Messages, one of the quintessential apps on the iPhone, iPad, and Mac, is the home of iMessages, Apple's exclusive device-to-device messaging protocol indicated by those well-known blue chat bubbles.

If you're an ‌iPhone‌ user you know how the Messages app works, but in iOS 13, the Messages app is getting some useful new features that are worth highlighting. Read on for a rundown of everything that's new, and check out our list of how tos for instructions on how to use all of the new features.

messages iOS 13

User Profiles

Messages in iOS 13 lets you add a photo of yourself (or an Animoji) and a name that's shared with people when you message them. This lets people know who you are even if you're not in their contacts list, and for your contacts, it adds a photo and your specified name.

You can set your Messages profile to share with Contacts Only, to always ask before sharing with someone, or to automatically share with anyone you message with.

messagesprofile

Revamped Search Capabilities

Messages has had a search feature for a long time, but it's not particularly useful. That's changing in iOS 13 with an entirely new search interface and new search capabilities.

The search interface, accessible by swiping down on the main Messages screen and tapping the search bar, brings up a list of recent contacts, links you've received in Messages, photos people have sent you, locations shared with you, and attachments you've received.

messagessearch
Search itself is more functional, offering up a full list of results organized by date for a given search term, without grouping those results by person. For example, if you search for "cats" and had multiple cats conversations with someone, each incident with the cats search term is listed individually in iOS 13, which is not the case in earlier versions of iOS.

Messages Info Pane

When you tap on the "i" icon at the top of a conversation with someone, there are new sections that let you get a better look back at the kinds of media that's been shared.

infopanemessagesios13
There are separate sections for photos, links, attachments, and locations.

New Memoji Customization Options

iOS 13 adds new customization options for Memoji, which are the animated, emoji-like characters that you can customize to look like yourself and other people.

newmemoji
There are new options for makeup, teeth, piercings, earrings, headwear, and glasses, along with more hair styles and additional colors to add to hair and other accessories.

Memoji are available devices with a front-facing TrueDepth camera and animate based on your own facial expressions. Memoji, like Animoji, can be used for animated videos with your own voice, and in iOS 13, there are also new sticker options.

Animoji and Memoji Stickers

Apple has added a number of different Animoji and Memoji stickers with classic emoji-like poses and faces, such as heart eyes, brain exploding, shushing face, laughing with tears, crying, shrugging, face palm, and more.

ios13animojistickers
With Memoji, these new stickers are similar to something like Bitmoji, letting you express yourself with a character that looks like you through a series of stickers. The Animoji are more detailed than a traditional emoji and feature the same Animoji characters but in emoji form.

Animoji and Memoji stickers are available in the Messages app pane at the bottom of any Messages conversation. Just tap on the App Store icon and then choose the icon that looks like multiple Memoji faces.

ios13b2newanimojistickers
Memoji and Animoji are limited to Apple's newest iPhones, but Animoji and Memoji stickers are more universal and can be used on all Apple devices with an A9 chip or later.

While Memoji and Animoji stickers are accessible in the Messages app, you can also use them in other places like Mail and Notes through the emoji icon on the keyboard.

New Animoji

Animoji are animated, 3D emoji characters that you can control with your face. Like Memoji, Animoji use the TrueDepth front-facing camera on modern devices, with more than 50 muscle movements in different areas of the face monitored to replicate facial expressions and emotion.

newanimoji
There are more than 20 Animoji characters that have been added over the last couple of years, and iOS 13 includes three more: a mouse, an octopus, and a cow.

Dual-SIM Support

iMessages in iOS 13 adds support for two phone numbers when using the dual-SIM functionality available in the ‌iPhone‌ XS, XS Max, and XR. There's no longer a need to choose a number to use with iMessage - both will work. Users can select which number to choose when starting a new conversation, and can swap between them when composing a new message.

Guide Feedback

Have questions about Messages, know of an iOS 13 feature we left out, or or want to offer feedback on this guide? Send us an email here.

Top Rated Comments

coolfactor Avatar
56 months ago
I'm confused by the negative, glass-half-empty responses here. The Messages app works extremely well, does its job well, and has fun features built in. What "many other features" should it do? It's a messaging app.

The only annoyance I've had with it was the many taps and awkward positioning of buttons to add a photo into a conversation. The iOS 12 process is more awkward than prior versions, so I hope they address that with iOS 13.

