Use Messages on your iPhone or iPad

1. Open Messages.
2. Tap the Compose button to start a new message. Or go to an existing conversation.
3. Type your message, then tap the Send button .

With iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 and later, you can also use inline replies and mentions to call attention to specific messages and people within the messages.

Find out how to delete and recover messages.

Find out what to do if you can't send or receive messages

1. In Messages, tap a conversation.
2. Touch and hold the message you want to unsend.
3. Tap Undo Send .

The message will disappear and a notification that says "You unsent a message" will appear. You can undo a message for up to 2 minutes after you've sent it.

To undo messages, everyone must use iMessage with iOS 16, iPadOS 16.1, macOS Ventura or later. If you unsend a message to someone on an older version of iOS, iPadOS or macOS, your contact may still see the message.

1. In Messages, tap on a conversation.
2. Touch and hold the message you want to edit.
3. Tap Edit .
4. Make your edits, then tap the tick to finalise the message or the X to revert to the original message.

If you make edits, the word "Edited" will appear under the message. You can edit a message up to five times within 15 minutes after you've sent it. After you've edited a message, anyone can tap the word "Edited" to see the edit history.

To edit messages, everyone must use iMessage with iOS 16, iPadOS 16.1, macOS Ventura or later. If you edit a message you've sent to someone on an older version of iOS, iPadOS or macOS, the updated version will appear as a second message.

1. From the Lock Screen, touch and hold the notification that you want to reply to. Or, depending on your device, you may need to swipe left over the notification and tap View.^*
2. Type your message.
3. Tap the Send button .

If you have an iPhone X device or later, or an iPad with Face ID, and can't reply to a message from the Lock Screen, go to Settings > Face ID & Passcode and turn on Reply with Message. If you have an iPhone SE (2nd and 3rd generation), iPhone 8 or earlier, or an iPad, go to Settings > Touch ID & Passcode > Allow Access When Locked and turn on Reply with Message.

* Touch and hold is available on most devices that support iOS 13 and later, or iPadOS.

1. In Messages, tap Edit or the More button .
2. Tap Edit Pins , then tap the Pin button .
3. Tap Done.

You can also touch and hold a conversation to pin it. In iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 and later, you can pin up to nine conversations.

1. In Messages, tap Edit or the More button .
2. Tap Edit Name and Photo .
3. Edit your name. Or tap the image circle to choose an image, photo, emoji or Memoji.
4. Tap Done.

Your name and photo can be shared with anyone using iMessage, but you'll be asked to confirm that you want to share with someone when sending or replying to a new message. You can also turn sharing on and off. Just complete steps 1-2, and turn Name and Photo Sharing on or off.

1. Open Messages.
2. Swipe left over the conversation that you want to mute.
3. Tap the Alerts button .

When Hide Alerts is turned on, the Alerts button will appear next to the conversation. This will only stop notifications for that conversation, not your device. You'll still receive all other messages and see notifications for them on your Lock Screen.

1. Open the message.
2. Tap the name of the contact at the top of the message. If you're using iOS 14 or earlier, or iPadOS, tap the Info button .
3. You’ll see Photos, Links, Documents and more. Touch and hold an image or attachment to show options, such as Save, Copy, Share and Delete.

From your conversations page in iOS 16.2 and later, you can also search to find photos in Messages based on their content, such as a dog, car, person or text.

• Use Shared with You to find and share content, such as TV shows, images, music or websites.
• Use group messages to collaborate on a project from apps such as Notes or Pages in iOS 16 or later.
• Use Messages to share your location.