blood oxygen tool. It argues that because these measurements allegedly don’t work for every user, the sale of these watches equates to consumer fraud.

When the watch-based oximeter was first announced, the company unveiled it would also be using the tool as a data set for a study on COVID-19 and influenza detection, partnering with the Seattle Flu Study at the Brotman Baty Institute for Precision Medicine and the University of Washington School of Medicine. The study would use the new blood oxygen measurement along with the device’s heart rate monitoring to study how similar tech tools could signal respiratory conditions.

The combined power of Apple’s health tools have been a selling point for many iPhone and Apple Watch users inclined to combine all of their wellness needs into one digital hub, but not all of the iOS health features have slid into the Apple repertoire criticism-free. 

In 2019, unveiling the new legion of health tools for the Apple Watch Series 4, the company claimed it was pushing to be the “ultimate guardian of your health.” Speaking to Mashable that year, medical experts warned users that the watch was simply a “cool tool” and not a medical device, expressing concern that the sheer amount of random data (which was offered with little medical interpretation) wouldn’t be helpful for either user or doctor. It wasn’t an FDA-approved device at the moment of its launch, either, but has since received clearance by the federal agency for certain features, such as its ECG (electrocardiogram) tool.

Later, in 2022, the newly introduced fertility tracking tool also prompted warnings from privacy experts who remain wary of companies monitoring reproductive health in the post-Roe era. 

With these layered concerns of privacy, invasive data tracking, and the claim of additional racial bias in Apple’s health monitoring, the company may be losing some users’ sense of safety and trust. But beyond this consumer/company dynamic, the Apple Watch’s oximeter problems brighten the spotlight on a problem of racial supremacy ingrained in spaces many consider to be the most politically neutral, such as the medicine field and its data-surmising algorithms. That notice will hopefully prompt individuals to consider how entire industries, not just products, are designed with only one kind of person in mind — and that fact can often have life-threatening consequences.  

Apple has 21 days from the filing to respond to the class action summons.

Recent ads for Apple’s iPhone 14 highlight that it can tell when you’ve been in an automobile crash, and even call an emergency number for you.

But a feature that iPhones have offered in some form since 2010 may have helped find someone who was in a wrecked car some 200 feet below the road.

According to the Los Angeles Times, a woman who had been missing following a family get-together on Christmas was found thanks to the Find My app, commonly called “Find My iPhone.”

In the mountains north of San Bernardino, California, the woman had crashed and was in her car, which was well outside the view of drivers along Highway 18. 

Her family hadn’t heard from her by the following morning, so they turned on Find My to try and find her, and did, some 200 feet below the highway. They then called 911. 

She was tracked down by rescuers and taken to a local trauma center with serious injuries.

How do you find someone else’s phone with Find My?

There are multiple ways this could have happened, but there’s a good chance the woman had a family sharing plan with at least one other person. Here’s how you turn on this feature:

• Set up Family Sharing. According to Apple Support, you go to your settings, and click on your name, then click Family Sharing, then Set Up My Family. 

• From there, follow the prompts to invite family members.

• Once Family Sharing is set up, go back to Settings, then click Family, then Location Settings, and turn on “Share your location with” with whomever you want to share it with.

Find My iPhone was a feature of the MobileMe plan beginning in June 2010, and then became a free feature as part of iOS 4.2 soon after, according to 9to5Mac. Find my iPhone, Find My Mac, and Find My Friends were all merged into one app called “Find My” in 2020.

The all-star cast is back for their last run in The Best Man: The Final Chapters, an 8-part episodic series streaming on Peacock. Here, the friends you first met in Malcolm D. Lee’s directorial debut, The Best Man — the ’90s hit that spawned the franchise — face their toughest challenges yet.

After we last partook of their loaded holiday shenanigans in 2013’s The Best Man Holiday, we meet on a tropical island for yet another wedding, this time between Quentin Spivey (Terrence Howard) and his fiancée of many hats, Xiomara Amani (Nicole Ari Parker). Everything’s running the opposite of smooth for the friend group, until the infamous Shelby (Melissa De Sousa) crashes the wedding.

With Shelby and Quentin’s long-awaited love/hate relationship cumulating in a surprising marriage (leaving the scorned ex-fiancée to an arson-fueled tour), the crew returns home to New York City, where the real adventure begins. Harper Stewart’s (Taye Diggs) award-winning book, Unfinished Business, which recounts the tumultuous tales of his undergraduate experience, is about to become a film. This news takes the tight-knit group by storm and unveils a host of emotions long relegated to the past. Still, their familial bond never seems to truly falter, and they hold each other up alongside the film’s debut just as they do through grief, school, divorce, career pivots, raising children, and health concerns.

