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.

Popular Stories

iPhone Top Left Hole Punch Face ID Feature Purple

iPhone 18 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 12 New Features

Thursday January 15, 2026 10:56 am PST by
While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are not expected to launch for another eight months, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we have recapped 12 features rumored for the iPhone 18 Pro models, as of January 2026: The same overall design is expected, with 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch display sizes, and a "plateau" housing three rear cameras Under-screen Face ID...
Apple MacBook Pro M4 hero

These 5 Apple Products Will Reportedly Be Upgraded With OLED Displays

Friday January 16, 2026 7:07 pm PST by
Apple plans to upgrade the iPad mini, MacBook Pro, iPad Air, iMac, and MacBook Air with OLED displays between 2026 and 2028, according to DigiTimes. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman previously reported that the iPad mini and MacBook Pro will receive an OLED display as early as this year, but he does not expect the MacBook Air to adopt the technology until 2028 at the earliest. A new iPad Air is...
iOS 27 Mock Quick

iOS 27 Will Add These 8 New Features to Your iPhone

Sunday January 18, 2026 3:51 pm PST by
iOS 27 is still many months away, but there are already plenty of rumors about new features that will be included in the software update. The first beta of iOS 27 will be released during WWDC 2026 in June, and the update should be released to all users with a compatible iPhone in September. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that iOS 27 will be similar to Mac OS X Snow Leopard, in the sense...
Apple Wallet ID Illinois

Apple Plans to Expand iPhone Driver's Licenses to These 7 U.S. States

Friday January 16, 2026 12:12 pm PST by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Apple Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, and then use it to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. The feature is currently available in 13 U.S. states and Puerto Rico, and it is expected to launch in at least seven more in the future. To set up the...
14 inch MacBook Pro Keyboard

MacBook Pro Buyers Now Facing Up to a Two-Month Wait Ahead of New Models

Sunday January 18, 2026 6:50 pm PST by
MacBook Pro availability is tightening on Apple's online store, with select configurations facing up to a two-month delivery timeframe in the United States. A few 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro configurations with an M4 Pro chip are not facing any shipping delay, but estimated delivery dates for many configurations with an M4 Max chip range from February 6 to February 24 or even later. At...

Top Rated Comments

Schnort Avatar
21 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)
duyxbox Avatar
21 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)
orangeadrenaline Avatar
21 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)
orangeadrenaline Avatar
21 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
21 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)
Mimiron Avatar
21 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)