Use iMessage apps on your iPhone and iPad

With iMessage apps, you can collaborate with others in a conversation, decorate messages with stickers, share a song and more — without leaving Messages.

An iPhone showing iMessage apps in a messages conversation

Get started

Find iMessage apps

  1. Open Messages.

  2. Tap the Compose buttonthe Compose button to start a new message. Or go to an existing conversation.

  3. Tap the Plus buttonthe Plus button to find the app that you want to use.

    An iPhone showing how to find iMessage apps
  4. Swipe up to see more of your apps.

iMessage apps that are installed automatically

Starting in iOS 17, several iMessage apps are installed by default.

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Store: Download iMessage apps to use with Messages.

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Photos: Quickly add photos to your messages right from the app.

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Music: Share recently played songs from Apple Music.

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Digital Touch: Use Digital Touch to send sketches, taps, kisses, heartbeats and more.

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#images*: Find hundreds of trending GIFs to add to your messages.

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Apple Cash: Send and receive money with people you know.*

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Memoji: Create and share an animated Memoji that uses your voice and mirrors your facial expressions.**

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Check In: Automatically notify your friend or family member when you arrive at your destination, such as your home.

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Stickers: Create custom Live Stickers or Memoji stickers to match your personality and mood.

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Location: Share your location or request a friend’s location. When someone shares a location with you, view it directly within your conversation.

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Audio: Record and share clips with your voice or other audio.

*#images and Apple Cash aren't available in all countries or regions. If you find an issue or have a concern with content found in #images, you can report the content or remove the #images app.

Download iMessage apps

You can find and download apps to use with iMessage in the App Store for iMessage. Here’s how:

  1. Open Messages.

  2. Start a new message or open a conversation, then tap the Plus buttonthe Plus button.

  3. Tap the Store iconthe Store icon.

  4. Tap the Get buttonthe Get button or the price icon next to the app that you want to download, then tap Install. You might need to enter your Apple ID password to complete the purchase.

  5. Swipe down or tap the Close buttonthe Close button to return to your message.

    An iPhone showing how to download iMessage apps from the App Store

Some apps let you make additional purchases within the app. If you set up Family Sharing, you can use Ask to Buy to help control app downloads and in-app purchases. Find out more about in-app purchases.

Rearrange iMessage apps

You can add apps to your Favourites so you have quick access to them in the app drawer. You can also reorder apps in the app drawer, remove the ones you don’t want, and more.

  1. Open Messages.

  2. Start a new message or open a conversation, then tap the Plus buttonthe Plus button.

  3. Touch and hold any app icon in the list until it shrinks a little, then drag it to your chosen location.

    An iPhone showing how to rearrange iMessage apps
  4. To move the app icon to a different page, drag it to the top or bottom edge of the screen. You may need to wait a moment for the new page to appear.

Turn iMessage apps on or off

  1. Go to Settings > Messages > iMessage Apps.

  2. Tap the app to turn it on or off.

    An iPhone showing how to turn iMessage apps on or off

You can also delete an app or remove an app from the Home Screen.

If you change your mind, you can redownload the apps from the App Store.

Do more with iMessage

Use the App Store on your iPhone, iPad, Apple TV or computer to download apps.

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