In hopes of making conversations more interactive and personal, Apple added many new features to iMessage in iOS 10. One such feature, the ability to search for images, may not be suitable for all users. Although Apple constantly filters results, there is a chance that inappropriate images may come up in a search. So, how does a parent, for example, protect their children from such images? It turns out that the process of disabling this feature is not complicated at all; we will show you how below.
Note: Although this guide refers to disabling Image Search, it also applies to enabling or disabling any iMessage app.
To disable iMessage Image Search:
- In the Messages app, tap on a conversation thread.
- If the keyboard is shown, tap the “Show More” button directly to the left of the edit field.
- Tap the “Messaging Apps” button directly to the left of the edit field.
- If it is not already shown, tap the “App Browser” button in the bottom left corner of your screen.
- Tap the “Store” button.
- There will be three tabs across the top of your screen. Tap the third one, which is “Manage.”
- Tap the switch next to “#images” to toggle it off.
- Tap “Done” in the top right of your screen to return to the app browser.
That’s it! We hope this tip helps give you some peace of mind when using iMessage in iOS 10, or if nothing else, to declutter your iMessage app browser. Enjoy!