Apple has some major upgrades to the Messages app in the just-released iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia. Messages adds new tapback options, message scheduling, text formatting with bold and italics, new effects, RCS support, and more. Here’s everything that’s new in Messages on iOS 18.
Emoji tapbacks and new tapback designs
Tapbacks have gone unchanged on the iPhone for years, but in iOS 18 they finally get some big improvements.
For starters, you can now send any emoji as a message tapback. Gone are the days of being limited to a handful of tapback reactions. In iOS 18, you can send a tapback with the eyes-looking emoji, or barf emoji, or anything else that fits the occasion. If emoji options aren’t enough, you can also use stickers as tapbacks.
The default tapbacks are sticking around, but they get a facelift in iOS 18. The classic thumbs up, heart, and more are splashed with full color and new designs that make them fit in better among the wider array of new tapback options.
Schedule messages for later
We’ve all had an occasion where we wanted to send a message later. In iOS 18, that’s finally possible. No more need to ask Siri to remind you to send something later, you can simply schedule it yourself.
Prep a message in iOS 18 and, if you don’t want to send it right away, you can choose a later day and time for it to automatically go out. The option is available by pressing the + button on the left side of the screen and selecting the new Send Later option.
Text formatting and special effects
Messages was the last major Apple app that supports text input but never supported rich text formatting options like bold and italics. That changes in iOS 18, where you can customize the formatting of words in your message to implement the standard four formatting styles:
- Bold
- Italics
- Underline
- Strikethrough
Joining these options are eight neat special effects that can also be applied on a per-character basis:
- Big
- Small
- Shake
- Nod
- Explode
- Ripple
- Bloom
- Jitter
I’m not exactly sure which messaging occasions will call for some of these effects, but they’re nice options to have nonetheless.
RCS support
RCS is a newer, more capable text message protocol that serves as a successor to SMS and MMS. Essentially, by adding RCS support in iOS 18, your conversations with Android users should be more reliable than before.
When communicating over iMessage, everything is the same as before. Your blue bubble conversations don’t change. But in those situations when, say, you’re in a group chat that includes a green bubble friend, RCS should make the experience better for everyone.
- What is RCS? Everything you should know about iOS 18’s major Messages change
- Here’s how to check if your carrier already supports RCS on iPhone
Everything else
Genmoji: Though not exclusive to Messages, the place you’re bound to use Genmoji most is in your conversations with friends and family. These AI-generated emoji will provide endless potential for future emoji communications when they arrive later this year.
Image Playground: Similarly, the new Image Playground tools for creating AI images in a variety of styles will be a useful option to have baked into the Messages app when it launches later this year alongside other Apple Intelligence features.
Messages via Satellite: Messages in iOS 18 also includes support for a new Messages via Satellite feature that’s designed to help you out in situations where you don’t have access to a Wi-Fi or cellular connection.
Wrap-up
Messages in iOS 18 provides a variety of new tools and features that are bound to get a lot of use. Though the core of the app remains the same, Apple has provided enhancements that make not only iMessage but also Android conversations better than ever.
What are your favorite features in iOS 18’s Messages app? Let us know in the comments.
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