The new iOS 10 [1] operating system is packed full of fun features, including plenty for iMessage. The updates [2], announced at this year's Worldwide Developers Conference [3] (WWDC), will make messaging feel a little bit like Facebook Messenger [4] and Google's own anticipated Allo app [5].

• Links become more useful: Now when you drop in a link in iMessage, a full preview will show up with rich links. If it's a video, it'll even start to play. You can even share Apple Music links in the app, and you can listen without leaving iMessage.
• Emoji get bigger and better: Emoji will now appear three times bigger than usual. With Tap to Replace, you'll get a list of predictive emoji that could replace some of your text.
• Animations and bubble effects are now here: Want to make messaging fun again? With bubble effects, you can make certain texts appear bigger or smaller, at a slant, and more. If you're celebrating something like New Year's or a birthday, an animation will take over the entire screen.
• Send secret messages: With Invisible Ink, send a message or photo to your friend. To them, it'll appear fuzzy until they swipe on it to see what you wrote or drew.
• Draw anything: Similar to Snapchat or Facebook Photos [6], you can draw on a photo or video, add stickers, or include your heartbeat.
• Go ahead, put a sticker on it: With Stickers, you can send one as a text, put it on a photo, and even place it on top of a text bubble.
• Let someone know what you're thinking quickly: With Tapback, you can send your friend six preset answers to a question of theirs like a thumbs up, a heart, and a question mark.
• Apps for iMessage are now a possibility: You can now add certain apps to use just within iMessage, like JibJab.

Look at photos of the new iMessage ahead and get ready to maybe spend a little more time texting.

Rich links, fun photos, and bubble effects are now on iMessage.

Predictive emoji are now part of the keyboard.

This is what predictive emoji, or "Tap to Replace," looks like in action.

With Invisible Ink, you can send text or photos that someone has to swipe to see.

Make a message cuter with a handwritten note.

Celebrate a special day with message effects like balloons on the screen for a birthday.