Apple’s Messages app has grown far beyond basic texting. With iOS 27, it combines iMessage, RCS, polls, conversation backgrounds, Live Translation, Apple Intelligence, Genmoji, scheduling and several lesser-known tricks.
Here are 18 Messages features worth knowing.
1. Create Polls in Group Chats
Can’t decide where to eat or when to meet? Tap + → Polls and create a poll with up to 12 choices. People in the conversation can vote and even add additional options. Apple Intelligence can also suggest creating a poll when it detects multiple choices being discussed.
2. Add Custom Conversation Backgrounds
Open a conversation, tap the person’s or group’s name and select Backgrounds.
You can choose dynamic designs such as Sky, Water and Aurora, use one of your photos, or generate an original background with Image Playground on compatible devices. Everyone in the iMessage conversation can see the selected background.
3. Translate Messages Automatically
Live Translation can automatically translate incoming and outgoing messages between supported languages.
Open the conversation, tap the person’s name and configure translation. Apple says translation processing in Messages runs on-device.
4. Let Apple Intelligence Summarize Conversations
Have dozens of unread messages in a busy group chat?
Apple Intelligence can display a short summary of unread messages directly in your conversation list, helping you understand what happened without reading every message.
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5. Use Smart Reply
Apple Intelligence can analyze a conversation and suggest relevant responses above the keyboard.
Tap a suggestion, review or edit it, and send. It’s especially handy when you need to answer quickly.
6. Create Your Own Genmoji
Can’t find the right emoji? Create one.
With Apple Intelligence, Genmoji lets you describe the emoji you want and generate something original, such as a dog wearing sunglasses or a smiling robot drinking coffee.
7. Generate Images Inside Messages
Image Playground lets you create original images without leaving your conversation.
Describe an image, generate it and share the result directly through Messages.
8. Improve Messages With Writing Tools
Before sending an important text, highlight what you’ve written and use Writing Tools.
Apple Intelligence can proofread your message, rewrite it and adjust its tone, helping make your text more professional, friendly or concise.
9. Schedule a Message for Later
Don’t want to text someone at midnight?
Use Send Later to schedule an iMessage for a more appropriate time. This is useful for birthday messages, reminders and work-related conversations.
10. Edit a Sent iMessage
Made a typo after tapping Send?
Touch and hold the message and choose Edit. You can correct mistakes without sending another message explaining what you meant.
11. Undo a Sent Message
Messages also provides Undo Send for iMessage.
Touch and hold a recently sent message and select Undo Send when available.
It’s particularly useful when you’ve accidentally sent something to the wrong conversation.
12. Reply Directly to a Specific Message
Busy group chats can become confusing quickly.
Swipe right on a message bubble or touch and hold it and choose Reply. Your response remains connected to that particular message, making conversations easier to follow.
13. Use Tapbacks for Quick Reactions
You don’t always need to write a response.
Touch and hold a message and use a Tapback reaction. Messages supports familiar reactions and additional expressive options, including emoji and stickers.
14. Copy Only Part of a Message
You don’t have to copy an entire text bubble anymore.
Touch and hold a message, tap Select, highlight only the words you need and choose Copy.
It’s a small feature, but incredibly useful for copying addresses, confirmation numbers or other information from long messages.
15. Check the Exact Time a Message Was Sent
Want to know exactly when someone sent a message?
Open the conversation and swipe left across the message bubbles. Messages reveals timestamps for individual messages.
16. Send High-Quality Photos, Videos and Audio
Tap the + button beside the text field to quickly access Photos, Camera, Audio, location sharing and other iMessage apps.
You can also rearrange these apps so the tools you use most appear first.
17. Take Advantage of RCS Messaging
Messaging Android users has become considerably better thanks to RCS support on participating carriers.
Compared with traditional SMS/MMS, RCS can provide modern messaging capabilities such as higher-quality media and improved group conversations. Messages still displays non-iMessage conversations with green bubbles.
18. Use Siri to Read and Reply to Messages
When your hands are busy, ask Siri to read your latest message or help you respond.
For example: “Read my last message.”
You can then dictate a reply without manually opening the conversation.
Which Features Require Apple Intelligence?
Not everything on this list needs a new iPhone. Features such as inline replies, Tapbacks, timestamps and many standard Messages tools work without Apple Intelligence.
However, iOS 27 features including Smart Reply, message summaries, AI-generated backgrounds and enhanced intelligent suggestions require an Apple Intelligence-compatible device. Apple currently lists iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max, the iPhone 16 family and later compatible models. Availability also varies by language and region.
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Verdict
If you mainly use Messages for typing and sending texts, you’re missing many of its best features.
Start with polls, custom backgrounds, Live Translation, Send Later and inline replies. If you have an Apple Intelligence-compatible iPhone, features such as Genmoji, Smart Reply, message summaries and Image Playground make Messages even more capable.
Many of these tools only take a few seconds to learn but can make everyday conversations noticeably easier.
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