( CNN ) -- It did n't get a ton of attention Monday , but Apple 's next mobile operating system means significant changes for how iPhone users send and receive messages . If you 're an Apple user , this is a big deal . Messages is the most frequently used app in iOS , and is how most users share texts , photos and videos with each other . With iOS 8 , coming this fall , Apple is borrowing features from popular messaging platforms like Snapchat and WhatsApp while unveiling some new tricks of its own . Here 's a quick look at the new messaging features announced at Apple 's Worldwide Developers Conference . We 'll find out in a few months whether they catch on with users . Audio and video messages . The text window in the next version of iMessage will contain a little microphone button . Users hold a finger down on the button , record a short audio or video message , and send it with the swipe of a finger -- all without leaving the app . In this way , Apple is taking a page from WhatsApp , which also allows audio and video messages . Facebook bought that startup , which has a huge user base overseas , in February for $ 19 billion . Audio files will appear in your Messages stream as jagged lines . Simply tap on them to listen to the message . Apple did not say Monday whether there will be a limit on the length of the messages . Self-destructing messages . Photo and video messages that disappear after a few seconds have been popularized by Snapchat , the mobile messaging app that reportedly spurned multibillion takeover offers from Facebook and Google last year . This ephemeral format has been especially popular with teens and young adults who like to exchange silly or racy messages without fear they 'll be haunted by them later . Now Apple is getting into the game . Audio and video messages within iOS 8 will automatically vanish within a few minutes ( Apple did n't say how many ) unless you adjust your settings . `` You do n't want to have to clean these up . Audio and video messages can take up space , '' said Greg Joswiak , head of iOS product marketing . `` So they 're set to self-destruct unless you choose to keep them . '' Do not disturb . Sure , group messaging threads among friends can be fun . But sometimes all the back-and-forth chatter gets out of hand . This feature lets you mute a thread for a while while reserving the option to rejoin the conversation later . `` If you 've ever been on one of those noisy threads that just keeps buzzing in your pocket ... you can choose when to leave , '' said Apple Senior Vice President Craig Federighi , to applause from the audience . CNNMoney : Nice job , Apple . But I 'm not coming back . Lock-screen functions . If you 're in a hurry , responding to a message on an iPhone can be a little cumbersome : You have to punch in your passcode and then hit the Messages icon just to get started . With iOS 8 , users can listen and respond to audio messages without leaving the lock screen -- just by holding the phone to their ear . The phone detects when it 's next to your face , plays the message and lets you record a brief response . Lower the phone , and the message is sent automatically . `` It 's super easy , '' said Joswiak . `` You can send a message ... just by raising it ( the phone ) to your ear . '' This feature seems convenient but potentially glitchy if users send accidental messages just by speaking near their phone . There was no word from Apple on how to avoid this potential problem . Other stuff . If your contacts choose to share them , their locations will pop up in group-messaging threads . For the first time , users will be able to add or delete someone in the middle of a group-messaging thread . And message attachments -- images and videos , mostly -- will be collected in one place so you do n't have to scroll back through longstanding threads to find them .
WhatsApp 's iOS one will bring big changes for how iPhone users send and receive messages . Apple is borrowing features from popular messaging platforms like WhatsApp and Apple . Audio and video messages within iOS 8 will automatically vanish within a few seconds . Group messaging threads will feature a `` Do Not Disturb '' function .