Everything New in the iOS 18 Messages App https://images.macrumors.com/article-new/2024/06/iOS-18-Messages-Feature-1.jpg iOS π― 18 is bringing major changes π to the Messages app, with π Apple adding Tapback π reaction changes new formatting, updated effects, satellite support, π better texting π with green bubble people, and eventually, several fun Apple Intelligence features. π― This guide highlights everything π that's new in π the βiOS 18β π Messages app, and what's coming later. π Send Later βiOS π 18β adds the option to schedule π an π― iMessage to π be π sent to someone π at a later time π or date. If you know someone's birthday is coming up, for π example, π you can schedule a happy birthday text π to them ahead of the π date π so it's π ready π to go. Scheduling a π message can be only be done π in conversations with π other iMessage π users, and it is not an π― option when texting with an Android user. It works in both individual π and group chats, as long as all π participants have π€ an Apple device and access to iMessage. To schedule π a message, π follow these π€ steps: π― Open up a conversation in the Messages π app. π Tap on π the "+" button on the left π side of the text box. Tap on More. Choose Send π₯ Later. Type in your Message. To change the send time, tap on the blue bubble that defaults π₯ to Tomorrow π 9:00 am. From there, π― you will π₯ have a π€ slider that lets you input π a date and a time. π With your time selected and your message typed in, π tap on the blue π₯ arrow to schedule it. iPhone is π offline π without a π₯ Wi-Fi or cellular connection. π€ Scheduled π₯ messages are displayed π at the π bottom of a conversation. If π you want π to change π the time of a message or cancel it, tap π on the π€ "Edit" button. You π will have options to edit the time, delete the message, or send it π₯ immediately. Tapback Reactions π― Tapbacks are those little characters you can π― use to respond to a message by π long pressing π on it, so you don't need to type out a whole π― response to something π that can be answered with a thumbs up or a heart. βiOS π 18β has two key π updates for π Tapbacks. Updated π Design π The six standard Tapback icons π― now feature π color and more π detail. You can see the π€ new look when long pressing on a text to π respond, and π in the Tapbacks that you receive. When you tap on π a Tapback you've π₯ received on a π message, you can now see who sent π what, π₯ which is useful if you are π in a group chat π and get multiple π Tapback π responses. π Emoji Support Along with the six classic π― Tapback responses, you can now choose any emoji character π when π using Tapback. After long pressing π to respond to a π message, swipe π to π the left to see common π emoji responses or π tap π€ on the generic π emoji π icon thought π bubble π to bring up the π emoji picker. You can choose any emoji, but you can also select from π― your stickers or your π€ Memoji. π Tap on π― the Memoji icon at the bottom π₯ left to π€ get to Memoji, or the π sticker icon to see π your sticker π selections. π To add one as a Tapback, π€ just tap on your π selection. Stickers can be π hard to see at the small size of a Tapback, but most emoji characters and Memoji work well. RCS RCS, or Rich π Communication π€ Services, is π a new text π message π protocol replacing SMS and π€ MMS. You'll π see π― it π when texting π people who don't π have π iMessage, π such as Android users. βRCSβ has π nothing to do with π₯ iMessage π conversations, aka π the conversations you π have with other π Apple device owners (blue bubbles), but it does improve texts with π green bubble Android users. βRCSβ is π a more π modern π technology than SMS, and it allows π for more feature parity in π― βiPhoneβ to Android text message conversations. Many of the frustrations you π might have encountered when texting π someone π with an π€ Android device are resolved with βRCSβ, such as π errors π sending photos π₯ and videos. Here's what you'll π€ get π with βRCSβ: Support for higher resolution photos and videos. Support for larger file sizes π and file π― sharing. Audio messages. π Real-time typing indicators. Read receipts. Ability to π send messages π over cellular π or Wi-Fi (SMS π is π― cellular only). There is π no cost to send an βRCSβ message over π Wi-Fi. Improved group π― chats. Again, βRCSβ only comes into play when you're π texting someone who has an Android device. π― iMessage is still the default for conversations between Apple device owners, and blue bubbles and green bubbles π are not changing. have a full guide on RCS if you want to know more about what to expect. Messages via Satellite Messages via satellite is a new feature π― that lets you send π texts π even when you don't have a π Wi-Fi or π― cellular