18 Apple Messages Features You’re Probably Not Using Enough

Apple Messages Features: Most people use Apple Messages for one thing: sending texts.

That’s only scratching the surface.

The Messages app can help you schedule a message, correct a typo after sending, undo an accidental message, find an old photo buried in a conversation, translate messages, filter unknown senders, recover deleted texts, and even turn your face into an animated Memoji message.

Some of these features are obvious once you know where to look. Others are buried several taps deep in Apple’s menus.

Before trying the newer features, make sure your iPhone or iPad is running a supported version of iOS or iPadOS. You can check under Settings > General > Software Update.

Here are 18 Apple Messages features worth knowing.

1. Let Siri Help Write or Rewrite a Message

Sometimes you know what you want to say but don’t know how to phrase it.

If your device and software support Apple’s relevant intelligence features, you can use Siri-related writing tools to help draft, rewrite, or adjust a message.

Instead of staring at the text box trying to find the right words, describe what you want to communicate and let the writing tool create a draft.

This can be particularly useful when you need to make a message:

• More professional
• Shorter
• Friendlier
• More casual
• Easier to understand

Tip: Always read an AI-generated message before sending it, especially when the conversation is important.

2. Create a Genmoji From a Description, Emoji or Photo

Regular emoji aren’t always enough to express what you’re thinking.

On supported Apple devices and software versions, Genmoji lets you create custom emoji-style images from a description and, where supported, combine different inputs.

You might create something as specific as:

“A sleepy cat drinking coffee on Monday morning.”

You can also experiment with combinations of existing emoji or other supported inputs.

Once you’ve created your Genmoji, you can use it directly in a Messages conversation.

3. Send a Hand-Drawn Message

Want to send something that feels more personal than another block of text?

Messages lets you create drawings or handwritten-style content on supported versions of iOS and iPadOS.

Open the Messages attachment menu, choose the drawing option when available, sketch your message and send it directly in the conversation.

It’s useful for everything from a quick signature to a simple diagram or completely unnecessary—but fun—scribble.

4. Use Message Suggestions Instead of Doing Everything Manually

Messages can sometimes recognize useful information inside a conversation and suggest an action.

For example, if someone asks you to send a photo, you may see a relevant action that helps you find photos without manually leaving the conversation and opening another app.

These contextual actions can save a few taps when you’re responding to common requests.

The trick: Look below the text field after receiving a message. You may already have the shortcut you need.

5. Replace the Audio Button With Dictation—or Remove It

Accidentally hitting the audio-message button when you wanted to type can be annoying.

Depending on your iOS version and Messages settings, you may be able to customize what appears in the text field.

If you frequently dictate messages, using dictation can be more useful than an audio recording shortcut.

If you never send voice messages, removing the shortcut can reduce accidental taps.

Check:

Settings > Apps > Messages

Then look for the relevant text-field or message input setting available on your version of iOS.

6. Translate Messages During a Conversation

Messaging someone who speaks another language doesn’t necessarily mean switching between Messages and a translation app.

On supported devices and software versions, Apple provides translation capabilities within supported messaging workflows.

Look for the conversation’s translation option and choose the relevant language.

This is especially useful for ongoing conversations because you don’t have to repeatedly copy and paste individual messages into another app.

Important: Translation availability can depend on the language, device and software version.

7. Separate Unknown Senders and Spam

Your Messages inbox doesn’t have to be a giant list containing friends, businesses, verification codes and random messages from unknown numbers.

iOS provides filtering options that can separate messages from unknown senders and identify potential spam.

Check:

Settings > Apps > Messages

Look for the available filtering and spam-protection options.

Once enabled, your main inbox can become considerably easier to manage.

8. Schedule a Message for Later

This is one of the most useful Messages features if you tend to remember things at the wrong time.

Need to send a birthday message tomorrow morning?

Want to remind someone about something without disturbing them late at night?

On supported versions of iOS and iPadOS, you can schedule a message for later.

Open the conversation, tap the + button, choose Send Later, select the date and time, then confirm.

The message remains scheduled until the selected time.

9. Make Your Messages More Expressive With Text Effects

Plain text doesn’t always convey the tone you intended.

Supported versions of Messages let you add formatting and animated effects to selected text.

Depending on the available options, you can apply effects such as:

• Bold
• Italic
• Underline
• Strikethrough
• Shake
• Explode
• Ripple
• Bloom
• Jitter

To try it, select the text you’re composing and look for Text Effects.

Use these sparingly. A dramatic effect can be funny between friends but probably isn’t ideal for a work message.

