More than messages! Here are 7 hidden features that make Apple Messages an essential app

Date:
Sat, 17 Jan 2026 05:00:00 +0000

Description:
Send money, doodles, safety check-ins, and much more

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Apples Messages app (ne iMessage) has never been for basic text messages; its always done more, especially if your recipient also has an iPhone. Nowadays, sending a text is only the tip of the iceberg for Messages. Its an incredibly robust platform for sending all sorts of things - from money to locations to animated drawings.

Ive been using the iPhone since the very beginning, and since most of my family opted for the iPhone, I use Apple Messages extensively, and Ive explored its best features. (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

To access these tools, open Apple Messages and choose a conversation. At the bottom of the screen, next to the open text box, youll see a plus (+) sign. Tap that + and a long list of extra features will appear. That list will grow as you add apps that can use Apple Messages for features, like the Starbucks app.

Here are seven fun and useful tools that Messages offers to take your communication beyond basic text messaging. Send a sticker that you made from
a favorite photo (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

To make a sticker, open Apple Photos and find a photo with the subject you want in a pose that makes a great sticker when you cut out the background. Then, hold your finger down on the subject. Youll see a wavy effect that traces the outline of your sticker. Lift your finger and a pop-up menu will appear - choose the Add Sticker option.

If you try to make a sticker with a Live Photo, it wont work. Holding your finger on a Live Photo makes the photo playback. Youll need to turn that Live Photo off first, then you can create a sticker.

Once youve created a sticker in Photos, you can add it to your conversation
by tapping the + sign in Messages and choosing Stickers. You can also add
cool effects, making your sticker look puffy or sparkly in a way that reacts when you tilt your iPhone. Send Cash money (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Why bother with Venmo or Zelle when you can send money through Apple
Messages? If you have Apple Cash set up with a payment method, you can send money to another iPhone user through Messages, without opening a separate app or service.

Open Messages and tap the +, then choose Apple Cash. You can send or receive money from this window. If you dont have Apple Cash set up yet, open the
Apple Wallet app. Cash should appear as one of your Wallet cards. Poll a
group for their opinions (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Where should we eat dinner? What time should we meet on Sunday? Did you watch the Super Bowl halftime show or the Puppy Bowl? Instead of pinging your group chat with questions, send a poll instead.

Open Messages, then tap the + and choose Polls. You dont have much control over the poll - being able to set a time limit would be nice. However, you
can add countless options, so you arent limited to A, B, C, or None of the Above.

Unlike Stickers and Apple Cash requests, Polls can only be sent to iPhone recipients. If you have a group chat with one Android user, you wont be able to send a Poll questionnaire. A text message... but not right now (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

I use this feature all the time. Schedule a text message for later. Maybe you want to hit somebody at the right moment - at the end of the school day instead of during class. Perhaps you want to remind someone about an appointment. Maybe you just dont want to seem weird if you have an idea at 2 AM and want to send a message. Instead, write your message now and schedule
it for later.

Open Messages and tap the + then choose Send Later. A bubble appears above your text box, showing the time your message will be delivered. Tap that bubble to change the time. You can even set your message to be sent up to 364 days in the future. Set your birthday messages now and take credit next
month! A check-in when I get there (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Does someone frequently ask you to text me to let me know you got there safe? Your iPhone will remember to check in, even if you forget. Open Messages and tap the + then choose Check In, and youll find one of the iPhones coolest features.

You can set a check in to occur when you arrive at a specific location, or send a check in after a set period of time. You can even inexplicably send a check in after you finish a workout if you coordinate with your Apple Watch.

A check in can send an interesting package of details: your location, your phones battery level, and signal strength. You can also choose to send even more details, like the route you took to get to your destination and the last location before your iPhone shut down or your Apple Watch was removed.

These features put Check In well into the realm of safety and security tools, beyond simple messaging. Coffee from Starbucks, or moves on a game board (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Send somebody a coffee. Not the actual coffee, but a Starbucks gift card, through Apple Messages. If you have the Starbucks app on your iPhone, youll see an option under the Messages + menu for Starbucks. You can choose from several card designs and set the value before you send it. Sure, you could just send Apple Cash, but this is a bit more personal.

As you add apps to your iPhone, check under that + menu to see if you have
any new features for Messages. For instance, TikTok integrates directly with Apple Messages, and there are also a number of games that you can play using Messages to send moves to the other players screen, like Game Pigeon. An animated doodle (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

The Digital Touch feature was born on Apple Watch, but now you can send doodles and drawings to anybody with Apple Messages. The doodles arent just static drawings, either; your recipient can see the lines as if traced by
your finger, making doodles animated and surprisingly personal.

You can also record a video of yourself and draw on the screen while it's recording! Theres a lot of potential fun to be had with Digital Touch, especially since it works across devices. Using my Apple Watch to send
doodles adds a more personal touch than just telling Siri what to say.



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/phones/iphone/more-than-messages-here-are-7-hidden-f eatures-that-makes-apple-messages-an-essential-app


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