And enough with the notch complaints. It's a non-issue for anyone with a phone that has one. Seriously.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
chabig Avatar
56 months ago
There are so many advances that they can make to messaging...
Do tell.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Marshall73 Avatar
56 months ago
for any of you holdouts hoping beyond all hope that the notch wil some day disappear... stop holding your breath. The fact that Apple doubles down on animoji with each new iOS update is a clear signal to all that the notch (which hides the true depth camera) is here to stay :(
Excellent, can’t go back to TouchID, horrible to use now.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Apple_Robert Avatar
56 months ago
Have you ever used whatsapp? iMessages is basically just SMS from the 90's.
WhatsApp is a Facebook organization funded and designed app. It may be the rage for many people who don’t really care that said company is a data mining company, which isn’t really concerned about following the law.

I will take secure iMessage over the latest rage.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Apple_Robert Avatar
56 months ago
I would like to see the ability to export and backup individual conversations.

I appreciate the new search function. The other sticker type stuff is for teens.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ignatius345 Avatar
56 months ago
[doublepost=1560984632][/doublepost]People still use this app? I'm confused... it does not work with android. Ditched it years ago for Whatsapp. Still use an iPhone though.
It does work with Android. It sends SMS messages just fine. What are you confused about?

Maybe overseas people use Whatsapp, but 1) it's owned by Facebook which is a hard pass and 2) absolutely zero people I know use it here in the US.

The beauty of the Messages app is that no matter what platform people are on, I can still message with them and see everything in one app, on my Mac, iPhone or iPad, all unified. The Android people get green SMS bubbles. Big deal.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

BMW Logo iPhone 15 Pro

Warning: BMW Wireless Charging May Break iPhone 15's Apple Pay Chip

Sunday October 1, 2023 6:14 am PDT by
If you have an iPhone 15 and drive a BMW, it might be best to avoid charging the device with the vehicle's wireless charging pad for now. Over the past week, some BMW owners have complained that their iPhone 15's NFC chip no longer works after charging the device with their vehicle's wireless charging pad, according to comments shared on the MacRumors Forums and X, formerly known as Twitter. ...
Multi Display CarPlay 1

All-New Apple CarPlay Launching Later This Year With These 5 New Features

Friday September 29, 2023 11:29 am PDT by
At WWDC 2022 last year, Apple previewed the next generation of CarPlay, promising deeper integration with vehicle functions like A/C and FM radio, support for multiple displays across the dashboard, personalization options, and more. Apple said the first vehicles with support for the next-generation CarPlay experience would be announced in late 2023, but it has still not shared any additional...
Apple Watch Edition Gold 2015

Original Apple Watch is Now Obsolete, Including $17,000 Gold Model

Monday October 2, 2023 9:15 am PDT by
All first-generation Apple Watch models released in 2015 were added to Apple's obsolete products list on September 30, according to an internal memo obtained by MacRumors. As a result, these outdated "Series 0" watches are no longer eligible for repairs or other service at Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Service Provider locations. The list of obsolete models includes the first-generation...
iPhone 15 Pro lineup

Apple to Address iPhone 15 Pro Overheating Issue With iOS 17 Update

Saturday September 30, 2023 9:28 am PDT by
Apple plans to release an iOS 17 update to address a bug that may contribute to the reported iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max overheating issue, according to a statement the company shared today with MacRumors and Forbes reporter David Phelan. Apple also says some recent updates to third-party apps have overloaded the system and contributed to the overheating issue. The report notes that...
Apple Logo Spotlight

Mac Trade-In Changes May Indicate New Model to Launch This Month

Tuesday October 3, 2023 6:30 am PDT by
Apple may be proceeding with plans to release a new Mac model this month, according to potentially related information obtained by MacRumors. Details pertaining to imminent changes to Mac trade-ins provided to MacRumors by a verified source suggest that Apple will likely begin accepting new models for trade-in this month. Similar changes in June coincided with WWDC, when Apple began accepting...
iphone se 4 modified flag edges

iPhone SE 4 Details: Action Button, USB-C Port, Face ID, and More

Wednesday September 27, 2023 1:34 pm PDT by
Significant changes are expected to arrive with Apple's fourth-generation iPhone SE, in terms of both design and hardware, MacRumors has learned. The iPhone SE 4, known internally under the codename Ghost, is expected to receive a new design derived almost entirely from the base model iPhone 14. According to our sources, the iPhone SE 4 will use a modified version of the iPhone 14 chassis...