In this much-anticipated reboot, comedy takes an appropriate backseat. This time, though still helmed by Lee (with Dayna Lynne North co-creating), the plot includes an array of swelling societal issues, from sexual assault to police misconduct to LGBTQ identity mishandling. 

Lee utilizes his handle on these topics to evaluate how his characters were last situated in the first two installments, being sure to apply a contemporary outlook and resolutions that leave audiences with no unanswered questions or stones unturned. So yes, our beloved will-they-won’t-they romance between Harper and his suppressed crush, Jordan Armstrong (Nia Long), has finally come to a satisfying close. Murch (Harold Perrineau) and Candace (Regina Hall) resurrect their familiar comedic relief roles and take on arguably the most compelling plot line in the series. And of course, the gang comes out alright.

Your chosen family will be your greatest gift of all. The Best Man: The Final Chapters showcases the unique bond between a group of friends that yields acceptance, love, and mobility in the face of hardships. Though this latest installation of the franchise moves away from comedy and into heavy, dramatic plot points and developments, this theme of family and its value still reigns true.

Depicting the nuances of the Black familial community, Black female strength, and the characters’ ability to shift with adversity, Lee has recaptured the magic of the ’90s original franchise while handling societal issues glossed over in the first installments. As an artist who has matured alongside the industry, his combination of comedic relief and acknowledgment of varied inequities provides a representation critical for more diverse film and entertainment to come.

Don’t fret, the usual entertainment and laughs are still plentiful, between humorous images of Morris Chestnut competing in the NFL with those half his age and Regina Hall’s infectious one-liners that will have you squawking in amusement. The return of the lovable, mischievous, and comedic force that stole the show in the ’90s makes the series worth enjoying, despite the mountainous weight of their new emerging hardships. As it is, the unfinished business of Harper Stewart’s life has finally found a concluding chapter. Let’s just hope we get a fair warning if he decides to open up a Pandora’s box of a feature film sequel!

The Best Man: The Final Chapters premieres on Dec. 22 on Peacock.

The sports explore tab on Twitter, once essential for fans, has appeared buggy and slow lately, rendering it all but useless. That’s a big problem for Sports Twitter.

I have regularly relied on Twitter for sports information and for tracking games in real time. I wrote an entire article for Mashable about using the explore tab and conversation around games to track the NBA as a casual fan. I wrote about the sports communities on Twitter and, frankly, there is no replacement for the platform for sports fans. Twitter is the primary place to have a second-screen experience during a live game.

That’s why it’s especially a shame that Twitter seems to be struggling with its sports explore tab under chief twit Elon Musk’s new regime. Now, that’s not to say it’s totally broken. Yet, lately when I attempt to follow a game on the app, the sports explore feature is either laggy or flat-out doesn’t work. For instance, I often use this feature to check the score of an ongoing game or catch up on any recent news. This weekend, when I tapped into the icon for an NFL game, I didn’t find a score at the top of the feed for the game — a mainstay feature — and the feed itself was full of brand tweets. Missing was the customary commentary from fans.

I wasn’t the only person to notice. Tweets from frustrated users rolled in, especially over the Christmas weekend, during which major NFL and NBA games took place.

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I know this feature becoming buggy or less useful isn’t necessarily the end of the world. However, it is really annoying for sports fans, especially those like myself who want to know both the score and the conversation about the game. Of course, we could Google the score, but that’s not a replacement for Twitter’s explore tab because you don’t get the gist of what’s happening. Now it’s not reliably giving the score and, anecdotally, not super helpful in tapping into timely conversation either.

Musk has fired at least half Twitter’s staff. It highly plausible things will fall through the cracks and problems will grow before they’re solved.

Barring some complete financial or mechanical meltdown, it’s unlikely Twitter will die outright. Instead, things might slowly get worse until folks have fewer and fewer reasons to use the platform. For sports fans, one major reason for logging on to Twitter is becoming less and less reliable.

Save up to 50%: As of Dec. 28, select LEGO sets are between 20% and 50% off for LEGO’s end-of-year sale. Here are a few of our favorites:

• Black Panther build-and-display bust — $279.99 $349.99 (save $70)

• Queer Eye The Fab 5 Loft — $59.99 $99.99 (save $40)

• Wildlife Rescue Operation — $71.99 $89.99 (save $18)

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LEGO people have a perpetual list of sets they want to add to their collection. Whether that’s someone you know or it’s you looking to treat yourself post-gifting season, LEGO’s end-of-year sale has options. As of Dec. 28, shop eight pages of sets between 20% and 50% off.

