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iPad User Guide

Format text and animate messages on iPad

You can express yourself in the messages you send by formatting or animating the text in your message, the message bubble, or the entire screen.

Note: To send and receive messages with text formatting or text effects, you and your recipients must be using iMessage. Messages appear in plain text when sent to devices using older or other operating systems.

Format or animate text within messages

Format the text in your messages with bold, italics, and underlining, or add playful, animated effects like explode or shake to any letter, word, or sentence—even emoji—in texts you send using iMessage.

👁 A Messages conversation with a word selected in the text field, and formatting and effects options shown above it. The selected text appears with a preview of the effect.

  1. Go to the Messages app 👁 Image
    on your iPad.

  2. In a conversation, enter a message, then select the text you want to format or animate.

    The Messages app may suggest effects to apply as you enter your message.

  3. Tap 👁 the Text Format button
    above the keyboard, then select your preferred formats (bold, italic, underline, or strikethrough) or animated effect (big, small, shake, nod, explode, ripple, bloom, or jitter).

    The Messages app may suggest effects to apply as you enter your message.

  4. Tap 👁 the Send button
    .

You can format or apply effects to a single word, emoji, single word, emoji, sentence, or your entire message. Tap 👁 the Text Format button
before entering the text you want to format or apply effects to.

Animate the message bubble

Use effects to animate the message bubble: you can send a message with Slam or Loud so that it appears to pop out, or use Gentle so it arrives softly. You can even send a personal message with Invisible Ink that remains blurred until the recipient swipes to reveal it.

👁 A conversation in Messages including a text message and a photo sent with the Invisible Ink effect.

  1. Go to the Messages app 👁 Image
    on your iPad.

  2. In a conversation, enter a message or insert an image or link.

  3. Touch and hold 👁 the Send button
    ,     then tap a gray dot to preview a bubble effect.

  4. Tap 👁 the Send button
    to send the message with the effect or 👁 the Close button
    to cancel the effect and return to your message.

Animate effects over the full screen

You can send messages with full-screen effects—such as lively lasers, a moving spotlight, or echoing bubbles—that play when your recipient gets your message.

  1. Go to the Messages app 👁 Image
    on your iPad.

  2. In a conversation, enter a message or insert a photo or Memoji.

  3. Touch and hold 👁 the Send button
    ,     then tap Screen.

  4. Swipe left to preview different screen effects.

  5. Tap 👁 the Send button
    to send the message or 👁 the Close button
    to cancel the effect and return to your message.

Messages automatically uses the following screen effects for specific text strings:

  • Balloons for “Happy birthday”

  • Confetti for “Congratulations”

  • Fireworks for “Happy New Year”

If you don’t see a full-screen effect or want to turn off effects on messages you receive, see Stop or reduce onscreen motion.

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