Starting a Simple Message

Let’s start with the basics:

1. In the Messages app, tap the Compose icon.

2. Start typing a contact name, email address, or phone number in the To field. You can keep typing or tap to accept a suggestion.

3. Enter your note in the message field and tap the Send icon.

Once a message thread is created, tap it in Messages to open it, tap the message field, and type your message as described above.

Use Emojis in Messages

Emojis are fun, but digging through the emoji picker isn’t. The QuickType bar suggests emojis as you type (Figure 56). Tap one of the suggestions to replace the current word with that emoji.

Add Bubble and Screen Effects

Messages lets you add bubble and screen effects. Bubble effects affect just the message bubble while screen effects are displayed all over the conversation.

To view effects, touch and hold the Send icon. Switch between the two types of effects with the bar at the top of the screen:

• Use Bubble Effects: Tap the dot next to a bubble effect to see a preview. Tap the Send icon to send your message with that effect, or back out with the cancel button.

• Use Screen Effects: Swipe to switch between screen effect previews. Tap the Send icon to send your message with that effect. Tap the cancel button to cancel.

Take Photos and Apply Camera Effects

Tap the camera icon to the left of the message field to open the Camera app inside Messages. But the Camera app inside Messages has a few differences from the standalone app: it displays the Camera Effects button as you’re taking the picture, and after you take a photo it displays buttons to add Camera Effects , edit the photo , mark it up , or attach it to a message . If you tap Done in the upper-right corner, Camera places the photo in the message without sending it.

Refer back to Apply Camera Effects and Markup.

Send and Listen to Voice Messages

You can exchange audio messages with users of iOS 8 or later, users of Mac OS X 10.10 El Capitan or later, and Apple Watch wearers.

Press and hold the audio icon to the right of the message box (it appears only when there’s nothing in the message box). When a controller bar appears, recording starts, and you see an audio wave and a timer to the left. Don’t lift your finger until you’re done recording. Let go of the icon to stop recording.

Tap the Play button for a preview, delete the recording by tapping the delete icon, or send it by tapping the arrow .

To hear a voice message you’ve received, tap its Play button (Figure 57). Alternatively, simply hold the iPhone up to your ear.

Write a Message by Hand

To add a personal touch, you can send a handwritten note:

• Enter handwriting mode: Tap the Handwriting key on the keyboard—you may have to rotate the device to landscape orientation first.

• Write a note: Draw on the screen with your finger, a stylus, or (on newer iPads) an Apple Pencil.

• Scroll around the canvas: Drag with two fingers.

• Leave handwriting mode: Tap Done to finish your note and insert it in the message. Tap the Keyboard icon to discard the note.

• Insert previous or predefined notes: On the iPhone, tap one of the scripts at the bottom of the screen. On the iPad, tap the History icon to reveal previous and predefined notes.

Reply with Tapback

Tapback lets you respond quickly to messages without typing: Touch, hold, and release a message bubble to reveal a popover with tapback icons. Tap one to add it to a message (Figure 58).

You can have only one tapback response on a message at a time, but you can change it later. Also, you can remove a tapback by opening the popover again and tapping on the current tapback icon.

Use Messages Apps

Here’s how to use Messages apps:

1. If the app drawer isn’t showing, tap the App Store icon to the left of the message field.

2. Tap an app in the app drawer. If the app isn’t showing, swipe left and right to view more apps (Figure 59).

   

   If the app isn’t in the app drawer, tap More to show all apps. You can favorite apps in this view to make them always available in the app drawer. Tap Edit and tap the green plus button or red delete button to add or remove apps from favorites.

   You can also delete apps in the More view by swiping left on an app and tapping Remove from Favorites.

3. After you tap an app, it displays in Messages, where the keyboard usually is. Tap an icon to insert it in your message. You can also make an app fullscreen by swiping up on the drawer.

Place Stickers

Some Messages apps offer stickers, which you can tap to insert into a message, or place on top of messages by tapping, holding, and dragging them onto the message bubble.

Unfortunately, they’re a pain to remove:

1. Touch and hold a placed sticker.

2. Tap Sticker Details.

3. On the Sticker Details screen, swipe the sticker you want to delete from right to left to reveal Delete.

4. Tap Delete.

Deal with Groups

Certain options are displayed only in a group message:

• Name a group: Tap Enter a Group Name to label the group message. The group name replaces the participants’ names at the top of the chat’s thread and in the chat’s entry in your messages list.

• Leave a group chat: You can leave a group chat that just won’t end. Tap Leave this Conversation; you may have to scroll down to find it.

• Add a contact to a chat: Not only can you leave an ongoing conversation, but you can also invite someone else to it. Tap Add Contact.

• Mute a chat: To remain in the chat but stop receiving a notification each time a new message arrives, enable Hide Alerts.

Manage All Attachments

All chat attachments appear in a grid in Details view. Attachments are split into multiple sections, like photos, links, locations, and attachments.

Here’s how to work with Messages attachments:

• Save and share images and attachments: Tap an image or attachment to open it. Tap the Share icon and either choose Save Image or Save to Files or another place to send the image or attachment.

• Delete images and attachments: Touch and hold an image or attachment and tap Delete on the popover.

Share Your Location

It can often be useful to share you physical location with others. Here’s how:

• Share your location once: Tap Send My Current Location to send a map showing your current location to the chat.

  Message participants can tap the attachment that appears to open a Maps-like view of your location. From that view, they can start navigating toward you by tapping Directions To Here.

• Share your location over time: Tap Share My Location to let message participants monitor your location for 1 hour, until the end of the day, or indefinitely.

Message participants can view a map of your location in the Details view. They can tap the map for more location-related options.

Sharing your location over time shares it with the people in the chat, not just within the chat itself. Chat members can see your location in the Find My app (see Use Find My) and in any other chats you have with them.