(Credit: René Ramos; PCMag, Apple)
Apple Messages is your default option for texting on an iPhone or iPad, but it can handle a lot more than that. You can spruce up your messages with photos, videos, emoji, stickers, music, animated GIFs, and other cool content. You're also able to dictate messages, organize texts, filter out unknown senders, and pin frequent conversations at the top. With iOS 26 and iPadOS 26, you can generate polls, create custom backgrounds, view live translations of texts, and even filter messages from unknown senders and suspected spammers. To enjoy the latest enhancements, make sure you’re running the current operating system. Now, let’s check out our top 18 tricks to help you do more with Apple Messages.
1. Generate a Poll
Want to survey everyone in the group chat? If you're all running iOS 26 or higher, you'll be able to create a poll. To do this, open the group chat, tap the plus (+) icon, and select Polls. At the messaging screen, type an option for each of the choices—you can add more than three if you wish. In the comment field, pose your question, then send the text. Each of the participants can tap one of the options, and you’ll see the responses in the chat.
(Credit: Apple/PCMag)2. Create Custom Backgrounds
In iOS 26, you can also set a custom background for each chat. To do this, open a specific conversation and tap the contact or group name at the top, then select Background. You can choose a specific color or design by tapping its icon or use a photo (maybe one of the contacts) by tapping the Photos icon, choosing an image, and then cropping and editing it as needed. When you return to the chat, the new background will be visible.
(Credit: Apple/PCMag)3. View Live Translations
Ever need to chat with someone who speaks a different language? You can now view live translations of their messages. For this, you’ll need iOS 26 or iPadOS 26 and a device that supports Apple Intelligence. To check this out, open the existing conversation thread, tap the person’s icon at the top, enable Automatically Translate, then tap the Translate from option to confirm the other language. Their next text will automatically be translated.
(Credit: Apple/PCMag)4. Filter Messages
With iOS 26 and iPadOS 26, you can filter messages from unknown senders and potential spammers. To set this up, go to Settings > Apps > Messages and turn on Screen Unknown Senders and Filter Spam. Open the Messages app and tap the three-lined icon in the upper right. From the menu, you can then tap Unknown Senders or Spam to see the messages filtered by each category.
(Credit: Apple/PCMag)5. Send a Rich Text Message to an Android User
With iOS/iPadOS 18 or higher, you can send RCS messages to Android users by default. Such messages are a huge improvement over standard SMS texts as they can include larger file attachments, higher-quality photos and videos, audio messages, read receipts, and more types of emoji. To try this, make sure the option is enabled under Settings > Apps > Messages > RCS Messaging. Now, when you go to the Messages app and open a conversation with an Android user, the text field should say Text Message - RCS.
(Credit: Apple/PCMag)Even better, iOS 26.5 automatically encrypts your RCS messages between iOS and Android devices, so no one can read them as they travel between devices. With RCS encryption in beta mode to start, there are a couple of requirements. First, your carrier must support RCS encryption. To check, go to Apple's support page and look for the name of your carrier. Second, your Android counterparts must be running the latest version of Google Messages.
To update your phone, go to Settings > General > Software Update and tap the Update Now button to download and install iOS 26.5 or higher.
Encryption is automatically enabled, but you should still double-check. For that, head to Settings > Apps > Messages. Swipe down the screen to the Text Messaging section. Tap RCS Messaging and make sure the switch is on for End-to-End Encryption (Beta).
(Credit: Apple/PCMag)To ensure your messages are encrypted, start or continue a conversation with one of your Android contacts. Swipe to the top of the message thread, and you should see a lock icon followed by the word Encrypted.
(Credit: Apple/PCMag)6. Schedule a Text
Don't want to send a text right away? With iOS/iPadOS 18 or higher, you can schedule a text. From the app, open a conversation, tap the plus (+) icon, and select Send Later. Choose the date and time, then tap the blue arrow. Your screen displays the label Send Later and shows when the text will be sent. Your recipient will then receive it on the chosen day and time.
(Credit: Apple/PCMag)7. Format or Animate Text in a Message
Starting in iOS/iPadOS 18, you can spruce up the text in a message by applying special formatting or animation effects. Open a conversation in the Messages app and compose your message. Select the words you want to format and tap Text Effects from the pop-up menu. The text can then be changed to bold, italics, underline, or strikethrough. For even fancier options, try one of the special effects—Big, Small, Shake, Nod, Explode, Ripple, Bloom, or Jitter.