connection, leveraging the satellites that π Apple uses for the Emergency SOS via π satellite feature. Messages π― via π satellite is available on the iPhone π― 14 or later, and you π₯ can send and receive both iMessage and SMS π₯ messages, so you're not limited to texting with π just π βiPhoneβ users. Right now, Messages via π€ satellite is free, just like Emergency SOS via satellite. Apple π€ offers two free π years π― of π satellite π access with an π βiPhone 14β π₯ or later, but the company has expanded free access for the βiPhone 14β until November 2025. Apple has not provided any insight into how much π it will eventually charge π for π satellite access. Smart Replies (Apple π Intelligence - iOS 18.1) Using Apple Intelligence, your βiPhoneβ can analyze the content in a message that π you've received, suggesting Smart Reply π― options π― that you can tap for π a quick π response. π― If π someone asks a question like "Do you want π to go to the movies?" Messages π― suggests responses like "Sure!" or "Sorry, busy tomorrow." π Smart Replies aren't π an option for every π message that you receive, but Apple π often has π€ a suggestion. Smart Replies show up π at the top π of the keyboard, where suggestions have been π in prior versions of π iOS. Smart Replies are π similar to suggestions, but are π more intelligent π and π€ are π often π complete phrases and π responses rather than word suggestions that π pop π₯ up as you type. To use a π― Smart Reply, just tap it and it'll populate the π₯ text box π so you π can send π it. If you don't care for the suggestion, just ignore it, and type in your own response. You'll still see suggestions once you π― disregard π€ a π― Smart Reply. π― Smart Replies π€ are an Apple π― Intelligence Messages feature π― in iOS 18.1, which π€ Apple is currently beta testing. Writing Tools (Apple Intelligence - iOS 18.1) Writing Tools π aren't π specific to the π€ Messages app, but are π a systemwide π₯ option anywhere you can input text. In Messages, π you can write π out a text and then select π₯ it with a tap and drag π gesture to π bring up the Writing π Tools interface. π Here's what π Writing Tools can do for a text message: π― Proofread what you've written for spelling π― and π― grammar errors, including π word choice and sentence structure. Rewrite with a different tone, with options that include Friendly, Professional, and Concise. Summarize what π you've written. π You can get a quick π― summary, pull out key π points, π€ create a list π€ of topics, or π€ make a table. You can tap on the various options to π use the Writing Tools, and you can preview changes and decide not to use them or swap them in for π what you've π written. The π― Writing Tools feature is π₯ set to be available in iOS 18.1. π Notification Summaries (Apple Intelligence π - iOS 18.1) If you have multiple notifications from the π₯ Messages π app, Apple π₯ Intelligence π will summarize them for you so you can catch π€ up at a glance and see what's most important without having to read through everything. π This works for both individual conversations and group π― conversations, and you can see the π summaries on the Lock π Screen. You'll get notification summaries in iOS 18.1. Emoji Design Updates π When you send a single emoji to someone in π βiOS 18β, the π― emoji now appears much larger than π before so π₯ the detail is π₯ easier to see. Emojis in π€ other quantities are still displayed π at the same size. Apple has also updated π the π emoji picker. Emoji π are π₯ displayed π larger and with π₯ more space between them, π― plus π the Sticker and Memoji interfaces have been integrated into the emoji π window. Tapping on the π two π― icons on the π€ bottom left of the emoji picker will π take you to Memoji and Stickers, π― respectively. You can create Memoji and make new stickers π directly from π€ the π₯ two sections that π― are π in the emoji π picker. For stickers, select the π€ sticker π€ section and π tap π on π― the blank sticker icon. For Memoji, tap π€ into π€ the π Memoji section, tap the three dots, and π― then choose π New, Edit, or Duplicate. Stickers π and Memoji as Emoji Stickers and π Memoji have new dedicated sections in the emoji picker because you π can now π use a sticker or a Memoji just like π€ an emoji. If you add a sticker when π typing a text, for π€ example, it π― is added to the π₯ end π of your text π rather π― than sent as a separate image. You can still send π€ a full-size sticker as π long as π₯ you send it π separate from text. Stickers and Memoji π sent as emoji only display π as π€ emoji π on devices running βiOS 18β, iPadOS π 18, macOS Sequoia, π€ visionOS 2, and watchOS π 11. On earlier versions of iOS, π stickers are sent as separate π€ images as before. Text Formatting