The Messages app has lengthy been a mainstay on the iPhone and iPad because the default method Apple would really like you to ship messages. However it may well deal with much more than simply plain, outdated textual content messages.

You’ll be able to spruce up your messages with pictures, movies, emoji, stickers, music, animated GIFs, and different cool content material. You’ll be able to change between typing and dictating your message. To arrange your texts, you’re in a position to filter out unknown senders and pin frequent conversations on the high. And with the most recent model of iOS/iPadOS, you’ll be able to edit and even unsend a textual content.

To get pleasure from the latest enhancements, be sure to’re working the present working system on your machine. Go to Settings > Common > Software program Replace to see in case your software program is updated. If not, you’ll be prompted to obtain and set up the most recent replace.

Now, let’s take a look at 16 of these high tips that will help you use Apple’s Messages app.

1. Edit a Despatched Message

With iOS 16 or greater, you’ll be able to revise a textual content that you simply’ve already despatched in case it is advisable repair a typo or different mistake.

In case your recipient is working iOS 16, iPadOS 16, or macOS Ventura or greater, the corrected message will exchange the unique one. In the event that they’re nonetheless utilizing an older model of the OS on their cellular machine or Mac, that individual will obtain a brand new message with the corrected textual content. The unique message stays, and a discover tells them that the message was edited. Both method, you could have solely quarter-hour to edit a despatched message, so don’t delay when you spot an error.

To do that out, ship somebody a textual content with an intentional mistake.

(Credit score: Apple/Lance Whitney)

Press down on the despatched textual content and choose Edit from the menu. Repair the error after which faucet the checkmark to ship the brand new and corrected model. The brand new message replaces the unique one on the recipient’s finish.

(Credit score: Apple/Lance Whitney)

2. Unsend a Despatched Message

You’ve despatched a message to the incorrect individual or wish to recollect it for another motive. With iOS 16 or greater, you’ll be able to unsend it. In case your recipient is working iOS 16, iPadOS 16, or macOS Ventura or greater, the unique message will merely vanish. In the event that they’re nonetheless utilizing an older model of the OS, the unique message stays with a discover that it was unsent. The complete impact works solely with iMessage texts and never with SMS or MMS messages. And you’ve got simply 2 minutes to unsend it, so that you’ll must be fast right here.

To do that, ship a textual content to somebody. Press down on that textual content and choose Undo Ship from the menu. The textual content then disappears on the recipient’s finish with a discover that you simply unsent a message.

(Credit score: Apple/Lance Whitney)

3. Add a Photograph or Video

You’ll be able to simply connect a photograph or video to a textual content. Faucet the iMessage area and add some textual content. To snap and add a brand new photograph, faucet the left arrow button after which faucet the Digital camera icon. Snap your image. You’ll be able to then jazz up the photograph with particular results and filters. When completed, faucet Carried out after which ship the textual content.

(Credit score: Apple/Lance Whitney)

So as to add a brand new video, comply with the identical preliminary steps however set the digital camera to video mode. Faucet the pink button to start out the recording and once more whenever you’re completed. You’ll be able to then apply sure results. Faucet Carried out and ship the textual content.

(Credit score: Apple/Lance Whitney)

So as to add an current photograph out of your Pictures library, faucet the App Retailer icon after which faucet the Pictures icon. Your photograph gallery seems on the backside. Swipe by your library and choose the photograph you wish to connect. Add textual content if you want after which ship the message.

(Credit score: Apple/Lance Whitney)

So as to add an current video, comply with the identical preliminary steps. Choose the video. You’ll be able to play it earlier than you ship it. If all appears good, hearth off the textual content.

(Credit score: Apple/Lance Whitney)

4. Seek for the Proper Emoji or Sticker

Searching for the proper emoji or sticker to incorporate in a textual content? Simply seek for it. Open a message and faucet the emoji icon within the lower-left nook of the keyboard. Kind a phrase or phrase to seek out an emoji you wish to use, then faucet the one you want to add it into your message. For extra choices, faucet the App Retailer icon and choose Stickers. Select the sticker you wish to ship.

(Credit score: Apple/Lance Whitney)

5. Document and Add a Memoji

Right here’s a cool approach to ship an audio message to somebody. From the App Retailer row, faucet the icon for Memoji. Choose your favourite memoji after which faucet the pink recording button. Document your message, ensuring you progress your eyes and mouth to seize your facial mannerisms. When achieved, faucet the recording button once more after which ship your textual content.

(Credit score: Apple/Lance Whitney)

6. Add an Animated GIF

One enjoyable approach to spruce up a textual content is thru an animated GIF. From the App Retailer row, faucet the icon for Photos. Swipe by the outcomes or seek for particular ones by title or topic. Choose the animated picture you want after which ship the textual content.