(Credit: Apple/PCMag)8. Add Any Emoji or Sticker as a Tapback Response
Ever get a text that doesn’t really need a full response? You can quickly respond with an emoji or sticker using the tapback feature. Long-press on a text and tap the gray smiley face next to the message. Choose a sticker or emoji to attach to the message as your response.
(Credit: Apple/PCMag)9. Access All Your Message Apps in One Place
To spice up your texts, you can add content from a variety of apps and services, including photos, stickers, emoji, videos, audio, and more. In the past, finding and adding the right content was a clumsy process, but Apple changed that a few years ago by creating a dedicated menu from which you can grab the content you want. All you have to do is tap the plus (+) icon to the left of the iMessage field within a conversation. A menu pops up with categories for Camera, Photos, Stickers, Apple Cash, Audio, Location, and More. Tap the category you want to view; to view other categories, swipe down the screen, or tap More, then select the one you wish to access.
(Credit: Apple/PCMag)10. Use Search Filters
You can find specific message types based on their content. Just tap the Search field at the top or bottom of the screen in Messages. Swipe down, and you’ll see thumbnails of messages with links, photos, locations, documents, and more. Tap the item you wish to view, and the conversation will open.
(Credit: Apple/PCMag)11. Automatically Remove One-Time Verification Codes
How many one-time verification codes do you regularly receive? After you confirm the code, those messages linger in your inbox. Instead, you can set them to automatically delete once you no longer need them. Go to Settings > AutoFill & Passwords, and enable Delete After Use under the Verification Codes section. The next time you confirm a code texted to you, the message will be automatically removed. These codes can also be managed from the Apple Passwords app.
(Credit: Apple/PCMag)12. Edit a Sent Message
How many times have you caught a mistake in a sent text? That's no longer an issue if you can edit it quickly enough. To edit a message, press down on the sent text and select Edit from the menu. Fix the mistake, then tap the check mark to send the corrected version. You’re limited to just 15 minutes after sending the initial message, so don’t delay if you spot an error.
(Credit: Apple/PCMag)13. Unsend a Sent Message
Do you ever send a message to the wrong person and wish you could undo it? To take back a text, press down on it and select Undo Send from the menu. The text disappears on the recipient’s end with a notice that you unsent a message. The full effect works only with iMessage texts, not SMS or MMS messages. You also have just two minutes to unsend a text, so you’ll need to be quick here.
(Credit: Apple/PCMag)14. Record and Add a Memoji
Here’s a cool way to send an audio message. From the app menu, swipe down the screen and select Memoji. Choose your favorite character, then tap the red recording button. Record your message, and the feature will capture your eye and mouth movements and apply them to the character you've chosen. When done, tap the recording button again and send your text.
(Credit: Apple/PCMag)15. Dictate Your Message
Instead of struggling to tap out a text with your fingers, why not dictate it? Tap the microphone icon, either the one next to the iMessage field or the one below the keyboard. Then just speak what you wanted to type. When done, take a moment to review the message for errors; you can easily fix mistakes by tapping in the area and correcting the glitch before sending.
(Credit: Apple/PCMag)16. Add a Group Name and Photo
You can set up both a name and an image for each of your group conversations by tapping the icons at the top and selecting Change Name and Photo. You'll be able to add a name and select an image for the group by taking a picture, adding an existing photo, emoji, or Memoji, or creating an image with text and color. Tap Done and then Done again to save your changes.
(Credit: Apple/PCMag)17. Restore Deleted Messages
If you accidentally delete a message, you can get it back. Your iPhone stores deleted messages for a certain amount of time. To set this up, go to Settings > Apps > Messages > Keep Messages and set the duration for keeping deleted messages to 30 days, 1 year, or Forever. To restore a deleted message from the Messages app, tap Filters at the upper-left corner and select Recently Deleted. Tap the message or conversation you wish to bring back and then tap Recover to return it to your inbox.
(Credit: Apple/PCMag)18. Pin a Conversation
Trying to hunt down a specific thread among all the conversations that appear in your inbox can be challenging. This is why the Messages app allows you to pin up to nine conversations at the top of the screen so they’re always accessible. You can do this by pressing down on it and selecting Pin from the menu or by dragging it to the top of the list. Another option is to tap the ellipsis icon at the top, select Edit Pins, and then tap the Pin icon next to the conversation you want to pin. To remove a pin, press down on it and select Unpin or tap the ellipsis icon, select Edit Pins, and then tap the minus (-) icon next to the conversation.
(Credit: Apple/PCMag)