10. React With Any Emoji or Sticker

Not every message deserves a written reply.

Sometimes a 👍, 😂 or ❤️ is enough.

Messages lets you respond to messages using Tapbacks, and supported versions also give you more flexibility with emoji and stickers.

Press and hold the message you want to react to, then select the available reaction option.

It’s a quick way to acknowledge a message without creating another unnecessary text.

11. Search Your Messages by Content

Trying to find a specific message from six months ago can feel impossible when you have hundreds of conversations.

Don’t scroll.

Use the Search function in Messages.

Depending on your device and software version, you can search for things such as:

• Names
• Words
• Photos
• Links
• Locations
• Documents
• Other conversation content

For example, instead of scrolling through an entire conversation to find a restaurant address someone sent you, search for the restaurant name.

12. Automatically Delete Used Verification Codes

One-time verification codes can quickly clutter your Messages inbox.

If you regularly receive authentication codes by text, iOS includes an option to automatically remove verification codes after they’re used.

Look under:

Settings > General or Passwords/AutoFill settings, depending on your iOS version

The exact location and wording can change between iOS releases.

If available on your device, enabling automatic cleanup can keep your inbox considerably less cluttered.

13. Edit a Message After Sending It

Made a typo?

Sent the wrong word?

You don’t necessarily have to send a second message saying:

“Sorry, I meant…”

On supported iMessage conversations, press and hold the sent message and choose Edit.

Make the correction and confirm it.

There is a limited editing window, so don’t wait too long after spotting the mistake.

Note: Editing availability and limitations can vary depending on the iOS version and message type.

14. Undo Send When You Really Didn’t Mean to Send It

We’ve all experienced that moment when a message is sent and immediately followed by regret.

If you act quickly enough, Apple Messages can let you undo an iMessage.

Press and hold the message and choose Undo Send.

However, this isn’t a universal “delete it from everyone’s phone whenever you want” feature. There is a short time limit, and compatibility depends on the type of message and the recipient’s software.

So if you send the wrong message, don’t wait.

15. Turn Yourself Into a Memoji

Want to send a more entertaining video message?

Memoji can animate a character using your facial movements.

Choose a Memoji character, start recording, and your facial expressions—including movements of your eyes and mouth—can be reflected by the character.

It’s a fun alternative to sending another ordinary video or voice message.

16. Give Group Chats a Name and Picture

Large group conversations become much easier to recognize when they have a proper name and image.

Instead of searching for a thread containing ten or fifteen people, give it a recognizable identity such as:

• Family
• Weekend Trip
• College Friends
• Football Group
• Work Team

Open the group conversation, tap the group information area and look for the option to change the group name or photo.

Depending on your setup, you can use a photo, emoji, Memoji or other available options.

17. Recover Recently Deleted Messages

Deleted a message by accident?

Don’t immediately assume it’s gone forever.

Apple provides a Recently Deleted area in supported versions of Messages, allowing you to recover eligible deleted conversations or messages during the available retention period.

Open Messages and look for Filters > Recently Deleted.

Select the conversation or messages you want to restore and choose Recover.

The available retention period and recovery options depend on your iOS version.

18. Pin Your Most Important Conversations

If there are a few people you message constantly, stop hunting for their conversations every time you open Messages.

Pin them.

Press and hold a conversation and choose Pin, or use the conversation-management options to add it to your pinned messages.

Pinned conversations stay near the top of your Messages list, making them much easier to access.

You can also remove a conversation from the pinned section whenever you no longer need it there.

Which Apple Messages Features Are Actually Worth Using?

You don’t need to use all 18 features.

For most iPhone users, these are the ones worth learning first:

For everyday convenience:
Search, pinned conversations, Tapbacks and scheduled messages.

For fixing mistakes:
Edit and Undo Send.

For keeping your inbox clean:
Unknown-sender/spam filtering and automatic verification-code cleanup.

For productivity:
Translation, contextual suggestions and writing assistance.

For fun:
Genmoji, Memoji, drawings and message effects.

The best part is that most of these features don’t require you to change how you normally use Messages. They’re simply tools that become useful when you know where to find them.

Final Thoughts

Apple Messages has evolved far beyond a basic texting app.

Whether you want to schedule a message, recover a deleted conversation, find an old photo, correct an embarrassing typo or create a custom Genmoji, there are plenty of features hiding behind menus and long-press gestures.

The next time you open Messages, try a few of these features instead of treating the app as nothing more than a text box.

You may find that some of the most useful iPhone features you’ve been missing were already sitting inside the app you use every day.