Mastering Apple Phone Text Messages on Your iPhone

You can quickly switch between conversations by tapping the "Back" button in the top left corner of the screen, which brings you back to the conversation list.

To start a new conversation, tap the "Compose" button in the top right corner, which allows you to enter the recipient's phone number or name.

The iPhone keyboard offers a "Predictive Text" feature that helps you type faster by suggesting words based on what you've typed so far.

You can also use the "Dictation" feature to send messages hands-free by tapping the microphone icon and speaking your message.

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Sending a message on your iPhone or iPad is straightforward. Open the Messages app and tap the Compose button to start a new message.

You can also use inline replies and mentions to call attention to specific messages and people within the messages, a feature available with iOS 14 and later.

To send a text message from your other number, you need to have Dual SIM set up on your iPhone. This allows you to tap your number to switch to your other outgoing line as you compose your message.

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To turn on iMessage, go to the Settings app on your iPhone and tap Apps, then tap Messages. Turn on iMessage and select which of your phone numbers and email addresses you want to use with iMessage.

iMessage is a secure messaging service that allows you to send and receive text messages in the Messages app on your iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and Apple Vision Pro.

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You can pin important conversations to keep them easily accessible. This feature is available in iOS 14 and later, allowing you to pin up to nine conversations.

To manage your conversations, you can also change the background for a Messages conversation. This is a fun way to personalize your conversations and make them stand out.

To do this, open the conversation you want to add a background to, tap the name of the person or group at the top, and then tap Backgrounds. From there, you can select the type of background you want to use and tap the Done button.

You can also stop notifications for a conversation by swiping left over the conversation and tapping the Hide Alerts button. This will stop notifications only for that conversation, not your entire device.

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You can delete a message on your iPhone or iPad by following the steps in the Messages app.

To edit a sent message, press down on the sent text and select Edit from the menu, which is available on iOS 16 or higher.

You're limited to editing a message within 15 minutes of sending it, so act fast if you spot a typo.

If your recipient is running an older OS, they'll receive a new message with the corrected text while the original message remains with a notice saying it was edited.

If you accidentally delete a message, you can get it back by going to Settings > Messages > Keep Messages and setting the duration for keeping deleted messages.

To restore a deleted message, tap Filters at the upper-left corner and select Recently Deleted, then tap the message or conversation you wish to bring back and tap Recover.

Confirm your action and the text returns to your inbox.

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You can change the background for a Messages conversation in iOS 16 by tapping the name of the person or group, then Backgrounds, and finally selecting the type of background you want to use.

To stop notifications for a conversation, swipe left over the conversation and tap the Hide Alerts button. This will stop notifications only for that conversation, not your entire device.

In iOS 17 or later, you can set Messages to automatically delete verification codes by going to Settings > General > AutoFill & Passwords and turning on Delete After Use. This will ensure your phone deletes verification codes after they've been used with AutoFill.

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If Apple Intelligence is turned on, you can use it to automatically translate text in Messages. This feature is really useful when communicating with people who speak different languages.

You can see how to enable Translate messages, calls, and conversations by checking the Apple Intelligence settings.

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You can silence conversation notifications by muting specific conversations in the Messages app.

To mute a conversation, you'll need to swipe left over the conversation and tap the Hide Alerts button.

The Hide Alerts button will appear next to the conversation, indicating that notifications have been turned off for that conversation only.

You'll still receive notifications for other messages and see them on your Lock Screen.

Here's a quick step-by-step guide to silencing conversation notifications:

Note that muting a conversation doesn't turn off notifications for your entire device, just for that specific conversation.

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If you're like me, you don't want your phone cluttered with old verification codes. To keep your Messages app organized, you can set it to automatically delete these codes after use.

To do this, head to the Settings app and tap General. From there, tap AutoFill & Passwords and turn on Delete After Use. This setting is available in iOS 17 or later, so make sure your phone is up to date.

With this setting on, your phone will automatically delete verification codes in Messages or Mail after the code has been used with AutoFill. This is a simple way to keep your phone tidy and prevent accidental reuse of old codes.

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To choose which devices receive SMS, MMS, or RCS text messages, you need to set up text message forwarding. This feature allows you to share messages between your Apple devices without requiring Messages in iCloud.

Text message forwarding is built into Messages in iCloud, but you can still use it even if you're not using iCloud to save storage space. Note that availability varies by region and carrier.

