- Send handwritten messages: In the iMessage app, turn your phone sideways and the keyboard will switch to a handwriting interface. You can use your finger to write out messages, which will then be converted into typed text.
- Use message effects: You can add some flair to your messages by using message effects. To access them, type out your message and then press and hold the send button. This will bring up a menu of effects, such as "Slam," "Loud," "Gentle," "Invisible Ink," and more.
- Create custom reactions: In addition to the default reactions (like thumbs up, heart, and haha), you can create custom reactions to use in iMessage conversations. To do this, press and hold on a message until the "React" menu appears, then tap on the "+" icon to create a new reaction.
- Type with one hand: If you have a larger iPhone and find it difficult to type with one hand, you can enable the one-handed keyboard. To do this, go to Settings > General > Keyboard, and then select "One-Handed Keyboard." This will shrink the keyboard to one side of the screen, making it easier to reach all the keys.
- Use text shortcuts: If you frequently use certain phrases or words, you can create text shortcuts to save time. For example, you could create a shortcut so that when you type "omw" it automatically expands to "On my way!" To set up text shortcuts, go to Settings > General > Keyboard > Text Replacement.
- Type with your voice: If you don't feel like typing, you can use Siri to dictate your messages for you. Simply activate Siri and say "Send a message to [contact name]," followed by your message. Siri will then transcribe your message and send it for you.
- Pin important conversations: If you have a lot of conversations in iMessage and don't want to scroll through them all to find the important ones, you can pin them to the top of your screen. Simply swipe left on a conversation and tap the pin icon.
- Share your location: If you're meeting up with someone and want to share your location, you can do so easily in iMessage. Tap on the "i" icon in the top right corner of the conversation, then select "Share My Location" and choose how long you want to share your location for.
- Use message reactions to navigate: If you receive a long message and want to respond to a specific part of it, you can use message reactions to highlight that part. Simply press and hold on the message you want to react to, then select the "React" option and choose the appropriate reaction. This will create a visual indicator next to the message, making it easy to navigate the conversation.
- Use the "@mention" feature: Similar to how it works on social media platforms, you can use the "@" symbol to mention someone in a group conversation. This will notify them specifically, even if they have muted the conversation.
- Edit sent messages: Have you ever sent a message and immediately realized there was a mistake in it? You can quickly correct it by simply tapping and holding the message, then selecting "Edit." Make your changes and hit "Send" again.
- Use Siri suggestions: When you type a message, Siri will suggest phrases, words, and even emojis that might be relevant to what you're trying to say. This can save you time and help you express yourself more effectively.
- Schedule messages: If you want to send a message at a specific time, you can schedule it to be sent later. In iMessage, type out your message, then press and hold the send button. Select "Schedule Send" and choose the date and time you want the message to be sent.
- Use third-party keyboards: The iPhone's default keyboard is great, but there are many third-party keyboards available that can enhance your texting experience. Some popular options include Gboard, SwiftKey, and Fleksy.
- Share your screen: If you need to show someone something on your phone, you can share your screen with them in iMessage. Simply start a video call, then swipe up from the bottom of the screen and tap "Screen Sharing." Select the person you want to share your screen with and they'll be able to see everything you're doing on your phone.
- Use text replacement: If you find yourself frequently typing out the same phrases or sentences, you can save time by setting up text replacement. Go to Settings > General > Keyboard > Text Replacement, then enter the phrase you want to replace and the shortcut you want to use. For example, you could set up "omw" to automatically replace with "On my way!"
- Use the invisible ink feature: If you want to send a message that's meant to be a surprise, you can use the invisible ink feature. In iMessage, type out your message, then press and hold the send button. Select "Invisible Ink" and your message will be hidden until the recipient swipes over it.
- Use the "Tapback" feature: If you want to quickly respond to a message without typing out a full response, you can use the "Tapback" feature. Simply press and hold on a message, then select the appropriate reaction. This is a quick and easy way to acknowledge a message without starting a full conversation.
- Use "Smart Quotes": If you want your messages to look more professional, you can use "Smart Quotes" to automatically format your quotes and apostrophes. Go to Settings > General > Keyboard and toggle on "Smart Quotes."
- Use emoji search: If you want to quickly find a specific emoji, you can use the search function in the emoji keyboard. Simply type in a keyword, such as "heart" or "pizza," and the keyboard will show you all the relevant emojis.
- Use the "Shake to Undo" feature: If you make a mistake while typing, you can quickly undo it by shaking your iPhone. This will bring up a popup that says "Undo Typing." Tap "Undo" and the mistake will be removed.
