iOS 18 Rumored to Add These 6 New Features to iPhone's Messages App

Apple is expected to announce iOS 18 in one week from now, and the update is rumored to include many new features for the Messages app on the iPhone.

iOS 18 Messages Feature
iOS 18 is set to be unveiled during the WWDC keynote on June 10, and the first beta should be made available to members of the Apple Developer Program immediately after the presentation. The first public beta of iOS 18 will likely follow in July, and the update should be widely released to all users with a compatible iPhone in September.

Below, we recap what to expect from the Messages app on iOS 18.

RCS Support

Last year, Apple announced that it would support the cross-platform messaging standard RCS (Rich Communication Services) in the Messages app starting "later" in 2024, so it will likely be an iOS 18 feature based on that timeframe.

RCS support should result in the following improvements to the default messaging experience between iPhones and Android devices:

  • Higher-resolution photos and videos
  • Audio messages
  • Typing indicators
  • Read receipts
  • Wi-Fi messaging
  • Improved group chats, including the ability for iPhone users to leave a conversation that includes Android users

These features are already available for iMessage conversations with blue bubbles, and RCS will extend the capabilities to green bubbles over both Wi-Fi and cellular networks. It is expected that SMS will remain available as a fallback option.

Per-Word Effects

Apple plans to add a per-word text effects option to the Messages app on iOS 18, multiple sources familiar with the matter told MacRumors.

While it is already possible to send iMessages with entire-bubble or full-screen effects, such as invisible ink or confetti, the text effects would allow you to animate individual words within a message. Our hope is that Apple will also add bold, italics, and underline formatting options, but we have not confirmed that possibility.

Suggested Replies

iOS 18 will add AI-generated suggested replies to the Messages app, according to Bloomberg and AppleInsider. This feature would analyze recent messages in a conversation and provide a few suggested replies that users could tap on to send.

Custom Emoji

Another rumored AI-powered feature is the option to send custom emoji that are automatically generated based on the context of recent messages.

Message Recaps

iOS 18 is rumored to provide AI-generated recaps of information from several apps, including recent messages received in the Messages app.

New Tapback Icons

Tapback icons (the heart, thumbs up, thumbs down, "haha," exclamation marks, and question mark that can be added to messages) may be redesigned on iOS 18, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said in his latest Power On newsletter.

Related Roundups: iOS 18, iPadOS 18
Related Forums: iOS 18, iPadOS 18

Popular Stories

iOS 19 Mock WWDC25 Feature

iOS 19 Expected to Run on These iPhones

Monday March 31, 2025 5:28 pm PDT by
iOS 19 will not be available on the iPhone XR, iPhone XS, or the iPhone XS Max, according a private account on social media site X that has accurately provided information on device compatibility in the past. The iPhone XR, iPhone XS, and iPhone XS Max all have an A12 Bionic chip, so it looks like iOS 19 will discontinue support for that chip. All other iPhones that run iOS 18 are expected...
maxresdefault

Apple Releases iOS 18.4 With Priority Notifications, Ambient Music, New Emoji and More

Monday March 31, 2025 10:03 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4, the fourth major updates to the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 operating system updates that came out last year. iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 come two months after Apple released iOS 18.3 and iPadOS 18.3. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to...
iPhone 17 Pro 34ths Perspective

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 10 New Features

Sunday March 23, 2025 10:00 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of March 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
AirPods Pro Firmware Feature

Apple Releases New Firmware for AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4

Monday March 31, 2025 11:27 am PDT by
Apple today released new firmware updates for all AirPods 4 and AirPods Pro 2 models. The new firmware is version 7E93, up from the 7B21 firmware that was installed on the AirPods Pro 2 and the 7B20 firmware available on the AirPods 4 and AirPods 4 with ANC. It is not immediately clear what new features or changes are included in the new firmware, but we'll update this article should we find ...
top stories 2025 03 29

Top Stories: WWDC 2025 Announced, iPhone 17 Pro and iOS 19 Rumors, and More

Saturday March 29, 2025 6:00 am PDT by
Apple's big developer event is a little over two months away, and rumors about what we can expect to see in Apple's next major operating system updates are becoming increasingly frequent. A public release of iOS 18.4 is also imminent with a number of updates and improvements, although we won't be getting the major Apple Intelligence Siri upgrades that had reportedly been planned for this...
macOS Sequoia Feature

Apple Releases macOS Sequoia 15.4 With Mail Categorization and More

Monday March 31, 2025 10:04 am PDT by
Apple today released macOS Sequoia 15.4, the fourth major update to the macOS Sequoia operating system that launched in September. macOS Sequoia 15.4 comes two months after the launch of macOS Sequoia 15.3. Mac users can download the ‌‌macOS Sequoia‌‌ update through the Software Update section of System Settings. It is available for free on all Macs able to run macOS 15. With...
iOS 19 visionOS UI Elements

Apple Codename Provides Clue About iOS 19's Rumored New Design

Sunday March 30, 2025 6:40 am PDT by
Multiple sources have claimed that iOS 19 will introduce a new design with more translucent buttons, menus, notification banners, and more, and there is now another clue that points towards this glass-like appearance. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today said the new design project is codenamed "Solarium" internally. A solarium is a room with glass walls that allow in plenty of sunlight, so this...
watchOS 11 Thumb 2 1

Apple Releases watchOS 11.4 With Sleep Alarm Update

Tuesday April 1, 2025 10:34 am PDT by
Apple today released watchOS 11.4, the fourth major update to the operating system that runs on the Apple Watch. watchOS 11.4 is compatible with the Apple Watch Series 6 and later, all Apple Watch Ultra models, and the Apple Watch SE 2. watchOS 11.4 can be downloaded on a connected iPhone by opening up the Apple Watch app and going to General > Software Update. To install the new software,...

Top Rated Comments

MNWildFan Avatar
11 months ago

RCS support will be nice!
That it will be!

In my family's group message chain, all of us aside from my brother's wife-to-be are all on iPhones, and it makes it so annoying when she sends us photos or videos as they come in all compressed to hell..

This should have been done YEARS ago, but until now Apple was so resistant to RCS until Google finally convinced them.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
spinedoc77 Avatar
11 months ago
RCS support will be nice!
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dustin_ Avatar
11 months ago

It would be even cooler if iPhoneOS 18 added those features. You know, so it could run on iPhones.
iphoneos was rebranded ios back in 2010 - where’ve you been?
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sigmasirrus Avatar
11 months ago
All I want is the ability to schedule a message for when I think of something late at night and I don’t wanna bother someone till the morning.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nycjdc Avatar
11 months ago

Our hope is that Apple will also add bold, italics, and underline formatting options, but we have not confirmed that possibility.
Wouldn't that be novel?
I still can't believe this functionality does not yet exist.
Be nice to be able to include hyperlinks.

Slack has had this functionality for what seems like forever. C'mon apple, join the 2020s.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nfl46 Avatar
11 months ago
7 days left until Beta 1 is ours!

We’re ready. Give me the bugsssss!
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)