Best daily deals

Affiliate links on Android Authority may earn us a commission. Learn more.

How to play iMessage games on your iPhone

Time for a game of darts?
By
June 29, 2023

Everybody likes to chill out occasionally and play a game or two to pass the time. If you have Apple iMessage, you may not realize you can install games on your phone and challenge your iMessage contacts. Two caveats, though — the other person must have iMessage too, and they must install the same game on their phone. Once that’s done….game on.

QUICK ANSWER

To play a game on iMessage with your contact, open the iMessage conversation window. Tap the Apps icon and you'll be taken to a section of the App Store with iMessage-compatible games. Install one. Select it in the message window, make your turn, and the other person will be notified it's their turn.

How to play iMessage games on your iPhone

To start playing a game on iMessage, open the message window for the contact you want to play with. Then tap the Apps icon next to the text box.

imessage app icon

This opens up a new line of installed apps underneath. You’ll now see a blue Apps icon. Tap that.

imessage blue app icon

This will take you to a section of the App Store specializing in apps and games compatible with iMessage. Scrolling down, you’ll see games you can play under Challenge Your Friends. Tap See All to get the complete list and install the one you want to play.

imessage app store

Now go back to the message box and find the icon for the newly-installed game. In this case, I installed Cobi Darts. Tap on the icon and the game will start underneath.

imessage find new game

The game will now begin. Make your move, and when you’re done, your contact will receive an iMessage that it is their turn to move. There’s no time limit on when they must make their move, so it can all be done at everyone’s convenience.

imessage cobi darts

FAQs

No, because iMessage is an Apple-only messaging platform.

No, this doesn’t seem to be currently possible. It’s entirely possible it will be rolled out to macOS in the future, but Apple has made no announcements to this effect.