(Credit score: Apple/Lance Whitney)

7. Dictate Your Message

As a substitute of struggling to faucet out your textual content together with your fingers, why not dictate it? Faucet the microphone icon, both the one subsequent to the iMessage area or the one on the decrease proper of the display. Then simply dictate your phrases. When achieved, assessment the message for errors. You’ll be able to simply repair a mistake by tapping within the space and correcting the glitch. Then ship the textual content.

(Credit score: Apple/Lance Whitney)

8. Reply Inline

Typically a bunch dialog can get muddled with new conversations interspersed between replies, however you’ll be able to reply to a particular remark within the thread to maintain all the things organized. To do that, press down on the remark to which you wish to reply and faucet Reply. Kind your response within the Reply area and ship the textual content. The one who posted the unique remark will then see your direct reply.

(Credit score: Apple/Lance Whitney)

9. Point out Somebody by Title

Now you can embrace somebody’s title in a textual content message as a point out. Doing so could make it simpler for that individual to see or reply to any texts that reference their title. To do that, kind the individual’s first title, then faucet the title and choose the individual from the pop-up icon. You too can kind @ adopted by the individual’s title, and it’ll routinely flip right into a point out. 

(Credit score: Apple/Lance Whitney)

10. Add a Group Title and Photograph

You’ll be able to arrange each a reputation and a picture for every of your group conversations. Open a bunch dialog, faucet the icons on the high, after which choose Change Title and Photograph. Kind a bunch title. Then faucet the digital camera icon to take a photograph, the Pictures icon so as to add an current photograph out of your machine, the smiley icon so as to add an emoji, or the pen icon to create a picture with textual content and colour. Swipe down additional to decide on different emoji and Memoji. Faucet Carried out after which Carried out once more to save lots of your adjustments.

(Credit score: Apple/Lance Whitney)

11. Conceal Alerts for New Messages

Typically you don’t wish to obtain a notification each time there’s a brand new textual content from a sure individual or group. No drawback. To stifle these alerts, open the dialog and faucet the icon for the individual or group on the high. Activate the change for Conceal Alerts.

(Credit score: Apple/Lance Whitney)

12. Get Notified of Mentions

It’s possible you’ll wish to conceal alerts for a bunch dialog however nonetheless want to be notified if somebody mentions you within the dialog. To set this up, go to Settings > Messages. Within the Mentions part, activate the change for Notify Me. Now, if a dialog that you simply muted mentions you by title, you’ll obtain a notification.

(Credit score: Apple/Lance Whitney)

13. Collaborate on a Observe

You’re making a notice in your iPhone and would really like different folks to assessment or contribute to it. Faucet the Share icon and choose Collaborate from the Share menu. Be certain that Collaborate is checked. Faucet the choice for Solely invited folks can collaborate and set the entry and permissions. Choose the individual or group which whom you wish to collaborate on this notice. Ship the textual content inviting folks to collaborate.

(Credit score: Apple/Lance Whitney)

The recipients you invited can then open the notice within the Notes app on their gadgets and assessment or edit it.

(Credit score: Apple/Lance Whitney)

14. Restore Deleted Messages

You’ve deleted a message by mistake and wish it again. No drawback. Your iPhone shops deleted messages for a sure period of time. To set this up, go to Settings > Messages > Maintain Messages. Set the period for retaining deleted messages to 30 days, 1 12 months, or Eternally.

(Credit score: Apple/Lance Whitney)

To revive a deleted messages from the Messages app, faucet Filters on the upper-left nook and choose Just lately Deleted. Faucet the message or dialog you want to deliver again after which faucet Get better. Verify your motion.

(Credit score: Apple/Lance Whitney)

15. Filter Messages by Recognized or Unknown Senders

Clear out the Messages inbox muddle by filtering out all of the one-time alerts and messages from unknown senders. Go to Settings > Messages. Underneath the Message Filtering part, activate the change for Filter Unknown Senders. Then in Messages, faucet the Filters hyperlink within the upper-left nook and select between All Messages, Recognized Senders (anybody in your contacts), and Unknown Senders (anybody who is just not). You too can view unread messages this manner.

(Credit score: Apple/Lance Whitney)

16. Pin a Dialog

Making an attempt to seek out a particular thread amongst all of the conversations that seem in your Messages inbox will be difficult. Now you’ll be able to pin as much as 9 particular conversations on the high of the display in order that they’re simply accessible.

There are 3 ways to pin a dialog: 1) Press down on it and choose Pin from the pop-up menu; 2) Press down on it and drag and drop it on the high; 3) Faucet the ellipsis circle icon on the high, choose Edit Pins, after which faucet the Pin icon subsequent to the dialog you wish to pin.

(Credit score: Apple/Lance Whitney)

That dialog then seems on the high of your inbox. To entry a thread, faucet on its pin. To take away it, press down on the pin and choose Unpin from the menu. Alternatively, faucet the ellipsis circle icon, choose Edit Pins, after which faucet the minus icon subsequent to the dialog you wish to unpin.

(Credit score: Apple/Lance Whitney)