Everything New in the iOS 18 Messages App

[MacRumors]

iOS 18 is bringing major changes to the Messages app, with Apple adding Tapback reaction changes new formatting, updated effects, satellite support, better texting with green bubble people, and eventually, several fun Apple Intelligence features.

This guide highlights everything that's new in the iOS 18 Messages app, and what's coming later.

Send Later

iOS 18 adds the option to schedule an iMessage to be sent to someone at a later time or date. If you know someone's birthday is coming up, for example, you can schedule a happy birthday text to them ahead of the date so it's ready to go.

Scheduling a message can be only be done in conversations with other iMessage users, and it is not an option when texting with an Android user. It works in both individual and group chats, as long as all participants have an Apple device and access to iMessage.

To schedule a message, follow these steps:

1. Open up a conversation in the Messages app.
2. Tap on the "+" button on the left side of the text box.
3. Tap on More.
4. Choose Send Later.
5. Type in your Message.
6. To change the send time, tap on the blue bubble that defaults to Tomorrow 9:00 am. From there, you will have a slider that lets you input a date and a time.
7. With your time selected and your message typed in, tap on the blue arrow to schedule it.

Messages can be scheduled up to 14 days in advance, so if it's August 1, for example, you can schedule up to August 15. Messages are sent even if your iPhone is offline without a Wi-Fi or cellular connection.

Scheduled messages are displayed at the bottom of a conversation. If you want to change the time of a message or cancel it, tap on the "Edit" button. You will have options to edit the time, delete the message, or send it immediately.

Tapback Reactions

Tapbacks are those little characters you can use to respond to a message by long pressing on it, so you don't need to type out a whole response to something that can be answered with a thumbs up or a heart. iOS 18 has two key updates for Tapbacks.

Updated Design

The six standard Tapback icons now feature color and more detail. You can see the new look when long pressing on a text to respond, and in the Tapbacks that you receive.

When you tap on a Tapback you've received on a message, you can now see who sent what, which is useful if you are in a group chat and get multiple Tapback responses.

Emoji Support

Along with the six classic Tapback responses, you can now choose any emoji character when using Tapback. After long pressing to respond to a message, swipe to the left to see common emoji responses or tap on the generic emoji icon thought bubble to bring up the emoji picker.

You can choose any emoji, but you can also select from your stickers or your Memoji. Tap on the Memoji icon at the bottom left to get to Memoji, or the sticker icon to see your sticker selections. To add one as a Tapback, just tap on your selection.

Stickers can be hard to see at the small size of a Tapback, but most emoji characters and Memoji work well.

RCS

RCS, or Rich Communication Services, is a new text message protocol replacing SMS and MMS. You'll see it when texting people who don't have iMessage, such as Android users. RCS has nothing to do with iMessage conversations, aka the conversations you have with other Apple device owners (blue bubbles), but it does improve texts with green bubble Android users.

RCS is a more modern technology than SMS, and it allows for more feature parity in iPhone to Android text message conversations. Many of the frustrations you might have encountered when texting someone with an Android device are resolved with RCS, such as errors sending photos and videos.

Here's what you'll get with RCS:

• Support for higher resolution photos and videos.
• Support for larger file sizes and file sharing.
• Audio messages.
• Real-time typing indicators.
• Read receipts.
• Ability to send messages over cellular or Wi-Fi (SMS is cellular only). There is no cost to send an RCS message over Wi-Fi.
• Improved group chats.

Again, RCS only comes into play when you're texting someone who has an Android device. iMessage is still the default for conversations between Apple device owners, and blue bubbles and green bubbles are not changing.

We have a full guide on RCS if you want to know more about what to expect.

Messages via Satellite

Messages via satellite is a new feature that lets you send texts even when you don't have a Wi-Fi or cellular connection, leveraging the satellites that Apple uses for the Emergency SOS via satellite feature.

Messages via satellite is available on the iPhone 14 or later, and you can send and receive both iMessage and SMS messages, so you're not limited to texting with just iPhone users.

Right now, Messages via satellite is free, just like Emergency SOS via satellite. Apple offers two free years of satellite access with an iPhone 14 or later, but the company has expanded free access for the iPhone 14 until November 2025. Apple has not provided any insight into how much it will eventually charge for satellite access.

