Messages

Announce Messages with Siri allows Siri to announce and read your messages to you when you are wearing compatible AirPods and Beats while your iPhone or iPad is locked. Although this setting can be turned off and on in the Settings app, the fastest way to turn Announce Messages with Siri on and off as needed is in the iPhone or iPad Control Center. Let's learn how to use Announce Messages with Siri from your iPhone's Control Center now.

iPad and iPhone emojis are a great way to add a little flair to messages and other text you type in the Messages app, or any other app that lets you use your iPad or iPhone keyboard. Now, with iOS 14, Apple has made iOS emojis easier to find and use than ever before with the new emoji search feature. Let's learn how to use this emoji finder to quickly locate the emoji you want on your emoji keyboard.   

Apple's latest iOS update, iOS 14, allows iPhone users to pin their most important contacts and group texts to the top of the Messages app, making it faster and easier to send a text message to the people you message the most. You can pin up to nine text threads, which will appear at the top of your Main Messages page as circular icons. It's quick and easy to pin a contact or group message to the top of your Messages, and, if you change your mind about it later, it's just as fast to unpin it. Let's learn how.

This article will show you how to hide alerts for a group chat, so you only get notifications for group messages in which you are mentioned. Group chats in the Messages app are handy if you have information to relay to several people at once, but the sheer number of text notifications from a group message can get really annoying. Fortunately, you don't need to leave a group message to stop the barrage of notifications. There is a new iOS 14 feature that lets people tag you within a group text so that you are notified when they mention you in the chat. You can use this feature to cut down on the number of group text notifications you get without missing any important messages. Here's how.

Learn how to make sure you get someone's attention when you want them to see a message in a group chat. Sometimes you want to make sure a particular person or people within a group chat sees your message to the group. With iOS 14, Apple has added the ability to tag contacts in a group text, so you can make sure someone gets notified whenever you mention them in the chat. Let's get started learning how to tag a contact in a group chat, including a few important details to keep in mind.

People are asking, “How do I remove Memoji keyboard stickers from my emoji keyboard?” You might have been annoyed to find that your Frequently Used emojis are preceded by a bunch of Memoji stickers that you never actually use. Luckily, there’s a hidden setting you can adjust to remove Memoji stickers from the emoji keyboard. Let’s dive in with how to get rid of Memoji stickers on the emoji keyboard so that you can once more find your favorite face-palm emoji.

Sometimes, you need to respond quickly to multiple texts. Unread messages can pile up fast, and it sure would be nice to reply to conversations without having to type out every single reply. Luckily, Apple put a hidden feature on the iPhone that lets you respond to texts fast using automatic replies. With this tip, you’ll be able to send replies like “Okay” and “See you soon,” just by pressing a couple of prompts. Let’s dive in with the fastest way to respond to text messages on an iPhone.

Need to do a group FaceTime call instead of a group text? Texting is great, but sometimes, you need to have a conversation face-to-face. Starting a group FaceTime from a group text message is the easiest way to start a group call. The contacts involved will be notified and can join the ongoing FaceTime chat whenever they're ready. It's quick and easy to do a group FaceTime call from a group text, so let's dive in.

You probably already know that you can react to text messages with a heart or a thumbs up. But Memoji stickers are another fun way to react to text messages and give your conversation a personal touch. You can add stickers to an iMessage, even after that message was sent! If you already have a Memoji sticker sheet, then you probably want to know how to add those stickers in a message. This tip will show you how to add a Memoji sticker after the message is already sent, for the ultimate in text customization. Read on to learn how to use your Memoji stickers for text messages.

Forget package tracking apps! Did you know you can track shipments on your iPhone without ever leaving the app in which you received the tracking number? If you’re worried about porch pirates, one of the best security measures is knowing when a package is supposed to arrive. Your iPhone will automatically detect tracking any tracking number that you receive in Mail or Messages. You can also use the same method to track packages from websites like Amazon by copying and pasting the tracking number into Notes. For an extra layer of security, you can add a unique passcode to Notes. With this tip, you’ll be able to set up tracking from any carrier. Let’s dive in to how to use iPhone package tracking.

