iMessage on iOS 18 Features Bold, Underline, Italics, and Text Effects - MacRumors
Skip to Content

iMessage on iOS 18 Features Bold, Underline, Italics, and Text Effects

Apple today previewed new features coming to the Messages app with iOS 18, and this finally includes bold, italics, underline, and strikeout formatting options.

iMessage iOS 18 1
iMessage has also gained all-new text effects that can be applied to individual words in a message to give them a "dynamic, animated" appearance. These effects include Big, Small, Shake, Nod, Explode, Ripple, Bloom, and Jitter.

Other new Messages app features on iOS 18 include upcoming RCS support for improved texting with Android users, an option to schedule messages to be sent later, the ability to use any emoji as a Tapback, the ability to send messages via satellite connection when Wi-Fi and cellular networks are unavailable, and more.

iMessage iOS 18 Text Effects
The first developer beta of iOS 18 is available now, and a public beta will follow in July. The update should be widely released in September.

Related Roundup: WWDC 2026

Popular Stories

WWDC26 Glowing Ring Feature

Apple Sending WWDC 2026 Invites to Special Event Lottery Winners

Thursday April 2, 2026 2:03 pm PDT by
Students and developers who won the lottery to attend the WWDC 2026 Special Event at Apple Park on June 8 have started receiving their invites. Apple is holding a WWDC keynote viewing at Apple Park, but space is limited so invites were done on a lottery basis. Apple accepted submissions from those interested in attending until Monday night, and winners are now being notified. Developers...
unofficial wwdc pins 2

Apple Fan Creates Unofficial WWDC 2026 and 50th Anniversary Enamel Pins

Thursday April 2, 2026 1:57 pm PDT by
App developer Clément Sauvage has designed a set of enamel pins for Apple fans who want to commemorate WWDC 2026 and Apple's 50th anniversary. Sauvage is offering the pins on Kickstarter, and plans to start shipments in May ahead of WWDC. The pins feature the Apple developer logo, the Apple Intelligence icon, Apple's "spaceship" and rainbow at the Apple Park campus, the entrance to Apple's...
Swift Student Challenge 2026

2026 Swift Student Challenge: Three Apps Created by Young Developers

Thursday April 9, 2026 7:59 am PDT by
In late March, Apple notified the winners of the 2026 Swift Student Challenge, who each received a complimentary one-year Apple Developer Program membership, AirPods Max 2, and a special certificate. A smaller group of Distinguished Winners were also invited to a three-day experience at Apple Park during WWDC 2026 in June. The annual Swift Student Challenge gives eligible student developers...

Top Rated Comments

25 months ago
So my wife gonna bold text to add more weight to already heavy words every time we argue.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
25 months ago
Please give a web interface to iMessage. It would be dandy to handle my chatty-chat while working and not having to pull out my phone.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
25 months ago

So my wife gonna bold text to add more weight to already heavy words every time we argue.
Take out the trash, now
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
25 months ago
Group messages: Please only notify me if someone reacts to MY message. I don’t care if someone reacts to someone else’s message.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bn-7bc Avatar
25 months ago

Group messages: Please only notify me if someone reacts to MY message. I don’t care if someone reacts to someone else’s message.
I'll go one further, "only notify me if someone actually sends text or a file" I don#t need numerous notifications about hearts or any other reactions, they don't give me any useful info beyond possibly thumbs up/down for agree/disagree, I might be old but I don't read emoji, to mer they are just a lot of visual noise, and sadly my ADD does not aprichiate that
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
25 months ago
Sure it's nice to have and all but if they are legit calling this a feature they are really running out of ideas. Fn formatting in messages.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)