In the rapidly evolving world of digital communication, Apple’s iOS 10 introduced many impressive features, including the Digital Touch messaging tool. This unique feature allows users to communicate through illustrations, taps, and even heartbeats, creating a more personal and engaging messaging experience. However, many users may find themselves wondering how to keep these ephemeral messages from disappearing. This comprehensive guide will walk you through the steps to automatically keep all Digital Touch messages in iOS 10, ensuring that your cherished memories remain at your fingertips.
Understanding Digital Touch Messages
Before diving into the methods of keeping Digital Touch messages, it’s essential to understand what they are and how they work. Digital Touch messages, accessible through Apple’s iMessage platform, enable users to send various visual signals and animations, such as:
- Taps: Send a gentle tap on the screen.
- Heartbeats: Send a pulse that represents a heartbeat.
- Sketches: Create drawings and doodles.
- Fires: Send a small flame animation.
One notable aspect of Digital Touch messages is that they can be set to disappear after being viewed. While this aspect may enhance privacy, many users may prefer to retain specific messages for sentimental reasons.
Why Keep Digital Touch Messages?
Before we explore how to keep your Digital Touch messages, let’s consider why you might want to do this. Here are several compelling reasons:
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Sentimental Value: Digital Touch messages often carry emotional significance. Whether it’s a loving heartbeat sent by a partner or a playful sketch from a friend, these messages can encapsulate moments that you may wish to revisit later.
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Creativity: Digital Touch allows users to express their creativity. By preserving these messages, you maintain a collection of unique art or expressive moments.
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Personal Memories: Digital Touch messages can serve as a digital scrapbook, preserving precious memories shared among friends and loved ones.
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Communication Variety: Keeping these messages adds variety to your digital conversation history, enabling richer storytelling in your messaging apps.
Now that we understand the value of retaining Digital Touch messages let’s dive into how to keep them automatically.
Steps to Automatically Keep Digital Touch Messages in iOS 10
1. Accessing iMessage Settings
To ensure that your Digital Touch messages are automatically saved, follow these steps:
- Open iMessage: Start by launching the Messages app on your iPhone or iPad running iOS 10.
- Go to Settings: Tap on the ‘Settings’ app, which you can find on your home screen.
- Select Messages: Scroll down to find ‘Messages’ and tap on it.
2. Turning Off the 'Expire' Option
The key to retaining your Digital Touch messages lies in the 'Expire' setting. By default, messages may disappear after a certain period. Here’s how to change that:
- Tap on Digital Touch: Once in the Messages settings, scroll down until you see ‘Digital Touch’.
- Select 'Expire': You will find options to choose when messages should expire (e.g., ‘After 2 Minutes’). Tap on this setting.
- Change Setting to 'Never': To automatically keep your Digital Touch messages, select the ‘Never’ option. This setting ensures your messages remain in your message history indefinitely.
3. Regularly Check for Updates
Apple frequently updates its iOS software. Ensure you are running the latest version of iOS 10 to maintain compatibility and ensure any new features that allow better management of Digital Touch messages. To check for updates:
- Go to Settings: Return to the main ‘Settings’ screen.
- Select General: Tap on ‘General’ and then ‘Software Update’.
- Install Updates: If any updates are available, tap ‘Download and Install’.
4. Use Screenshots for Archiving
While the above steps help retain Digital Touch messages, consider taking screenshots of particularly meaningful messages for safekeeping. Here's how to do this effectively:
- Open the Message: Tap on the conversation thread containing the Digital Touch message.
- Take a Screenshot: Simultaneously press the ‘Home’ button and the ‘Power’ button on your device. Your screen will flash, indicating that a screenshot has been taken.
- Access Your Photos: Open the Photos app to find your screenshots in the ‘Screenshots’ album.
5. Backing Up Your Device
For an added layer of security, consider backing up your device regularly. This backup will preserve your Digital Touch messages, even if they are accidentally deleted or if you upgrade your device in the future. Follow these steps for backing up:
- Using iCloud: Go to ‘Settings’ > tap on your name at the top > ‘iCloud’ > ‘iCloud Backup’. Tap ‘Back Up Now’ to initiate a backup.
- Using iTunes: Connect your iPhone to a computer, open iTunes, select your device, and click on ‘Back Up Now’.
Conclusion
Keeping Digital Touch messages in iOS 10 is a straightforward process that allows you to preserve the magic of personal communications. By adjusting settings within iMessage, utilizing screenshots, and backing up your device, you can maintain a treasure trove of memories, creativity, and emotional connections.
Whether it’s a heartbeat from a loved one, a funny sketch from a friend, or a flurry of taps to express excitement, these messages are worthy of preservation. As technology continues to evolve, it is important to embrace the tools available that allow us to hold onto the things that mean the most to us. Happy messaging!
FAQs
1. Can I keep Digital Touch messages on older versions of iOS?
Unfortunately, the steps outlined in this guide are specific to iOS 10 and newer versions. Older versions may not support these features.
2. What happens if I delete a conversation containing Digital Touch messages?
If you delete a conversation, all messages within that thread, including Digital Touch messages, will be lost unless you have backed up your device.
3. Can I save Digital Touch messages sent in group chats?
Yes, as long as the settings are adjusted to keep messages, Digital Touch messages in group chats can also be preserved.
4. Are there any limitations to the types of Digital Touch messages that can be saved?
All forms of Digital Touch messages, including sketches, heartbeats, and taps, can be kept if the expiration settings are adjusted accordingly.
5. Can I retrieve deleted Digital Touch messages?
Once deleted, it’s challenging to retrieve Digital Touch messages unless you have a backup in place that contains the messages before deletion.