Want to message your PlayStation friends? Sony has an app for you

By David Curry Published December 8, 2015

Sony has released a dedicated messaging app for PlayStation, letting PS users message friends without having to use the crowded PlayStation app for mobile.

The new PlayStation Messages app is available for free on iOS and Android. Once you sign in, all of the conversations with PlayStation Network friends flood into the app, letting you continue conversations started on the console.

PlayStation Messages is split into three sections: Messages, Favorites, and Friends. Messages lets you see all of your recent conversations, Favorites is where you can create group chats, and Friends lets you see who is online at the moment.

From the Friends section, users will be able to check a friend’s profile, see any changes to their gamertag, and see other information about the account. From the PlayStation Messages app, you’re also able to delete friends. There is a search tool to find friends, messages, and groups.

Messages can be one-to-one or group chats, and users are able to send text, photos, video, and emojis. Sony has added a few PlayStation exclusive emoji packs to Messages, for fans of Knack, The Last of Us, and Uncharted.

PlayStation Messages should be perfect for those who don’t enjoy playing alone, since it will assist them in getting everyone online at a set time. It is also a great way for PlayStation friends to become real-life friends, by offering a messaging portal outside of the gaming world for communicating. Other game developers are adding similar tools, including Riot Games, which plans to launch an iOS and Android app for League of Legends players.

Sony can afford to start branching out from the PlayStation ecosystem, after passing 30 million PS4 sales. It is far ahead of its main rival, Microsoft’s Xbox One, which recently passed 15 million. As for Nintendo, its Wii U remains the worst of the three current generation consoles in sales, but that might change with the launch of Minecraft on December 17.

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

David has been writing about technology for several years, following the latest trends and covering the largest events. He is…

Mobile

Here’s how iOS 18 is going to overhaul your iPhone’s email app

An iPhone showing the home screen in someone's hand.

We're just days away from Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC 2024), which means we're about to get our first look at iOS 18. The new iPhone operating system is expected to get RCS texting in the iMessage app, more customization options for the home screen, and maybe a significant design change overall. Now comes word that changes will be made to the native Mail app.

According to AppleInsider, the Mail app is about to undergo a significant transformation. It's getting a powerful new search tool, Smart Replies, automatic sorting for different email types, and more. But the real excitement lies in the app's expected integration of AI functionality, a feature becoming a hallmark of iOS 18.

Mobile

Google’s Gemini AI app gets a wider release. Is your phone on the list?

Google Gemini app on Android.

More people can now use and enjoy the Google Gemini AI app on their smartphone, as the company has expanded the list of regions where the Android version of the app is available through the Google Play Store. Specifically, it has launched the Android app in the U.K. and Europe, opening the service up far beyond its start in the U.S., where it was released in February.

What’s more, Google says Gemini will soon be available to iPhone owners, as the AI chatbot will appear on iOS in the next few weeks. It won’t be a standalone app though, as Gemini will instead work through the official Google app that can be downloaded now through the Apple App Store.

Mobile

Google is making it easier to ditch your iPhone for an Android phone

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra and iPhone 15 Pro in hand.

Switching phones is never a smooth process, even if you’re switching between two different Android phones. However, when you’re trying to switch from an iPhone to Android or vice versa, it can be extra complicated -- and you can lose data and apps that you rely on. This is especially the case with Apple-to-Android transfers because the iPhone has a much stronger ecosystem lock-in with things like iMessage, iCloud backups, and exclusive apps like Overcast and Hyperlapse.

The good news is that with its Data Transfer Tool (also called Pixel Migrate on Pixel devices), Google may be trying to mitigate some of the phone-switching problems that arise -- specifically, losing access to your Live Photos. According to an APK teardown from Android Authority, Google’s Data Transfer Tool will finally resolve the problem of migrating iOS Live Photos to Android. It will do this by converting them over as Motion Photos.