Use message effects with iMessage on your iPhone and iPad

Make your Messages even more expressive with text effects, bubble effects, full-screen animations, camera effects and more.

To send message effects, you need iMessage. Find out the difference between iMessage, RCS and SMS/MMS texts. Depending on your service provider, messaging rates may apply when sending SMS/MMS. If you use iMessage and Wi-Fi is not available, mobile data rates may apply.

Add text effects or formatting in iOS 18

  1. Open Messages and tap the Compose buttonthe Compose button to start a new message. Or go to an existing conversation.

  2. Tap the Text Effects buttonnull.

  3. Tap a formatting option, such as Bold, Italics, Underline or Strikethrough. Or tap a text effect.

    In iOS 18, you can add formatting options to your messages, such as italics or text that shakes.

  4. Type your message and tap the Send button.

You can also highlight parts of a message in progress and then add effects or formatting. You can also add an effect to an individual letter, word, sentence or emoji.

Send a message with effects

With message effects, you can use bubble effects to change the way your message bubbles will look, or you can use full-screen effects to animate the screen. You can even add a Memoji sticker with bubble effects or full-screen effects.

Add a bubble effect

  1. Open Messages and tap the Compose buttonthe Compose button to start a new message. Or go to an existing conversation.

  2. Enter your message or insert a photo, then touch and hold the Send buttonthe Send button.

  3. Tap the grey dotthe grey dot to preview bubble effects.

    In Messages, you can send messages with full-screen effects, such as Invisible Ink.

  4. Tap the Send buttonthe Send button.

To replay a message effect that you receive, tap the Replay buttonthe Replay button under the message. If you can’t receive bubble effects, check your Reduce Motion settings.

Add a full-screen effect

  1. Open Messages and tap the Compose buttonthe Compose button to start a new message. Or go to an existing conversation.

  2. Enter your message.

  3. Touch and hold the Send buttonthe Send button, then tap Screen.

  4. Swipe to the left to see full-screen effects.

  5. Tap the Send buttonthe Send button.

To replay a message effect that you receive, tap the Replay buttonReplay button under the message. If you can’t receive full-screen effects, check your Reduce Motion settings.

Send a message with Camera Effects

With Camera Effects, you can liven up your conversations even more. Quickly create and share a photo or video with Memoji, filters, text, fun stickers and more.

  1. Open Messages and tap the Compose buttonthe Compose button to create a new message. Or go to an existing conversation.

  2. Tap the More buttonthe More button.

  3. Tap the Camera buttonthe Camera button.

  4. Take a photo or video.

  5. Tap the Effects buttonthe Effects button, then select one of the effects, such as MemojiMemoji* or an iMessage app. You can add more than one effect to a photo or video.

  6. After you've selected the effect that you want to use, tap Done.

  7. Tap the Send buttonthe Send button or tap Done to add a personal message. If you don’t want to send the photo, tap the Close buttonthe Close button in the upper-right corner of the photo.

You’ll need a compatible iPhone or iPad to use Memoji.

Send a handwritten message

You can personalise your messages by adding a note in your own handwriting. Your friends and family will see the message become animated, as if it were being written in front of them.

  1. Open Messages and tap the Compose buttonthe Compose button to start a new message. Or go to an existing conversation.

  2. Tap the text field above the keyboard.

  3. If you have an iPhone, turn it sideways and tap the Handwritten Message buttonthe Handwritten Message button on the keyboard. On an iPad, there’s no need to turn it sideways, just tap the Handwritten Message buttonthe Handwritten Message button on the keyboard.

  4. Write your message or select one of the options at the bottom of the screen.

  5. To start again, tap Undo or Clear. When you've finished, tap Done.  Then tap the Send buttonthe Send button.

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