Group messages on your iPhone or iPad are a great way to communicate with several people at one time. We've already gone over how to make a group chat, how to name a group chat, and how to add or remove someone from a group chat, but one question remains; how many people can join an iMessage on an iPhone or iPad? We'll go over the difference between a group iMessages chat, SMS, and MMS before learning about iMessages group chat limits. These limits are set by your cell phone carrier, so we'll reveal the limits set by the top four carriers, AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and US Cellular. Let's get started!

The Scribble feature makes Apple Watch lets you compose texts by writing the words on your Watch Face with a finger rather than dictating them to Siri. Quiet texts on the Apple Watch make it easier to send and receive texts discreetly. But what happens when your watch fails to correctly translate your scribbling into text? With Scribble on the Apple Watch, you can also edit incorrect words without talking to Siri. Here’s how to text on an Apple Watch and edit texts using Scribble.

Being able to make hands-free calls and send texts can come in handy when you're trying to keep your eyes on the road. Siri is a common method for dictating texts, but Siri can't function properly when you've got spotty cell reception. Luckily, you can still dictate texts in Messages even if Siri is offline. You can even use this method to make corrections and edit out mistakes. Let's dive in with how to dictate and edit texts on your iPhone without Siri.

If you use Apple's Reminders app to keep on top of your chores, events, and tasks, there's a convenient feature you'll want to try out. The Reminders app now allows users to tag a contact when they create a new reminder. Once you do this, a reminder notification will pop up on your iPhone next time you use the Messages app to text your tagged contact. We've already gone over how to use Siri to add reminders to lists, and how to group related lists in the Reminders app. Now, let's learn how to stay organized by tagging a contact in a reminder, so you don't forget to include key people in your plans.

Text message conversations may contain evidence of important memories, and if you’re like me, you probably want to download your iMessages, save your messages, print your messages, or do something, anything, to make those exchanges more secure and accessible. One useful trick to save those interactions is to use the Messages Mac application to download your message history as a PDF file. This will let you keep that conversation on your computer and share it as you like, whether it was a conversation with a friend who isn't around anymore, or with a landlord and you need a record. Read on to find out how to turn an Messages conversation into a document you can save on your computer, or print later.

Since the dawn of Siri, I’ve wanted my iPhone to automatically read my text messages to me. Now my wish is fulfilled; with iOS 13 and a compatible set of earbuds, Siri can read your texts to you in the privacy of your earbud audio. When you are sitting in the car, or out on a walk at night, Siri will announce your message contents as they arrive, and save you the trouble of scrambling for your phone and squinting at a bright screen. Let me show you how to turn on the feature and have Siri announce your text messages.

In the past, searching for a specific text in Messages was a headache. Now, Messages in-app search is not only optimized for text but also lets you browse images, screenshots, and links in a gallery view. You can access the search function by opening the Messages app and dragging down from the top of the screen. If you'd like to search Facebook messages or WhatsApp messages, you can also do that! Here’s how to use search in Messages to find the information you need.

One of the new features of Apple's latest operating systems, iOS 13 and iPadOS, are Memoji sticker packs for older iPhones right in the Messages app. It's been possible to send Animoji and Memoji stickers in texts before, but now it's easier than ever for a larger number of iPhones and iPads to send Memoji stickers, even if they can't create and send the animated emoji videos. Let's get started learning about Memoji and Animoji stickers, how to create them, and which devices can send and receive them.

Customize a display picture in your Messages app profile and you’ll be able to share the face you choose with anyone you message. As of iOS 13, you can edit your profile picture and name; simply open messages, tap the three dots at the top of the screen, tap Edit Name and Photo, and swipe left or right to select an option. You can use a memoji or animoji, your initials with a custom color, or any picture on your iPhone. Once it’s set, you can choose whether to make your profile name and image visible to everyone in your contacts list, or only to select contacts. Let’s get started.