Iris unlocks powerful new features in Apple’s Messages app

Apple meticulously designed its Messages app to be one of the most straightforward standard text messaging platforms on any modern handset, and the company’s built-in iMessage service only augments your messaging capabilities, as long as your recipient is an iOS or macOS user too.

But despite the bevy of creature comforts that Apple implemented into Messages to make iMessage as great as it is today, there’s no question that a number of high-demand features are still missing, and iOS developer JacobCXDev has done a wonderful job of bringing those to the Messages app without Apple’s seal of approval in the form of a newly released jailbreak tweak called Iris.

In the screenshot examples above and below, you’ll bear witness to the raw power Iris brings to the iMessage platform. From unlocking simple conversation management options, to the new gestures added for convenience, to the implementation of tags for referencing conversations, this tweak seemingly has everything any iMessage user would ever need.

Among the things Iris brings to the table for It’s users are:

  • Hiding/unhiding conversations with a swipe
  • Blocking/unlocking senders with a swipe
  • Pin/unpin conversations with a swipe
  • Reorder pinned conversations
  • Create conversation tags
  • Edit conversation tags
  • Reorder conversation tags
  • Bring 3D Touch/Haptic Touch to conversation tags
  • Secure hidden conversations with Face ID/Touch ID/passcode
  • Switch between different lists with the Iris button or Activator
  • Automatically filter and hide unknown senders
  • Automatically sync all lists to iCloud
  • Quickly switch between existing conversations
  • And much more…

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After you install Iris, you’ll find a dedicated preference pane in the Settings app where you can configure a number of settings to suit your usage style:

Here, you can:

  • Toggle Iris on or off on demand
  • Hide or show the Iris button in the Messages app
  • Toggle Iris with a shake
  • Toggle Iris with the ringer/silent switch
  • Automatically filter and hide unknown senders from the Messages app
  • Hide notification badges from hidden conversations
  • Hide the Iris button badge
  • Secure the hidden conversation list with Face ID/Touch ID/passcode
  • Show the Iris button upon authenticating
  • Automatically hide the hidden conversation list
  • Hide swipe actions

The developer includes an Apply button at the top-right of the preference pane for saving any custom settings you set.

There’s no other way we can say this – power users who do a lot of messaging are going to love Iris and what it can bring to the table in terms of conversation organization and management. In addition to this, the shortcuts make messaging easier and more clutter-free than ever before.

Those interested in trying Iris can purchase the tweak for $1.99 from the Chariz repository via their preferred package manager. If you already own the iDunnoU tweak, then Iris will be 50% off to you. As you might come to expect, Iris supports jailbroken iOS 13 devices.

Do you plan on augmenting your iPhone’s iMessage experience with Iris? Let us know why or why not in the comments section below.