Best iMessage games, apps and stickers: Great Messages apps for iOS 10

iOS 10 is the biggest change to iOS since iOS 7, with Messages receiving a complete overhaul. What’s new? Oh, you know, just its own App Store with apps that can be used in iMessage conversations without even needing to leave the Messages app. Here, we showcase some of the best apps, games and sticker packs available for the Messages app in iOS 10.

Read next: How to use Messages in iOS 10 |  Best alternatives to Messages and other stock iPhone apps

Price: Free Download now: Preinstalled

Music, although a stock iMessage app, provides users with the ability to share their favourite songs and albums without even having to leave the Messages app, and is definitely one that we’ve been frequently using since updating our iPhones to iOS 10. It’s the same story for the recipient too, as all songs and albums sent via iMessage can be listened to directly in the Messages app, with no need to open the Music app.

However, there’s a rather obvious catch – if the recipient isn’t a paying subscriber to Apple Music, they’ll only be able to listen to a 30-second preview of the song or album.

Price: Free Download now: App Store

Citymapper has become a life saver for those of us that live in cities, as well as tourists visiting other countries. The app gets you from point A to B using the public transport systems in all supported cities, whilst also offering information like how much it would cost to get a cab, or how long it would take to cycle there. However, the real draw of Citymapper is that it offers a number of possible journeys with different rules, like bus or train only.

In iMessage, you can send your current location or a location you’ve recently searched for in the Citymapper app to a friend. When your friend taps on the map link provided, it’ll search for directions to the location from wherever the recipient is, although they’ll need Citymapper installed to use it.

Price: Free Download now:  App Store

Tenor, creators of one of the first GIF keyboards following the launch of iOS 8, has added iMessage support to its app. What does this bring? Instead of switching to a Tenor keyboard, you can simply browse from a selection of GIFs from within the Messages app – but that’s not all. You can search for specific GIFs using keywords, and can even create your own without having to leave the app.

GIFs are hugely popular in this social media age, allowing us to quote our favourite TV shows and movies without having to watch a full video. We love Tenor and what it offers, and is definitely one of the best iMessage apps.

Read next:  iOS 9 vs iOS 10

Price: 99p Download now: App Store

While the majority of sticker packs on the App Store are fairly limited in use (When are we ever going to send a sticker of a shark from Hungry Shark Planet? C’mon), Grammar Snob is one of our favourite sticker packs for iOS 10. If you love to correct grammar and typos on Twitter, Facebook and the like, you’ll love Grammar Snob, as it allows you to correct grammar within the Messages app. The app provides you with a number of hand-written stickers to attach to any incoming message – just peel it off and drop it onto the message to shame your friend.

While we’ve been having a lot of fun with this sticker pack, it’s worth noting that if you have a 4.7in iPhone and the recipient has a 5.5in iPhone, the stickers won’t be aligned in the same place on both smartphones. Despite that, it’s still one of our favourite sticker packs available and is well worth the 99p price tag.

Price: Free Download now:  App Store

Everybody has that person on their Facebook or Twitter that always posts when they’re going to the gym, or when they’ve just gone for a run. The rest of us don’t know why they do it, but they do. If you’re one of those people, you’ll be happy to know that Runtastic has introduced a Messages app for iOS 10. But what does it do?

It lets you browse and send your friends results of any exercise that you track using the app, allowing you to show off to your friends about how fit and healthy you are in an entirely new way.

Price: Free Download now:  App Store

While GIF browsers and public transport apps are pretty handy additions to Messages in iOS 10, the app really comes into its own when playing a game. Take Truth Truth Lie for example – it’s a game that many of us played growing up, but now in the form of an app, and can help to break the ice with new friends.

The idea is that you record three videos (under 10 seconds) of yourself comprised of two truths and one lie. Select the video featuring the lie and send it to your friend, where they can replay each video and try to guess which is the lie. The idea is simple but it’s great in execution, and with no need to leave the Message thread to play the game, we can’t really complain.

Price: Free Download now:  App Store

Words with Friends took off in a way that nobody expected, with what felt like the whole world going crazy for the app when it first launched. As with many apps, popularity died down after a while, but the Words with Friends app looks to be back with its new iOS 10 Messages app. The crossword game can now be played directly within the Messages app, and users can play without needing to log into Facebook.

Price: Free Download now:  App Store

Four in a row is one of the most iconic games of all time, and has been brought into the 21st century via the new Messages app for iOS 10 users. Much like with the standard game, users must be the first to connect four of their counters in a row, pitting friends against each other in a battle of the mind without even needing to leave the Messages app. It’s fairly basic, but should pass the time for those that want to play a game in the Messages app.

Price: £1.99 Download now:  App Store

While we’re not a massive fan of the Stickers that are available for Messages in iOS 10, even we can admit that the Star Wars sticker pack is pretty cool, despite costing a cool £1.99. Unlike some other sticker packs, the Star Wars set is animated and adds some extra life to your Message conversations. As well as using the stickers as Message replies, they can also be pasted directly onto photos sent via the app, turning you into an anime Sith Lord, if required.  

Read next:  iOS 10 review

Price: Free Download now: App Store

Aardman Animations, creators of Wallace & Gromit and Shaun the Sheep, have now created a free set of iMessage stickers that allow you to decorate your friends’ faces with the company’s distinctive claymation features.

This is one of the favourites of our colleagues over at Digital Arts. If you’d like to see more iMessage sticker sets by artists and animators, why not have a read of their roundup: 10 must-have iMessage sticker sets by artists Zuttoworld, Jon Burgerman, Jeremyville & more