iOS 18 Makes Messages Fun (and More Useful) Again

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During Apple's WWDC 2024 keynote, the company has finally revealed more about what's coming in iOS 18. Messages is one of the apps that seems to be getting the most updates, with many new features on the way that aim to make iMessage more fun and useful. The new features in Messages app will ship with a public update in Fall 2024, but users on the Public Beta will be able to try them out as early as July 2024. Here's a quick summary of all the new stuff you can expect to see in Messages later this year.

Tapback

Credit: Apple

In iOS 18, Tapbacks, the feature that allows you to react to an iMessage with a question mark or a "ha ha," for example, is getting a nice overhaul. In iOS 18, you'll be able to reply to messages using any emoji, something that has been popularized by WhatsApp and Instagram. Tapback icons are also getting a redesign, and will be more colorful.

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Schedule messages

Credit: Apple

In iOS, you'll finally be able to schedule messages to send later, something that's missing from other popular messaging apps, like WhatsApp. With the feature, you'll be able to write a message and schedule it to send it out later in the day, or the next day, for example.

Text formatting

iMessage is getting old-school text formatting. With iOS 18, you can bold, underline, and italicize text in Messages.

New text effects

Credit: Apple

You'll also be able to add effects to just some text in a message, rather than the entire message. This includes effects like jitter, shake, bounce, and more.

Message from satellite

Apple is building on top of Emergency SOS calling feature that lets you place emergency calls using Satellite access, and is bringing it to Messages as well. You will be able to send iMessages, emojis, an Tapbacks using Satellites. It will work for SMS as well.

RCS on iPhone is really happening

We knew RCS was coming to the iPhone this year, but we didn't know when, exactly. We still don't know all details, but we know for sure that it's shipping with iOS 18.