- Use the "Dictation" feature: If you don't feel like typing out a message, you can use the dictation feature to speak your message instead. In the keyboard, tap the microphone icon and start speaking. The iPhone will transcribe your words into text.
- Use the "Markup" feature: If you want to annotate an image or PDF before sending it in a message, you can use the Markup feature. In iMessage, tap the camera icon and select the image or PDF you want to send. Tap "Markup" and you'll be able to draw, add text, and highlight parts of the image.
- Use the "Pinch to Zoom" feature: If you want to zoom in on a specific part of a message, you can use the "Pinch to Zoom" feature. Simply place two fingers on the screen and move them apart to zoom in, or move them together to zoom out.
- Use the "Announce Messages with Siri" feature: If you have AirPods or other compatible headphones, you can have Siri read your incoming messages aloud to you. To enable this feature, go to Settings > Siri & Search > Announce Messages and toggle it on.
- Use the "Reduce Motion" feature: If you find the animations in iMessage to be distracting or make you feel dizzy, you can turn on the "Reduce Motion" feature in Settings > Accessibility > Motion. This will reduce the motion effects in iMessage.
- Use the "Auto-Correction" feature: If you frequently make typos while typing, you can use the "Auto-Correction" feature to automatically correct your mistakes. Go to Settings > General > Keyboard and toggle on "Auto-Correction." You can also adjust the level of correction by selecting "Auto-Capitalization" and "Check Spelling."
- Use the "Speak Selection" feature: If you have trouble reading small text on your iPhone, you can use the "Speak Selection" feature to have the iPhone read the text aloud. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Spoken Content > Speak Selection and toggle it on.
- Use the "Bold Text" feature: If you find the text on your iPhone to be too small or hard to read, you can use the "Bold Text" feature to make it more visible. Go to Settings > Display & Brightness > Text Size and toggle on "Bold Text."
- Use the "Predictive Text" feature: If you want to type faster and more accurately, you can use the "Predictive Text" feature. This feature suggests words as you type, based on your previous conversations and the context of your message. To enable this feature, go to Settings > General > Keyboard and toggle on "Predictive."
- Use the "Text Replacement" feature: If you frequently use certain words or phrases in your messages, you can use the "Text Replacement" feature to create shortcuts for them. For example, you can set up a shortcut so that "omw" automatically expands to "On my way!" To set up a shortcut, go to Settings > General > Keyboard > Text Replacement.
- Use the "Emoji Replacement" feature: If you want to replace certain words with emojis, you can use the "Emoji Replacement" feature. For example, you can set up a replacement so that "happy" automatically turns into a smiling face emoji. To set up an emoji replacement, go to Settings > General > Keyboard > Text Replacement and tap the "+" icon.
- Use the "One-Handed Keyboard" feature: If you have a larger iPhone and find it difficult to type with one hand, you can use the "One-Handed Keyboard" feature. This feature moves the keyboard closer to one side of the screen, making it easier to reach. To access this feature, tap and hold the globe icon in the keyboard and select either the left or right-handed keyboard.
- Use the "Typing Feedback" feature: If you want to feel a vibration or hear a sound when you type, you can use the "Typing Feedback" feature. To enable this feature, go to Settings > Sounds & Haptics > Keyboard Clicks or "Vibrate on Ring" and toggle it on.
- Use the "Message Effects" feature: If you want to add a little flair to your messages, you can use the "Message Effects" feature. This feature allows you to add animations, such as confetti or balloons, to your messages. Simply type your message and hold down the send button to access the effects.
- Use the "Scheduled Messages" feature: If you want to send a message at a specific time, you can use the "Scheduled Messages" feature. Simply type your message, hold down the send button, and select "Schedule Message." You can then choose the date and time you want the message to be sent.
- Use the "Announce Messages" feature: If you're driving or have your hands full, you can use the "Announce Messages" feature to have your iPhone read your messages to you. To enable this feature, go to Settings > Notifications > Announce Messages and select the apps you want to use.
- Use the "Auto-Delete" feature: If you want to keep your messaging history private, you can use the "Auto-Delete" feature to automatically delete messages after a certain amount of time. To enable this feature, go to Settings > Messages > Keep Messages and select "30 Days" or "1 Year."
- Use the "Tapback" feature: If you want to quickly respond to a message without typing out a full reply, you can use the "Tapback" feature. Simply double-tap on a message and select one of the six available reactions, such as a heart or a thumbs up.
39 iPhone text tricks that you can try out
Here are some fun iPhone text tricks that you can try out:
