iOS 18 is bringing main adjustments to the Messages app, with Apple including Tapback response adjustments new formatting, up to date results, satellite tv for pc assist, higher texting with inexperienced bubble folks, and finally, a number of enjoyable Apple Intelligence options.
This information highlights every thing that is new within the iOS 18 Messages app, and what’s coming later.
Ship Later
iOS 18 provides the choice to schedule an iMessage to be despatched to somebody at a later time or date. If you recognize somebody’s birthday is arising, for instance, you may schedule a cheerful birthday textual content to them forward of the date so it is able to go.
Scheduling a message will be solely be carried out in conversations with different iMessage customers, and it isn’t an possibility when texting with an Android person. It really works in each particular person and group chats, so long as all members have an Apple system and entry to iMessage.
To schedule a message, comply with these steps:
- Open up a dialog within the Messages app.
- Faucet on the “+” button on the left aspect of the textual content field.
- Faucet on Extra.
- Select Ship Later.
- Kind in your Message.
- To alter the ship time, faucet on the blue bubble that defaults to Tomorrow 9:00 am. From there, you’ll have a slider that allows you to enter a date and a time.
- Along with your time chosen and your message typed in, faucet on the blue arrow to schedule it.
Messages will be scheduled as much as 14 days upfront, so if it is August 1, for instance, you may schedule as much as August 15. Messages are despatched even when your iPhone is offline with no Wi-Fi or mobile connection.
Scheduled messages are displayed on the backside of a dialog. If you wish to change the time of a message or cancel it, faucet on the “Edit” button. You should have choices to edit the time, delete the message, or ship it instantly.
Tapback Reactions
Tapbacks are these little characters you should use to reply to a message by lengthy urgent on it, so that you need not kind out an entire response to one thing that may be answered with a thumbs up or a coronary heart. iOS 18 has two key updates for Tapbacks.
Up to date Design
The six commonplace Tapback icons now characteristic colour and extra element. You possibly can see the brand new look when lengthy urgent on a textual content to reply, and within the Tapbacks that you just obtain.
Once you faucet on a Tapback you have obtained on a message, now you can see who despatched what, which is beneficial if you’re in a bunch chat and get a number of Tapback responses.
Emoji Assist
Together with the six basic Tapback responses, now you can select any emoji character when utilizing Tapback. After lengthy urgent to reply to a message, swipe to the left to see frequent emoji responses or faucet on the generic emoji icon thought bubble to convey up the emoji picker.
You possibly can select any emoji, however it’s also possible to choose out of your stickers or your Memoji. Faucet on the Memoji icon on the backside left to get to Memoji, or the sticker icon to see your sticker choices. So as to add one as a Tapback, simply faucet in your choice.
Stickers will be arduous to see on the small dimension of a Tapback, however most emoji characters and Memoji work properly.
RCS
RCS, or Wealthy Communication Providers, is a brand new textual content message protocol changing SMS and MMS. You will see it when texting individuals who do not have iMessage, resembling Android customers. RCS has nothing to do with iMessage conversations, aka the conversations you will have with different Apple system house owners (blue bubbles), but it surely does enhance texts with inexperienced bubble Android customers.
RCS is a extra trendy expertise than SMS, and it permits for extra characteristic parity in iPhone to Android textual content message conversations. Lots of the frustrations you may need encountered when texting somebody with an Android system are resolved with RCS, resembling errors sending pictures and movies.
Here is what you may get with RCS:
- Assist for increased decision pictures and movies.
- Assist for bigger file sizes and file sharing.
- Audio messages.
- Actual-time typing indicators.
- Learn receipts.
- Capability to ship messages over mobile or Wi-Fi (SMS is mobile solely). There isn’t any value to ship an RCS message over Wi-Fi.
- Improved group chats.
Once more, RCS solely comes into play whenever you’re texting somebody who has an Android system. iMessage remains to be the default for conversations between Apple system house owners, and blue bubbles and inexperienced bubbles aren’t altering.
We have a full information on RCS if you wish to know extra about what to anticipate.
Messages through Satellite tv for pc
Messages through satellite tv for pc is a brand new characteristic that allows you to ship texts even when you do not have a Wi-Fi or mobile connection, leveraging the satellites that Apple makes use of for the Emergency SOS through satellite tv for pc characteristic.
Messages through satellite tv for pc is offered on the iPhone 14 or later, and you may ship and obtain each iMessage and SMS messages, so you are not restricted to texting with simply iPhone customers.
Proper now, Messages through satellite tv for pc is free, similar to Emergency SOS through satellite tv for pc. Apple affords two free years of satellite tv for pc entry with an iPhone 14 or later, however the firm has expanded free entry for the iPhone 14 till November 2025. Apple has not offered any perception into how a lot it should finally cost for satellite tv for pc entry.
Good Replies (Apple Intelligence – iOS 18.1)
Utilizing Apple Intelligence, your iPhone can analyze the content material in a message that you have obtained, suggesting Good Reply choices you can faucet for a fast response.
If somebody asks a query like “Do you wish to go to the films?” Messages suggests responses like “Positive!” or “Sorry, busy tomorrow.” Good Replies aren’t an possibility for each message that you just obtain, however Apple typically has a suggestion.
Good Replies present up on the high of the keyboard, the place options have been in prior variations of iOS. Good Replies are just like options, however are extra clever and are sometimes full phrases and responses reasonably than phrase options that pop up as you kind.
To make use of a Good Reply, simply faucet it and it will populate the textual content field so you may ship it. If you happen to do not take care of the suggestion, simply ignore it, and sort in your individual response. You will nonetheless see options when you disregard a Good Reply.
Good Replies are an Apple Intelligence Messages characteristic in iOS 18.1, which Apple is at the moment beta testing.
Writing Instruments aren’t particular to the Messages app, however are a systemwide possibility anyplace you may enter textual content. In Messages, you may write out a textual content after which choose it with a faucet and drag gesture to convey up the Writing Instruments interface.
Here is what Writing Instruments can do for a textual content message:
- Proofread what you have written for spelling and grammar errors, together with phrase alternative and sentence construction.
- Rewrite with a distinct tone, with choices that embrace Pleasant, Skilled, and Concise.
- Summarize what you have written. You will get a fast abstract, pull out key factors, create a listing of subjects, or make a desk.
You possibly can faucet on the varied choices to make use of the Writing Instruments, and you may preview adjustments and resolve to not use them or swap them in for what you have written.
The Writing Instruments characteristic is about to be obtainable in iOS 18.1.
Notification Summaries (Apple Intelligence – iOS 18.1)
When you have a number of notifications from the Messages app, Apple Intelligence will summarize them for you so you may catch up at a look and see what’s most necessary with out having to learn by means of every thing.
This works for each particular person conversations and group conversations, and you may see the summaries on the Lock Display. You will get notification summaries in iOS 18.1.
Emoji Design Updates
Once you ship a single emoji to somebody in iOS 18, the emoji now seems a lot bigger than earlier than so the element is less complicated to see. Emojis in different portions are nonetheless displayed on the identical dimension.
Apple has additionally up to date the emoji picker. Emoji are displayed bigger and with extra space between them, plus the Sticker and Memoji interfaces have been built-in into the emoji window.
Tapping on the 2 icons on the underside left of the emoji picker will take you to Memoji and Stickers, respectively. You possibly can create Memoji and make new stickers immediately from the 2 sections which are within the emoji picker. For stickers, choose the sticker part and faucet on the clean sticker icon. For Memoji, faucet into the Memoji part, faucet the three dots, after which select New, Edit, or Duplicate.
Stickers and Memoji as Emoji
Stickers and Memoji have new devoted sections within the emoji picker as a result of now you can use a sticker or a Memoji similar to an emoji. If you happen to add a sticker when typing a textual content, for instance, it’s added to the tip of your textual content reasonably than despatched as a separate picture.
You possibly can nonetheless ship a full-size sticker so long as you ship it separate from textual content.
