iMessage

Apple added the ability to share your whereabouts with other iMessage users in the release of iOS 8. You can choose to share your current location once via text message or share your location in every text sent for an hour, one day or indefinitely. Here's how to share your location with another person, or how stop sharing your location in case you accidentally enabled the feature:

Share your current location one time:

1. Open your Messages app.
2. Select the the message thread you want to use (This also works for group messages).
3. Tap the round i icon in the upper right hand corner.
4. Tap Send My Current Location.

This will send your current location to the person or to all the people using iMessage in that thread. The "Details" section is also where you can leave a group message, delete another person you added from a group message or change the name of a group message. From here you can also choose to share your location multiple times throughout the day.

At today's Worldwide Developers Conference keynote presentation in San Francisco, Apple Senior VP of Software and Engineering, Craig Federighi, unveiled new features of the Messages app that most people are going to like. The improvements, which include changes to group messaging and a "tap to talk" feature, will debut with iOS 8 in the fall.

There are several big improvements to group messaging in iOS 8. You will be able to add and remove people from ongoing threads, rather than starting a new thread without someone, as you currently have to do. If you want to remain on a thread, but don't wish to be disturbed (and who hasn't been in this situation), there is now a

Since its debut in 2011 with iOS 5, Apple's iMessage has been a convenient way to message other iOS device users (and only other iOS device users). It allows for unlimited free messaging via Wi-Fi and has additional features such as read receipts. This is all well and good unless you decide to switch to a non-iOS phone, at which point messages start getting lost in the system.

The iMessage system works by intercepting text messages, identifying the recipient (via phone number) and determining whether or not their device operates on iOS. If so, the text is re-routed through Apple's servers and sent as an MMS rather than as a standard SMS through the wireless carrier. The problem arises when someone

iOS 7 changed the way names appear in Messages and the Mail app. First it only displays the first name of a contact in a conversation thread. This can be annoying for users who have more than one person with the same first name listed in their Contacts. You can restore the use of full names by navigating to Settings > Mail, Contacts, Calendars > Short Name. From here you can disable Short Names by toggling the slider, or you can choose one of the other three options: First Name & Last Initial, First Initial & Last Name, Last Name Only.

iOS 7 also sometimes displays the nickname listed on a user's contact card. Most people gave themselves nicknames when Siri and the iPhone 4s were originally launched. If you told Siri to call you something ridiculous you may want to change your nickname by opening the Contacts app and locating your info. You can then tap Edit and change or remove your nickname.

Apple has acknowledged a bug in iOS 7 that is causing some people to have problems with their iMessage app. Users have been reporting that they are unable to send messages, or are being forced to send messages twice. Others are receiving an alert after a message has been sent using the app.

“We are aware of an issue that affects a fraction of a percent of our iMessage users, and we will have a fix available in an upcoming software update,” Apple said in a statement. “In the meantime, we encourage any users having problems to reference our troubleshooting documents or contact AppleCare to help resolve their issue. We apologize for any inconvenience this causes impacted users.”