Microsoft’s Social Event Planning iMessage App Lets You Know Who’s In
Planning an event with friends can be such a hassle. Oftentimes, it takes place across a variety of channels and entails a lot of back and forth between potential participants. As a result, it’s quite difficult to get everyone on the same page and finally agree on what to do and where and when to go. This is the problem that’s being addressed by Who’s In, a new social event planning app for iMessage from Microsoft.
Who’s In exists solely as an iMessage app, i.e., it doesn’t have a main iPhone or iPad app and therefore can be accessed only in the Messages app. By default, it should be installed automatically in Messages after you download it from the App Store or iMessage App Store. If you don’t see it, tap the App Store icon in a conversation in the Messages app, tap the “four dots” icon to open the app drawer, tap the plus button to open the iMessage App Store, tap the Manage tab, and turn on the switch for Who’s In.
To access Who’s In, open the app drawer in Messages and tap Who’s In. You can then tap the “Get started” button to begin planning an event with your friends.
Start by picking an activity: “Eat and drink,” “Watch a movie,” “Visit an attraction,” or “Create your own.” If you choose any of the first three options, you can find activities with Microsoft’s search engine, Bing: search restaurants by cuisine, location, or price; search movies with ratings and show times; or search nearby attractions, parks, museums, zoos, and more. If you choose to create a custom event, you’ll be prompted to add a photo, enter a title, specify a location, and enter a description. In any case, you’ll be asked to add one or more date and time options for the event.
Once you’re done selecting or creating an activity, tap Confirm and send the resulting card for your event to your iMessage conversation. Members of the conversation can then tap the card to to cast their votes on the event. If the event doesn’t interest them or conflicts with their schedule, they can select none of the date and time options and tap “I’m out.” If they’re interested in going, they can select one or more options that can work for them and tap “I’m in.” Who’s In will then automatically tally the votes, making it easier to track everyone’s say on the event.
Plan a fun event with friends in just a few taps
Since Who’s In is an iMessage-only app, it works best if all potential participants of a planned event are on iMessage — meaning friends who don’t use Apple’s messaging service are basically left out. But since it’s integrated into iMessage, it has the advantage of being readily available in a place where friends already spend a lot of time talking with one another. Who’s In can really help take the chore out of social event planning, especially with its intuitive interface for suggesting activities and polling participants. In short, Who’s In makes it quick and easy to know who’s in for a fun event with friends.
Who’s In is available now on the App Store or iMessage App Store for free.
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