One of the best-kept secrets about using iMessage is the ability to play special mobile games right inside a conversation thread. First introduced back in 2016, playing games on iMessage has become one of the most defining features of the iPhone in the years since.
One of the most popular games since the launch of this feature? Gomoku, also known as Five in a Row. But do you know how to play Gomoku on iMessage? If not, don’t worry: just follow along with the helpful steps below, complete with photos to illustrate each step.
What Else Can You Play on iMessage?
Of course, Gomoku is not the only type of game available for you to play on iMessage. As a matter of fact, GamePigeon isn’t even the only game library available on the App Store for iMessage. There are a number of other games and apps popular on the App Store for iMessage, including:
- 8 Ball Pool,
- Play Chess for iMessage,
- Pictoword,
- Mr. Putt,
- Words for iMessage.
Though each of these games offers round after round of fun and enjoyment for you and your opponents, it’s worth noting that GamePigeon combines versions of these games in addition to more than a dozen others in its library.
There’s a reason GamePigeon remains the most-downloaded free app on the App Store for iMessage, and it’s because of the sheer size and variety of its games library. It includes 8 Ball, 20 Questions, Basketball, Chess, Cup Pong, Darts, Miniature Golf, Word Hunt, and — as you know — Gomoku.
How to Play Gomoku on iMessage
Learning how to play Gomoku on iMessage is so much easier than it sounds. Plus, with so many GamePigeon games to choose from in addition to Gomoku, you’ll have endless amounts of entertainment readily available at your fingertips. Now, follow along with the steps and photos below to learn how to play Gomoku.
Step 1: Download the Game

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Firstly, you’re going to want to download GamePigeon from the App Store for iMessage. If you’ve already done so, then great! Move on to the next step.
If you aren’t sure how to find and download the game, fear not: it’s simple. Open up a conversation thread on your iMessage app. Tap the gray App Store icon between the text box and the camera icon. Then, search “GamePigeon” and tap download.
Step 2: Choose Who You Want to Play With

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Once GamePigeon has been downloaded, it’s time for you to choose your opponent. Open up a thread with the person you want to compete against. (Remember: it needs to be another iPhone user. Android or other smartphone operating systems will not be able to support GamePigeon invites.)
Next, tap the App Store icon again. Then, scroll through the available apps in the carousel between the keyboard and the text box until you see GamePigeon. Then, simply tap the icon. This will open up the GamePigeon game library.
Step 3: Start the Game

©History-Computer.com
Now that you have the GamePigeon library open in the appropriate conversation thread, scroll through the selections until you see Gomoku. (It should be located near the bottom.) Then, tap on the Gomoku icon.

©History-Computer.com
After tapping the Gomoku icon, it’ll appear in the conversation thread as a text message subject. You can choose to send an additional message with your invite, or just hit send. Then, your opponent will tap the invite and play their move.
After that, it’ll get sent back to you so you can make your next move. It’ll go back and forth like this until the game is over. Then, play again or choose a new game to play!
For a great walkthrough of the steps covered in this article, check out the following video:
The image featured at the top of this post is ©Dedi Grigoroiu/Shutterstock.com.