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.

You need iMessage — an Apple feature — to send message effects. 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.

iPhone showing how to add a bubble effect

Add a bubble effect

  1. Open Messages and tap the 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 button send message button.
  3. Tap the gray dotpreview message bubble to preview bubble effects.
  4. Tap the Send button send message button.

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

iPhone showing full-screen effects

 

Add a full-screen effect

  1. Open Messages and tap the Compose button  to start a new message. Or go to an existing conversation.
  2. Enter your message. 
  3. Touch and hold the Send button send message button, then tap Screen.
  4. Swipe to the left to see full-screen effects.
  5. Tap the Send button send message button.

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

iPhone showing Camera Effects 

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. Follow these steps:

  1. Open Messages and tap the Compose button  to create a new message. Or go to an existing conversation.
  2. Tap the Camera button camera icon.
  3. Tap the Effects button effects icon, then select one of the effects, like Memoji*  or an iMessage app. You can add more than one effect to a photo or video.
  4. After you select the effect that you want to use, tap Done.
  5. Tap the Send button send message icon or tap Done to add a personal message. If you don't want to send the photo, tap the x icon icon in the upper-right corner of the photo.

You need a compatible iPhone or iPad to use Memoji.

iPhone showing how to use Tapback

 

Respond to a message with expressions

With Tapback, you can quickly reply to messages with expressions, like a thumbs up or a heart. Here's how:

  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.

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

iPhone showing a handwritten note in Messages 

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. To send a handwritten note, follow these steps:

  1. Open Messages and tap the Compose button  to start a new message. Or go to an existing conversation.
  2. If you have an iPhone, turn it sideways and tap sideways icon on the keyboard. On an iPad, there's no need to turn it sideways, just tap sideways iconon the keyboard.
  3. Write your message or select one of the options at the bottom of the screen.
  4. If you need to start over, tap Undo or Clear. When you're finished, tap Done. Then tap the Send button send message.
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