As excitement builds around Apple’s upcoming iOS 26 update, it’s worth diving into the engaging features available in iOS 18. One standout aspect is the ability to animate texts and emojis in the Messages app, which adds a fun twist to your conversations. Let’s explore how you can enhance your messaging experience with these features today.
Animating Text in Messages on Your iPhone
To enjoy the various text effects in the Messages app, ensure your device is equipped with iOS 18 or later. To check your iOS version, navigate to Settings → General → About.
Once confirmed, open your Messages app and select an existing conversation or initiate a new one.
Start typing your message, and then tap the effects button (A) located within the suggestion bar beneath your message input.
If you prefer, simply double-tap a word to highlight it or select the entire message to access the Text Effects option.
A menu will emerge showcasing a variety of effects such as Ripple, Jitter, or Shake. You can experiment with each effect to see how they change your message.
Interestingly, you can combine multiple animations on a single phrase; for example, applying different effects to different words.
Additionally, these playful animations can also be applied to your emojis and stickers. If you’re curious about using Emoji Kitchen on your iPhone, check out our guide on that too.
Beyond this, text formatting options such as bold, italic, underline, and strikethrough are also available directly from the menu.
If you’ve already sent a message and wish to add effects later, you can do so within a recent time frame. Unfortunately, editing older messages isn’t permitted.
Long-press on the message you want to edit and select Edit from the drop-down.
After tapping the effects icon, you can insert your animations before saving your changes by hitting the tick icon on the right.
Enhancing Messages with Additional Text Effects
If you’re looking to make your messages even more eye-catching, consider using additional text effects.
In the Messages app, compose your message, but refrain from sending it immediately. Instead, long press the Send button on the right side.
A set of effect options will appear on the right side of the screen. For instance, selecting “Invisible Ink”will blur your message, keeping it hidden until the recipient swipes to reveal it. After choosing your desired effect, press the small blue arrow to send.
These effects are applied to the message bubble itself. Alternatively, tap the Screen tab at the top for immersive full-screen effects.
As demonstrated in the previews, these effects will cover the entire screen. Swipe right to explore options like Spotlight, Balloons, and Confetti. You can also include emojis and stickers in your messages, similar to the previous effects. To send your message with the chosen effect, simply click the small blue arrow.
Keep in mind that these effects will only play the first time the recipient views your message. However, they can replay it later by tapping the Replay button located below the message.
Triggering Reactions in Messages
Certain keywords can trigger automatic reactions in the Messages app. For example, typing “Happy Birthday”will instantly fill the screen with balloons. This feature utilizes the full-screen effects but doesn’t require you to manually select an effect.
Here are additional phrases that can elicit reactions:
- Congratulations – sends confetti
- Pew pew – launches a laser light show
- Happy New Year – ignites fireworks
Turning Off Message Animation Effects
If you find these effects distracting, you have the option to disable them.
Simply open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad and navigate to Accessibility → Motion.
Here, activate the Reduce Motion option and turn off the toggle for Auto-Play Message Effects.
After mastering these text animation features in Messages, consider learning how to create text shortcuts on your iPhone to enhance your typing efficiency.
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