How to Send Balloons on iPhone

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Do you want to celebrate your friend or family member for their birthday or graduation? You can text them a celebration animation, such as a bunch of festive floating balloons using iPhone text message effects. Here's how to send balloons on iMessage.

Related: How to Send Fireworks on iPhone

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Why You’ll Love This Tip

• Send iPhone text effects to celebrate your friends and family.
• Transform a regular text into a fun and memorable moment.

How to Send Birthday Balloons on iPhone

This iMessage trick only works with other iPhone users. Have you ever wondered why your iPhone text bubbles are sometimes blue and other times green? Well, if it’s blue that means that your message is being sent to another iPhone user with iMessage, and if it's green your recipient is on an Android device (the bubbles will also turn green when sending a message to an iPhone user if iMessage is turned off for any reason). For more fun tips, sign up for our free Tip of the Day newsletter! Now, here's how to send a text with balloons from one iPhone user to another: 

1. Open the Messages app. 
   
   
2. Start a new message or tap an existing conversation.
   
   
3. If you're starting a new message, enter the name of at least one recipient.
   
   
4. If you are starting a new message to another iPhone user it will say New iMessage at the top of the screen, which confirms that the recipient will be able to see your screen effects. (If you selected an existing conversation, check for blue text message bubbles, which confirms the other person can see your iMessage effects.) 
   
   
5. Type your text message. If you type the specific phrase “Happy Birthday!” the message will automatically be sent with balloons. If you want to say something else with balloons then proceed with the following steps.
   
   
6. Type your text message and instead of tapping the blue arrow to send the message, long press the arrow for at least a second.
   
   
7. Tap Screen to access full-screen effects.
   
   
8. Swipe from the right side of the screen to the left to scroll through the different screen effects until you get to the confetti option.
   
   
9. Tap the blue arrow button to send.
   
   

Your text message will then be sent, along with the iPhone Happy Birthday balloons effect! There are currently eight different iMessage full-screen effects, including iMessage confetti, fireworks, cartoon hearts, and more. So mix it up and have some fun!