Get funky with Messages in iOS

Add text effects and more to your chats

- PHIL KING

WHEN CHATTING TO friends and family with the Messages app in iOS 18, you can now add special animated effects to the text itself using the new Text Effects menu. This is ideal for emphasizing certain words, or just adding a bit of extra impact to your messages. There are eight animated text effects to play with, such as Big, Shake, Explode, and Jitter. You can even add more than one effect to different parts of a message. Note that the recipient will only see these text effects if they're also running iOS 18 or later on their device.

Alongside the new text effects, you can add message bubble and full-screen animation effects, as previously, to make conversations more stimulating and fun. In iOS 18.2, you're even able to use Apple Intelligence to create custom emojis to use in your messaging.

HOW TO Add text effects

1. Open effects menu

In the Messages app, click the text field at the bottom of the screen to open the on-screen keyboard as usual. Tap the Text Effects button (an A with lines on its left side) on the right-hand side of the bar above the keyboard.

2. Send with effect

There are eight animated text effects available: Big, Small, Shake, Nod, Explode, Ripple, Bloom, and Jitter. Select one and then tap the blue circle with the white up arrow to send your message with the chosen effect.

3. Highlight text