Stickers and Memoji despatched as emoji solely show as emoji on gadgets working iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS Sequoia, visionOS 2, and watchOS 11. On earlier variations of iOS, stickers are despatched as separate photos as earlier than.
Textual content Formatting
You possibly can improve your textual content messages with new formatting choices. After typing one thing, faucet on the “A” icon above the keyboard. What you have typed is chosen, and you may add daring, italic, underline, or strikethrough formatting.
So as to add formatting to only one phrase, double faucet on the phrase to pick out it after which faucet on the “A” icon. You may as well use the Textual content Results possibility from the popup menu. Formatting can be utilized with emoji, however the daring and italic choices do not do something.
Textual content Results
Together with the daring, italic, underline, and strikethrough formatting, there are new animated textual content results that may be utilized to your complete message, a single phrase, a phrase, and even an emoji or sticker.
Simply choose the textual content that you just wish to add an impact to with a double faucet after which faucet on the “A” icon to get to the textual content results interface.
Choices embrace Large, Small, Shake, Nod, Explode, Ripple, Bloom, and Jitter.
In a dialog with somebody working iOS 18 or considered one of its sister updates, the textual content or emoji that has an impact utilized to it should regularly animate when seen. These results don’t work on earlier variations of Apple’s working programs and easily do not present up.
Math Notes
The systemwide Math Notes characteristic that lets your iPhone clear up equations for you works in Messages. To see it in motion, kind in an equation and you will get a right away reply whenever you add in an equals signal.
Math Notes additionally works for conversions within the Messages app, together with foreign money conversions, temperature conversions, measurement conversions, and extra. You should utilize it by typing in your conversion, resembling “20 euros to {dollars}” after which including in an equals signal to get the end result.
Hyperlink Card Replace
Apple tweaked the design of hyperlink playing cards within the Messages app, and the playing cards now have colourful backgrounds that match the colour of the primary picture within the hyperlink, if obtainable.
You possibly can see hyperlink card previews earlier than a hyperlink is shipped, and when you lengthy press, you may get customization choices. Hyperlink playing cards will be transformed to an easier card type or reworked right into a textual content hyperlink that solely reveals the hyperlink with no preview in any respect.
Picture Playground (Apple Intelligence – Coming Later This Yr)
Picture Playground is an upcoming Apple Intelligence characteristic that’s designed to allow you to create photos utilizing text-based prompts, very like you are able to do with different AI picture era platforms.
Apple is integrating Picture Playground into the Messages app, so you may create and ship photos with out having to swap over to a different app. Apple Intelligence can glean the gist of your dialog from the Messages app and give you options for photos that you just may wish to ship.
Picture Playground may even incorporate photos of your family and friends, so when you’re chatting with a buddy, you may create a foolish picture that makes use of the buddy’s contact photograph. Apple provides a method to every picture, so there is no such thing as a choice to generate one thing that might be mistaken for an actual photograph.
You possibly can select from Animation, Illustration, and Sketch types, and all picture era is finished on-device.
Genmoji (Apple Intelligence – Coming Later This Yr)
Primarily based on Picture Playground, Genmoji allows you to create customized emoji with a textual content immediate. Have you ever at all times needed an emoji of a mint chocolate chip ice cream cone? It may be made with Genmoji.
Want a cat created from pizza, or a flower that is not a rose or a sunflower? Genmoji will make it potential. With the Genmoji interface, you may describe a Genmoji and Apple Intelligence will generate a number of choices so that you can select from.
You possibly can even create an emoji based mostly on the contact picture of a buddy or member of the family, just like Picture Playground.
Genmoji behave similar to emoji and can be utilized rather than emoji.
Apple Intelligence Notes
To make use of the upcoming Apple Intelligence options Apple will add to iOS 18 in iOS 18.1 and past, you want an iPhone 15 Professional, iPhone 15 Professional Max, or any iPhone 16 mannequin. M-series iPads and Macs additionally assist Apple Intelligence.
Learn Extra
Extra data on new options that Apple has added in iOS 18 will be present in our iOS 18 roundup.