Use message effects with iMessage on your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch

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

To send message effects, you need iMessage. Learn the difference between iMessage and SMS/MMS texts. Depending on your carrier, messaging rates might apply when you send SMS/MMS. If you use iMessage and Wi-Fi is unavailable, cellular data rates might apply.

Send a message with effects

With message effects, you can use bubble effects to change the way your message bubbles look, or 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 gray dotthe gray dot to preview bubble effects.

    An iPhone showing how to add a bubble effect
  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.

    An iPhone showing full-screen effects

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, like Memoji*Memoji* or an iMessage app. You can add more than one effect to a photo or video.

  6. After you select the effect that you want to use, tap Done.

    An iPhone showing Camera Effects
  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.

Respond to a message with expressions

With Tapback, you can quickly reply to messages with expressions, like a thumbs up or a heart.

  1. Open a conversation in Messages.

  2. Double-tap the message bubble or photo that you want to respond to.

  3. Select the Tapback that you want to send.

    An iPhone showing how to use Tapback

You can also use Tapback in group messages. To see who replied with a Tapback, tap it.

Send a handwritten message

You can personalize your messages by adding a note in your own handwriting. Your friends and family will see the message animate, 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. If you need to start over, tap Undo or Clear. When you're finished, tap Done. Then tap the Send buttonthe Send button.

    An iPhone showing a handwritten note in Messages
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