To set up text message forwarding, go to the Settings app on your iPhone and tap Apps, then tap Messages. Tap Text Message Forwarding, then turn on any devices you want to include.

If any devices aren't appearing in the list, see the Apple Support article Forward text messages from your iPhone to other devices. You'll need to enter a six-digit activation code that appears on the other device if you're not using two-factor authentication.

Here's a quick rundown of the steps to set up text message forwarding:

Finding the right emoji or sticker can make all the difference in a text message. You can search for it by opening a message, tapping the plus icon, and selecting Stickers.

To browse through different collections, type a word or phrase to find a sticker or emoji you want to use. You can also swipe down the screen and select Bitmoji to access more options.

If you're looking for a specific emoji or sticker, you can type it in and the options will pop up. This feature is especially helpful if you're trying to convey a specific message or emotion.

You can also use the category menu to access more stickers. Tap the plus icon, select Stickers, and then swipe down the screen to view more categories.

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You can clean up inbox clutter by filtering out all the one-time alerts and messages from unknown senders. Go to Settings > Messages and turn on Filter Unknown Senders under the Message Filtering section.

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To filter messages by sender, tap Filters in the upper-left corner of the Messages app and choose between Known Senders (anyone in your contacts) and Unknown Senders (anyone who is not).

You can also pin important conversations to keep them at the top of your conversation list. Just touch and hold a conversation to pin it. In iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 and later, you can pin up to nine conversations.

To stop notifications for a conversation, swipe left over the conversation and tap the Hide Alerts button. This will stop notifications only for that conversation, not your device.

Here's a quick rundown of the filtering options:

Pinning important conversations can help you keep track of what matters most. You can touch and hold a conversation to pin it.

In iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 and later, you can pin up to nine conversations. This means you can quickly access the most important chats without having to scroll through your entire conversation list.

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Filtering out unwanted messages can be a game-changer for keeping your inbox clutter-free.

You can filter out one-time alerts and messages from unknown senders by going to Settings > Messages and turning on Filter Unknown Senders under the Message Filtering section.

In the Messages app, tapping Filters in the upper-left corner gives you the option to choose Known Senders to filter out alerts or spam messages from people you don't know.

Choosing Unknown Senders allows you to easily get rid of messages you don't want.

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You can customize the background for a Messages conversation in iOS by following a few simple steps. Tap the name of the person or group at the top, then tap Backgrounds.

To add a background, you'll need to choose the type you want to use. You can tap Done once you've made your selection.

You can quickly react to a text with an emoji or sticker in iOS/iPadOS 18 by pressing down on the text and tapping the grey smiley face.

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To change the background for a Messages conversation in iOS, you'll need to tap the name of the person or group at the top.

This will open up a menu where you can select a new background for your conversation. You can choose from a variety of options, including solid colors and patterns.

To apply a new background, simply tap on the type of background you want to use, and then tap the Done button.

That's it! You've successfully changed the background for your Messages conversation.

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You can easily hide new alerts for specific conversations or groups to minimize distractions. To do this, open the conversation and tap the icon for the person or group at the top.

Turning on the switch next to Hide Alerts will stop notifications for that particular conversation, but you'll still receive messages and see notifications for other conversations on your Lock Screen.

If you want to mute notifications for a specific conversation, you can swipe left over the conversation and tap the Hide Alerts button.

Here are the steps to follow:

By following these simple steps, you can take control of your message notifications and customize your experience to suit your needs.

Adding an emoji or sticker as a tapback response is a fun way to react to a text. You can press down on the text you received and tap the grey smiley face next to the message to choose a sticker or emoji.

To access stickers, tap the plus (+) icon to the left of the iMessage field within a conversation. This will open up a menu with various categories, including Stickers.

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You can mention someone by name in a text message to make it easier for them to see or respond to texts that reference their name.

To do this, type the person's first name, then tap the name and select the person from the pop-up icon, or type @ followed by the person's name, and it will automatically turn into a mention.

Mentioning someone by name can be a great way to get their attention and ensure they see important messages.

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You can also use this feature to tag multiple people in a single text message, making it easy for them to see and respond to the message.

If you want to add a personal touch to your messages, you can use the camera icon to take a photo, the picture icon to add an existing photo, or the smiley icon to add an emoji.

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