Smart Replies (Apple Intelligence - iOS 18.1)

Using Apple Intelligence, your iPhone can analyze the content in a message that you've received, suggesting Smart Reply options that you can tap for a quick response.

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Article Link: Everything New in the iOS 18 Messages App

 

[FineWoven]

So far my favorite new Messages feature has been Send Later. I’ve already used it several times this summer because it’s one of the only new features that doesn’t require your recipients to also be running iOS 18. Being a hardcore night owl, I often find myself thinking of something to tell a friend or family member but it’s well past midnight and I don’t want to disturb them when they’re most likely asleep, so having that ability now is really quite handy.

 

[Dulcimer]

Most years the iMessage updates seem dumb to me and useless. Eg the stickers and Messages “App Store”.

This year they’ve really hit it out of the park. Biggest thing is ability to do tapbacks with emoji like every other major messaging platform. No more cringe “HAHA!” reacts that come off as sarcastic. Genmoji will make this even more fun no. Maybe the boomers here won’t appreciate it

 

[smoking monkey]

When you tap on a Tapback you've received on a message, you can now see who sent what, which is useful if you are in a group chat and get multiple Tapback responses.

Pretty sure you can do that now with the 6 standard tapback options.

As for RCS. Does that mean messages to Android users won't cost each time you send or receive one, or is that carrier specific?

 

[CarAnalogy]

I have been waiting for Send Later since I quit Android in 2019. Really annoyed it has taken them so long. I was using it on Android in 2013. And I'm not usually the guy that says that, but damn. That was way too obvious for way too long. Glad they FINALLY got around to implementing that. I don't even want to think about the long, long list of frivolous "features" they added before they finally got to that.

That said, I am very much looking forward to Math Notes in Messages. Now that is a legitimately useful, as far as I'm aware unique to iOS feature. That doesn't even require the recipient to be using iMessage to take advantage of.

 

[CarAnalogy]

Pretty sure you can do that now with the 6 standard tapback options.

As for RCS. Does that mean messages to Android users won't cost each time you send or receive one, or is that carrier specific?

You...still have a plan that charges for texts? Is this international texting?

It's an interesting question. I would assume that if your plan is billing you for texts, they'll probably still bill you for them whether they use the cellular network or not. You should ask your operator. Right after you switch plans to one that includes $20 talk and text as part of the base package.

 

[Justin Cymbal]

Wow!

So many great new features on the messaging app being implemented in iOS 18 this year!

I’m really looking forward to the ability to send iMessages via satellite, that sounds like a really cool feature

 

[CarAnalogy]

So far my favorite new Messages feature has been Send Later. I’ve already used it several times this summer because it’s one of the only new features that doesn’t require your recipients to also be running iOS 18. Being a hardcore night owl, I often find myself thinking of something to tell a friend or family member but it’s well past midnight and I don’t want to disturb them when they’re most likely asleep, so having that ability now is really quite handy.

iOS used to try really hard to be an OS for business people. I see send later as a business feature, especially these days. Just yesterday I wanted to let someone know that something had been done but it was 11pm and they'd want to know by 7. How in 2024 do I have to make the choice between texting them late and hoping they've properly set up their notifications to not wake them, vs trying to beat them to the punch in the morning?

It almost is enough to make me install the beta. But, again, business phone. Not taking the chance of breaking something more important for a feature that was overdue five years ago.

 

[grover5]

I have been waiting for Send Later since I quit Android in 2019. Really annoyed it has taken them so long. I was using it on Android in 2013. And I'm not usually the guy that says that, but damn. That was way too obvious for way too long. Glad they FINALLY got around to implementing that. I don't even want to think about the long, long list of frivolous "features" they added before they finally got to that.

That said, I am very much looking forward to Math Notes in Messages. Now that is a legitimately useful, as far as I'm aware unique to iOS feature. That doesn't even require the recipient to be using iMessage to take advantage of.

That’s interesting. I can’t imagine a scenario where I would ever schedule a text.