You can enhance your text messages π― with new π formatting options. After typing something, tap π on the "A" icon above the keyboard. What you've typed is selected, and you can add π bold, italic, underline, π or strikethrough formatting. π― To add formatting π to just one word, π double tap on the π€ word to select it and π then π€ tap on π the π "A" icon. π You can also π use the Text π Effects option from π the popup menu. Formatting can be π used π with emoji, but the π bold π and italic options don't π do anything. Text Effects Along with the bold, italic, π underline, and strikethrough formatting, there are new animated text effects that can be applied to your entire message, a single word, π€ a phrase, π or even π an emoji or π sticker. Just select the text that you want π to add π an π effect π to with a double tap and then π₯ tap π₯ on the π "A" icon to π₯ get to π the text π effects interface. Options include Big, Small, Shake, Nod, Explode, π Ripple, Bloom, π₯ and Jitter. π₯ In a conversation with someone running π βiOS 18β or π€ one of its sister π updates, the text or emoji that π has an π effect π₯ applied to it π will continually animate when viewed. These effects do not π― work on earlier versions of Apple's π― operating systems and simply π don't show up. Math Notes The systemwide Math Notes π― feature that lets π your π βiPhoneβ solve equations for π you works π in Messages. To see it in action, type π in an equation and you'll get π an π immediate answer π when you add in an equals sign. Math Notes π also works for conversions in π― the Messages app, including π currency π€ conversions, temperature conversions, measurement conversions, and more. You π can use it π by typing π₯ in your conversion, such as "20 euros to dollars" and then adding in an equals sign π to get the result. Link π Card Update Apple π tweaked π― the design of link cards π in the Messages app, and the cards now π have colorful backgrounds π₯ that match the color π€ of the main image in the link, if π available. You can see link π card previews before a link is sent, and if you long press, π you π can π― get customization options. Link cards can π be π₯ converted to a π― simpler card style or transformed into a π text π link that only shows the hyperlink with no preview at all. π Image Playground π (Apple π€ Intelligence - Coming Later This Year) Image π Playground is an π― upcoming Apple Intelligence feature that is designed π to let you create images π₯ using text-based prompts, much like π you π can do with other AI π image generation platforms. Apple is integrating π Image π Playground into the Messages π€ app, so π you can create and send images π without π having to swap over to another π app. π Apple Intelligence can glean the gist of π€ your π conversation from the π Messages app and π₯ come up π with suggestions π€ for images π that you might want to send. Image π Playground can even incorporate images of your friends and π₯ family, so if you're chatting with a friend, you can create a silly image π that uses the friend's contact π photo. π Apple adds a style to π each π image, π so there is π no option to generate something that π― could be mistaken π― for a real photo. π You can π choose from Animation, Illustration, π― and Sketch styles, and all image generation is π done π― on-device. Genmoji π (Apple Intelligence π₯ - Coming π Later This Year) Based on Image π Playground, Genmoji π― lets π― you π₯ create custom emoji with a text prompt. Have you always wanted an emoji of a mint chocolate π₯ chip π ice cream cone? It can be π made with Genmoji. Need a π cat made π from π pizza, or a π€ flower that's not π a rose π or a sunflower? Genmoji π€ will make it possible. π― With the π― Genmoji interface, you π can describe π€ a Genmoji and Apple Intelligence will π₯ generate several options for you π to choose from. π You can π even create an emoji π― based π₯ on the contact image of a friend π or family π member, similar to π Image Playground. Genmoji behave just π like emoji π€ and can be used in place π€ of emoji. Apple Intelligence Notes To use π the upcoming Apple Intelligence features Apple will add to βiOS 18β in iOS 18.1 and beyond, you need an iPhone 15 Pro, π βiPhone π 15β Pro Max, or any iPhone 16 model. M-series iPads π and Macs also support π Apple Intelligence. Read π More Additional information on new π features that Apple has added in βiOS 18β can be found in our iOS 18 roundup. Related Roundups: iOS 18, iPadOS 18 Related π Forums: iOS π 18, π iPadOS 18 This article, π "Everything New π in the π iOS 18 π Messages π App" first appeared on π€ MacRumors.com Discuss this π article π in π our forums https://www.macrumors.com/guide/ios-18-messages/
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