Use Messages on your iPhone or iPad
Send texts, photos, videos and more. Pin your conversations. Set Messages to delete verification codes automatically after you’ve used them with AutoFill.
Send a message on your iPhone or iPad
Open Messages.
Tap the Compose button
to start a new message. Or go to an existing conversation.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.
Send a message later in iOS 18
Send a text message via satellite with an iPhone 14 or later in iOS 18
Format your messages and use text effects in iOS 18
Delete or edit messages on your iPhone or iPad
If you need help
What to do if you can’t send or receive messages
What to do if you can’t sign in to Messages
Reply from the Lock Screen
From the Lock Screen, touch and hold the notification you want to reply to. Or, depending on your device, you may need to swipe left over the notification and tap View.*
Type your message.
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.
Proofread or rewrite your texts in Messages in iOS 18.1
On Apple Intelligence capable devices with iOS 18.1 and iPadOS 18.1, you can use Writing Tools to proofread, rewrite, summarise or change the tone of text.Highlight the text you want to change, tap the Forward button >, then tap Writing Tools to get started.
To use Apple Intelligence features, you’ll need an iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 16 Pro Max, iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro Max; any iPad with A17 Pro or M1 and later; or a Mac with M1 or later. Initially, Apple Intelligence is only available on supported devices with Siri that have the device language set to U.S. English.
Apple Intelligence uses generative models and outputs may vary. Check important information for accuracy.
Pin important conversations
In Messages, tap Edit or the More button
.Tap Edit Pins
, then tap the Pin button
.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.
Change your name and photo
In Messages, tap Edit or the More button
.Tap your Name and Photo
.Tap Edit to edit your photo or tap your name to edit your name.
Tap Done.
You can share your name and photo 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.
Stop notifications for a conversation
Open Messages.
Swipe left over the conversation that you want to mute.
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 receive all other messages and see notifications for them on your Lock Screen.
Use Messages summaries in iOS 18.1
In iOS 18.1 with an iPhone 16 or an iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max and later Pro models, Messages can summarise your unread texts through Apple Intelligence.
To turn Messages summaries on or off:
In the Settings app, tap Apps.
Tap Messages.
Turn Summarise Messages on or off.
Find attachments from a conversation
Open the message.
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
.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.
Find out more about search in Messages
Set Messages to delete verification codes automatically in iOS 17 or later
In the Settings app, tap General.
Tap AutoFill & Passwords.
Turn on Delete After Use.
With this setting turned on in iOS 17 or later, your iPhone will delete verification codes in Messages or Mail automatically after the code has been used with AutoFill.