 

[CarAnalogy]

That’s interesting. I can’t imagine a scenario where I would ever schedule a text.

See the post I just made. Maybe it's not for everyone, but people keep different schedules both for work and personal reasons. Can be handy in both scenarios.

 

[ghostface147]

Most of my Android friends still show up as sms. Not sure what the requirement is for them to show up as rcs.

 

[Macaholic868]

I was thrilled when I heard that RCS was coming to iOS 18 until I discovered that of all of the Android users I know only one of them actually uses RCS. My sister-in-law. That’s it. My cousin, who works for Microsoft? Nope. Any of my other cousins with Android devices? Nope. Any other brother or sister in-laws with Android devices? Nope. Any of my buddies with Android devices? No again. Their wives? Nope. Apple was right not to bother up until now. I will say it was fun to be beta testing iOS 18 and having my wife try and figure out why I could send some higher resolution, longer videos to her sister from my iPhone when she couldn’t from hers after hearing for years from her about how crazy I am for beta testing Apple’s stuff on a volunteer basis but outside of that what I thought was going to be a huge addition to iOS has turned out to be a giant nothing burger. Is it that the latest developer beta of iOS 18 / 18.1 still doesn’t fully support RCS here is the US or that so many Android users stick with the default messaging apps that come with their devices that simply don’t support it? Either way, so few of the people I know use RCS with their Android devices that RCS support is basically useless for me at this point.

 

[maxwell6312]

So far my favorite new Messages feature has been Send Later. I’ve already used it several times this summer because it’s one of the only new features that doesn’t require your recipients to also be running iOS 18. Being a hardcore night owl, I often find myself thinking of something to tell a friend or family member but it’s well past midnight and I don’t want to disturb them when they’re most likely asleep, so having that ability now is really quite handy.

Same for me. I have been putting Send Later to use very often, for the first 2 beta updates it didn't work that well for me but on the last one it works really well!

 

[Melan]

All this and still no archiving. Crazy to me.

 

[lkrupp]

Most of my Android friends still show up as sms. Not sure what the requirement is for them to show up as rcs.

I would imagine their phone's version of Android must support RCS as well. Or they must turn it on.

 

[segfaultdotorg]

It'd be even cooler if they included these features on iPhoneOS 18 so we could use them on our iPhones.

 

[swester]

Wow, this is actually a pretty impressive list of new features (some of which I'm surprised haven't been around until now, like Schedule Send). Glad to have it!

 

[swester]

That’s interesting. I can’t imagine a scenario where I would ever schedule a text.

Imagine what else you can't imagine! The human mind is remarkably prone to these sorts of biases.

Schedule send is extremely useful in email software - why wouldn't it be the same for text messages? Perfect for sending a late message for the next morning, scheduling ahead of time for an upcoming birthday/anniversary, alerting someone when you've returned from a trip, etc.

 

[jntdroid]

"Scheduling a message can be only be done in conversations with other iMessage users, and it is not an option when texting with an Android user."

Not sure why this has to be iMessage only, I would've thought it would be developed at the app level. Still a nice change, but should be universal IMO.

 

[TechnoMonk]

I have been using writing tools on my iPad Pro beta. Has been great so far as long as it is not table.

 

[tomchr9]

So you can’t schedule a message to an Android user? WTF, Apple? How petty!

 

[omiks]

To me, one thing that sucks is that when you try to share something from another app to iMessage, it doesn't suggest your groups or contacts. So if you forget the group name, you gotta change apps to check it... Very annoying

 

[lozion]

So with RCS, can an iPad send to any devices like imessage does via a number or email?

 

[klasma]

"Scheduling a message can be only be done in conversations with other iMessage users, and it is not an option when texting with an Android user."

Not sure why this has to be iMessage only, I would've thought it would be developed at the app level. Still a nice change, but should be universal IMO.

This is presumably because Apple is handling the Send Later on their servers, meaning your device doesn't need to be online or even turned on at the time of sending. They can't do that for SMS, because that's tied to your SIM.

 

[StaceyMJ86]

If I remember right, I was able to do this when my iPhone was jailbroken years ago. My messages app had so many customizations, it looked nothing like iOS.