A message app for Apple users, iMessage is an alternative to SMS, MMS, and RCS. If the user doesn’t have an Internet connection while sending a message, the app will send it as an SMS. The service is supposed to have end-to-end encryption so even Apple itself can’t read the texts.
The history of iMessage started on June 6, 2011, when Scott Forstall officially claimed that a new messaging service would be launched. In October the same year, a variation of the Messages app for Apple users, which supported iMessage, became part of the regular iOS 5 update. By next October, 300 billion messages were sent through this service.
In 2024, Apple announced that a new version of the app would include a so-called post-quantum cryptographic protocol to protect its users when quantum computers become a reality.
What is iMessage?
iMessage is an instant messaging service introduced by Apple for such platforms as iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and visionOS. It can be used via the Messages app client.
The structure of the iMessage logo has remained unchanged through the years: a light speech bubble over a green background. However, the company occasionally modifies minor details.
For instance, the first version was also the most cluttered one. The background had multiple diagonal lines positioned in parallel to one another. And there was also a wave-like stroke in the background. The speech bubble was light gray with a gradient.
The speech bubble lost the gradient and became plain white. It’s also grown larger making the design easier to grasp at a smaller size. There’s still some gradient within the green field.
The shade of green got somewhat softer and darker. Other than that, the design remains pretty similar to the previous version. This version was rolled out for iOS 7.1 (March 2014).
In the iMessage logo developed for iOS 11, the gradient was slightly modified again. The light top of the square has been darkened.
For iOS 18, an updated version was introduced. The green appears somewhat different, but the modification is barely noticeable even when you compare the variations side by side. A dark theme was also developed. The bubble is green, while the background is black.
Green has been a part of the iMessage logo since its initial version. The color was borrowed from the version of the SMS app used at the time iMessage was introduced.