Take Control of FaceTime and Messages, 4th Edition

Pick the Right App

We have a lot of options as to which app we pick to communicate with another person. Do we want to communicate solely by text? By voice? Or voice and video? While this book focused on Apple’s software and ecosystem, sometimes an Apple app isn’t the right choice.

Here’s a quick guide to pick among Apple’s three apps, and when a commonly used third-party app might offer better options. I’ve divided these recommendations into a participant-focused, or how you need to consider the other person or people’s knowledge and needs, and conversation-focused, or which app fits the purpose of a conversation better than others.

Top Picks by Participant Knowledge

Here they are by category of person or people you’re talking with:

• A family ...