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iOS softwar e

Swipe away your touchscree­n troubles and rekindle your love of Apple’s mobile devices

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Making good on your mobile gear

iMessage issues

Q When I try to send someone a message or text using my iPhone, it offers to add handwritte­n content. Is this just the way that I’m holding it, or is this an unwanted feature? by AndrewPr it cha rd When you’re composing and sending A messages on your iPhone, be careful how you hold it and what you tap; its controls are fairly tightly spaced together and it’s easy to tap the wrong one.

To start writing your message, hold your iPhone in portrait mode. When some iPhones running some versions of iOS are held in landscape mode, they may assume you’re that you’re going to compose an animated handwritte­n message. iPads can be used in either orientatio­n: you have to tap the

To the right of your text is a microphone icon, which you can use for sending audio messages

handwritin­g sign on the keyboard to start a handwritte­n message.

The left-most of the controls – a camera – enables you to add photos and video to your message. The heart icon with two fingers on it is Digital Touch, which enables you send a freehand sketch and various animated images including taps and heartbeats.

The icon bearing the letter ‘A’ shows a drawer of different apps which you can use with messages, including stickers and animated GIFs. To the right of your text is a microphone icon, which you can use for sending audio messages.

If you inadverten­tly tap any of these icons, swipe their editor sheet down, tap the insertion point back into the text box, or tap Cancel to get rid of it. Finally, when you tap the Send tool to despatch your message, don’t touch and hold it, since this may bring up the iMessages’ bubble effects pane.

This may seem a minefield, but once your fingers get used to it, errors are normally few and far between.

 ??  ?? There’s little space to start typing a message on most iPhones, and nearby controls are easily tapped by mistake.
There’s little space to start typing a message on most iPhones, and nearby controls are easily tapped by mistake.

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