iOS 18 Messages app: 5 enjoyable new texting options for iPhone

With iOS 18, Messages will get 5 nice new options that may make texting all of the extra enjoyable. New message results allow you to daring and animate textual content. For those who’re the forgetful kind, you may schedule your messages to ship later — routinely. You possibly can reply to a message utilizing any emoji you want. Lastly, texting will get simpler with your pals on Android — and in the course of the Gobi desert.

Watch our video or preserve studying to see one of the best new Messages options if you improve this fall. (Alternatively, you may attempt them now within the iOS 18 public beta if you happen to simply can’t wait.)

The 5 nice new options in Messages in iOS 18

Now that texting is the brand new electronic mail, the Messages app is extra essential than ever. Apple’s free messaging app has at all times let iPhone house owners talk with different telephones through textual content messages, however added particular bells and whistles for messages despatched between Apple units.

Apple begins to catch up by supporting RCS (quick for Wealthy Communication Providers) in iOS 18. Because of this, a lot of the finest new options within the Messages app will work with whoever you’re messaging. They need to make your messages extra expressive and enjoyable.

Different new options will enhance the texting expertise throughout. You possibly can schedule messages to be despatched upfront, react utilizing any emoji you need, and ship messages through satellite tv for pc wherever you’re (if you happen to’ve acquired a brand new sufficient iPhone).

Desk of contents: 5 nice new options in Messages in iOS 18

1. Wealthy textual content formatting
2. Schedule your messages to ship later
3. Tapbacks with any emoji
4. RCS messaging for Android buddies
5. Higher emergency satellite tv for pc messaging

1. Wealthy textual content formatting in iOS 18’s Messages app

Able to make your texts extra expressive? New wealthy textual content formatting choices in iOS 18 allow you to animate the phrases you ship your pals, household and colleagues through the Messages app. Above the keyboard, you’ll see a brand new textual content formatting button on the appropriate. Faucet on that and also you’ll see new choices for formatting your textual content.

On high, you’ll see the basic formatting choices of daring, italicize, underline and strikethrough. Faucet and drag to pick out the textual content you wish to format; faucet a number of of those choices to use the format you need.

Now for the enjoyable half. Under the basic choices, you’ll see varied animated textual content results. You possibly can apply these to your complete textual content message or to particular phrases in it. You possibly can even apply a number of results to totally different phrases in the identical message by deciding on totally different phrases or parts. However, understandably, you may’t mix results on the identical choice — you may’t make phrases each huge and small. That might be foolish.

2. Schedule your messages to ship later

After I first tried the up to date Messages app in iOS 18, this turned an prompt new favourite characteristic: the power to schedule messages to be despatched later. If somebody asks you to remind them of one thing sooner or later — however you, your self, battle to recollect such issues — you may schedule your reminder textual content. This characteristic doesn’t require the opposite particular person to be working iOS 18, both. You can begin utilizing it immediately, earlier than the opposite particular person updates their iPhone.

Simply hit the + button, then scroll down and faucet Ship Later. You possibly can kind in no matter message you need, including hyperlinks and/or pictures. Faucet the schedule button above the textual content field to set a date and time, and the ship button to schedule your message. Messages may be scheduled as much as per week upfront. To get again to replying in actual time, faucet the × to shut the Ship Later field.

You possibly can see all of your scheduled messages by scrolling down, beneath the present dialog. Faucet Edit for just a few choices:

• Ship Message will ship it immediately, as a substitute of on the scheduled time.
• Edit Time helps you to change when your message will exit.
• Delete Message will delete your scheduled message.

To edit the contents of the message itself, faucet and maintain on the bubble and faucet Edit. In contrast to modifying messages after they’re despatched, you may carry out a limiteless variety of edits in your scheduled message. The edit historical past won’t be proven to the receiver.

3. Tapbacks with any emoji in iOS 18’s Messages app

For those who discover the grey, Fb-style Tapback choices at present within the Messages app a bit limiting, you may look ahead to iOS 18. It makes shortly responding to a pal’s textual content far more attention-grabbing. For starters, the replace makes the fundamental Tapback icons — coronary heart, thumbs up or down, “Ha Ha,” exclamation marks and query mark — seem in colour. Higher but, you may reply with any emoji, not simply the six inventory pictures.

To make use of an emoji to answer to a message, faucet and maintain on the message. You’ll nonetheless see the identical six Tapbacks as earlier than, now rendered in full colour. Scroll over to the appropriate for a few of the extra in style emoji, or faucet the emoji button to carry up the total emoji picker.

As a substitute of the essential “Ha Ha,” prefer it’s 2005, now you can reply to a message with the 💀 emoji. Or, those that wish to confuse individuals, can reply with 🕴️ (man in enterprise swimsuit levitating) or 🚡 (aerial tramway).

4. RCS messaging for Android buddies

Each iPhone proprietor has just a few individuals of their lives who make questionable life selections and find yourself with an Android telephone. No judgment — it might probably occur to anyone. However if you go to textual content them a video of your cat or your human baby, it has the decision of a postage stamp.

In iOS 18, common previous SMS messages get upgraded to RCS, or Wealthy Communication Providers. You possibly can ship footage and movies in greater high quality, and even recordsdata and audio messages. Additionally, learn receipts and typing indicators will work, if you happen to allow them. (To allow or disable learn receipts, go to Settings > Apps > Messages and alter Ship Learn Receipts. Or you are able to do it per-conversation by tapping on the particular person’s identify on the high of the display screen.)

The brand new emoji Tapbacks talked about above work in RCS messages, too. RCS messages will ship over Wi-Fi as nicely, not simply mobile, so sending media recordsdata may be a lot sooner.

Messages despatched to your Android acquaintances nonetheless will seem as inexperienced bubbles, although, not blue. A couple of conveniences will stay unique to iMessage and Apple units: iMessage is securely end-to-end encrypted, and helps in-line replies, named group conversations and iMessage apps like GamePigeon.

5. Higher emergency satellite tv for pc messaging for iPhone 14 and newer

For those who ever get misplaced in a spot with no cell sign, like if you happen to’re a whole bunch of miles into the desert or in New York, with iOS 18, you may ship full textual content messages through satellite tv for pc. Satellite tv for pc connectivity will work anyplace you may see the sky.

This characteristic is just obtainable for the iPhone 14 and newer (since iPhone 14 first launched satellite tv for pc connectivity). Earlier than iOS 18, you can ship temporary messages and call emergency companies. Now, you’ll have the ability to ship bizarre textual content messages with emoji and Tapbacks and all the pieces. Effectively, not fairly all the pieces — you gained’t have the ability to ship footage or movies due to the restricted bandwidth of satellite tv for pc connections.

Whereas this characteristic is at present free for iPhone 14 and 15 house owners, Apple indicated it’s going to turn out to be a part of a paid service in some unspecified time in the future. The corporate didn’t elaborate on what the options and costs might be, or how billing may be dealt with if you happen to needed to modify on the characteristic if you’re abandoned. Hypothesis is that emergency messages will proceed to be free, whereas sending regular textual content messages may be put behind a paywall, with a free trial for individuals who purchase a brand new iPhone 16 this September.

Extra nice options in Messages