Apple's iMessage gets its own App Store with tons of stickers and apps
Coinciding with the official launch of iOS 10 on Tuesday, Apple launched a separate App Store for its iMessage messaging app, offering an assortment of stickers and apps.
The iMessage App Store actually launched on Monday for iOS 10 beta users, but now it's available to everyone.
If you haven't been following Apple's announcements regarding iMessage, you might be wondering why a messaging app needs its own app store. In that case, you need to forget about the iMessage of old. The version of the app on iOS 10 comes with tons of new features, including predictive emoji, handwritten messages, full-screen effects and hidden, "invisible ink" messages. In a nutshell, Apple has positioned iMessage as a full-on Snapchat/WhatsApp competitor, making it far more customizable and fun than it was before.
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So what kind of content can you expect in the iMessage App Store? It's divided into two types: the self-explanatory stickers and iMessage apps.
On the sticker front, Apple is launching several high-profile packs, like Disney, Game of Thrones, Kimoji, Marvel, Powerpuff Girls and Starbucks-themed stickers, among others.
While stickers are just a way to spice up your conversations, apps are elevating iMessage into a platform that can be used for payments, planning, health management and even dating.
The Dunkin' Donuts app, for example, lets users pay right from within the app with a virtual card, as well as send a gift card to a friend or find a Dunkin' store location. OpenTable lets you team up with friends to suggest a restaurant, vote on favorites and book a reservation right there, from iMessage. Dating app Tinder unsurprisingly brings its swipe-left-or-right decision-making, letting you post photos for people to vote on, or vote yourself. And Lark is a Siri-integrated personal health coach, helping you lose weight and stay fit.
To find new apps in iMessage, tap the App Store icon, which will show you your most recently used app. Tap the icon in the lower left corner to get the app drawer, and then tap the plus icon to go into the App Store.
The new iMessage, together with its App Store, is a huge change and one of the most important new additions in iOS 10. The are numerous new apps and stickers, many coming from top tier partners and huge franchises, but Apple is hoping that the new App Store will soon expand with indie content. As for users, iMessage is technically just another option in the extremely crowded messaging space, but the crazy amount of new features, together with tight integration into Apple's ecosystem, will likely make it a formidable competitor.
Topics Apple
Stan is a Senior Editor at Mashable, where he has worked since 2007. He's got more battery-powered gadgets and band t-shirts than you. He writes about the next groundbreaking thing. Typically, this is a phone, a coin, or a car. His ultimate goal is to know something about everything.
