Texting just got a whole lot better for your iPhone. In iOS 8, you can send an in-the-moment picture or video without exiting the conversation you’re in, and you can also send voice messages! Plus, they’ll self-destruct, similar to Snapchat.

Audio Recordings

Text messages can’t convey your pitch, tone, and most importantly, your sarcasm. Thankfully, we can now send audio recording to express ourselves, right in the Messages app. While in a conversation, hold down the microphone icon, record what you want, then slide up to send it. To cancel the recording just slide to the X icon.

It’s a great way to express yourself or share an interesting song with someone.

Quick Pics

Now I can send a friend a picture of something I’m looking at while we chat. Yes, you could do it before, but this is much faster. Hold down the camera icon, slide your finger over the shutter icon, then let go. It will instantaneously be sent to your buddy.

Instant Videos

To send your friend a quick video of something going on in front of you, hold down the camera icon, hold down the recording button, then slide up to send it on its way. Like the audio recording, you can cancel it by sliding over the X.

Two-Minute Self-Destruct

By default, the audio, pictures, and video will self-destruct two minutes after being sent. As mentioned by vice president of iOS product marketing Greg Joswiak,”You don’t want to have to clean these up. Audio and video messages can take up space, so they’re set to self-destruct unless you choose to keep them.“

I do appreciate Apple looking out for my memory, but as of now, we are not able to choose the self-destruct time, so maybe an update will enable this ability.

More iOS 8 Tips…

To see what else you can do in Apple’s latest mobile operating system, check out the Coolest Hidden Features of iOS 8, as well as the Best Hidden Safari Features, Top Hidden Features in Messages, and our other iOS 8 tips.

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