Peruse the variety on your own or check out some of our favorites by category:

Star Wars

• Trouble on Tatooine — $23.99 $29.99 (save $6)

• Clone Trooper Command Station — $11.99 $14.99 (save $3)

• Defense of Hoth — $11.99 $14.99 (save $3)

Marvel and DC

• Endgame Battle — $11.99 $14.99 (save $3)

• Batcave The Riddle Face-off — $63.99 $79.99 (save $16)

• Spider-Man at the Sanctum Workshop — $31.99 $39.99 (save $18)

• Marvel The Eternals In Arishem’s Shadow — $47.99 $59.99 (save $12)

Harry Potter

• Hogwarts Crests Gryffindor — $95.99 $119.99 (save $24)

• Harry Potter and Hermoine Granger — $95.99 $119.99 (save $24)

• BrickHeadz Voldemort, Nagini, and Bellatrix — $19.99 $24.99 (save $5)

For young kids

• Ice Cream Picture Frames & Bracelet — $23.99 $29.99 (save $6)

• Magical Funfair Roller Coaster — $79.99 $99.99 (save $20)

• Classic Bricks and Animals — $47.99 $59.99 (save $12)

• LEGO City Town Map throw blanket — $15.99 $19.99 (save $4)

• LEGO mermaid throw blanket — $15.99 $19.99 (save $4)

• LEGO Friends advent calendar — $24.49 $34.99 (save $10.50)

BrickHeadz

• Chinese New Year Pandas —  $13.99 $19.99 (save $6)

• French Bulldog — $10.49 $14.99 (save $4.50)

• St. Bernard — $10.49 $14.99 (save $4.50)

• Shorthair Cats — $10.49 $14.99 (save $4.50)

• Spice Girls Tribute — $34.99 $49.99 (save $15)

Twitter recently rolled out a feature that allows users to see a real-time measurement of engagement on their tweets. Or so that was the intension.

As with many new things on Twitter, Elon Musk has become its CEO, it was met with mixed reactions.

Now, Musk has tweeted that Twitter will “tidy up the esthetics & add a setting to turn it off, but I think everyone will grow to like it.”

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The feature was introduced on Dec. 22, with Musk saying that it would make Twitter more “alive” than it was previously. He added that while likes and retweets are more public-facing, views are passive.

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Some did like this feature, such as Twitter founder Jack Dorsey, who responded, “Great. Much better metric.”

But others weren’t so forgiving, with some Twitter users referring to it as useless and unhealthy. One user called it “too messy,” which prompted Musk’s response about adding a setting to turn it off.

As of Dec. 27, there still isn’t a way to disable the feature.

Which tweets show view counts?

Pretty much all tweets show view counts with three exceptions, according to the Twitter Help Center:

• Community tweets

• Twitter Circle tweets

• Older tweets

Twitter communities are groups of users with shared interests, similar to Facebook Groups, while Twitter Circles are set up by users as a “friends list.”

Ever wondered what it would be like if the asteroid that killed the dinosaurs struck your neighborhood?

Unfortunately, the recently released Asteroid Launcher web app can’t answer that question (since it doesn’t let you choose an asteroid big enough), but you can still get an idea of how nasty these space rocks are. Created by programmer Neal Agarwal, Asteroid Launcher is simple to use. Just click on a point of impact, then choose the type of asteroid, its size, its impact speed, and its impact angle.

Once it’s launched, you’ll get a visual readout of just how badly you’ve messed up your city. For example, an asteroid that’s only 100 feet in diameter, traveling just 1,000 miles per hour with an impact angle of five degrees would level several city blocks in Brooklyn. The crater would be 261 feet wide, while hundreds of people would die from the combination of the impact, the shock wave it would create, and the subsequent hurricane-force blast of wind.

The obvious lesson here is that you don’t want to be anywhere near even a small asteroid impact. But what about a large one? I jacked the asteroid stats all the way up (one mile in diameter, impact speed of 250,000mph, and a 90 degree impact angle), dropped it in the center of the U.S., and found that basically the entire country would be screwed if that happened.

An impact of that magnitude on Wichita, Kansas would kill tens of millions, knock down trees as far south as Mexico, and generally be a terrible time for all involved. That doesn’t even account for all the possible ecological effects of such an impact; the six-mile asteroid that killed the dinosaurs also launched so much dust into the atmosphere that it blocked sunlight from reaching the ground.

The lesson here today is that asteroids really, really suck.