If you've been keeping up with the new iOS 10 platform that's been rolling out to iPhones this past week, you might have gotten to play with a brand new feature called Digital Touch. I've been playing with it ever since the beta release, and can't help but ask —is the Digital Touch heart my actual heartbeat? It sure looks like your heartbeat, after all.
You can long-press on a digital touch item to get a Copy option. From there you can paste it anywhere that accepts photos as paste data (such as the input field in WhatsApp or Messenger, or an image editing app that supports it). Note this will copy it as an image, and not as a GIF/video that contains the motion present in the original. First, Open iMessage As you can see, we have a whole menagerie of options here that we didn't have before. Press The 'Digital Touch' Button You will need to click on the icon with a heart and two.
For those of us that never owned an Apple Watch, this feature has been keeping people on their toes since its release. Many users have wondered if the feature actually takes a measurement of your heartbeat, or if it is just a generic in-app sample randomly assigned by an algorithm. Turns out, it is your heartbeat when you're using the Apple Watch. Here's the sitch for iPhone: if you're wearing an Apple Watch or other heartbeat-measuring device synced to it, then it will pull from the measurements of that heartbeat in Digital Touch. Otherwise, it will pull from a standard default.
So basically as long as you have a sensor, your friends can know just how sweaty and gross you feel after a run, or how excited you got when your Beyoncé tickets came in the mail. Your heartbeat will show the way! You can also be very cute when talking to a loved one or a significant other by sending them a little snippet of your heart. Some have even done this with newborn babies. This feature is all about how you use it. It can be your go-to, or it can just be another cool thing that your phone does.
To use this feature on your iPhone all you have to do is open up your messages and pick a person you want to talk to in the most personal way possible. For the purposes of this demo — I picked myself.
First, Open iMessage
As you can see, we have a whole menagerie of options here that we didn't have before.
Press The 'Digital Touch' Button
You will need to click on the icon with a heart and two fingers to access the Digital Touch feature. Because Apple employees geniuses that understand user-friendly technology, they included a little guide on the side of the screen that lets you know exactly how to use this feature in real time.
Press Down Two Fingers And Hold
You will need to press your two fingers on the black pad, and hold them there for a second. The gesture will capture your personal heartbeat and send it on its way! The finished product will look like the above photo. Your friends and family will be able to inspect your heartbeat and send you one back. You can also use the feature to send pulses and drawings that replay for the reader. This is going to change the texting game like nothing else!
Images: Dasha Fayvinova; Unsplash
Send a sketch, tap, or heartbeat
- In Messages, tap to start a new message. Or go to an existing conversation.
- Tap .
- Choose the type of Digital Touch that you want to send.
- If you want to start over, tap . When you're ready to send, tap . The heartbeat, fireball, kiss, and broken heart will automatically send.
Sketch
Tap to change colors. Then move one finger to draw.
Tap
Tap to change colors. Tap the screen with one finger once or repeatedly.
Heartbeat
Touch and hold the screen with two fingers until you see a heartbeat.
Fireball
Kiss
Imessage Digital Touch Disappear
Broken heart
Touch and hold the screen with two fingers and drag down.
If you send a Digital Touch to someone who doesn't have iOS 10 or later, they'll get a static image instead of an animated one. Also, when you send a heartbeat, it might include one that was recorded by your Apple Watch or other heartbeat sensor.
Add a sketch to a photo or video
To create a photo or video and add a sketch to it:
- In Messages, tap to start a new message. Or go to an existing conversation.
- Tap , then tap . The sketch pad turns into a video preview.
- Tap to create a 10 second video. Or tap to take a photo.
- If you want to start over, tap . When you're ready tap Send .
Imessage From Computer To Phone
The Messages app deletes video messages after 2 minutes. Tap Keep to save the video.
Learn more
Imessage Digital Touch
You can also use Digital Touch on your Apple Watch.