iOS 11 Introduces Two New Screen Effects Within Messages Called 'Echo' and 'Spotlight'
Messages users sending texts in iOS 11 this fall will be able to share iMessages with two all-new Screen Effects in Apple's texting app.
Specifically, a new "Echo" option sends any selected piece of text to friends by multiplying the message all over the screen. The second, "Spotlight," puts an emphasis on your message by placing a large spotlight on the text as it's sent over to your friend's iOS device.
No new Bubble Effects have been added to iOS 11, at least not in the first developer beta of the software.
Screen Effects and Bubble Effects made their debut in iOS 10 last year, where Messages as a whole received a major overhaul thanks to the addition of the Messages App Store. On the new platform, apps have become available to download as miniature versions within Messages, including apps for payments, games, dinner reservations, and stickers.
Messages will be getting another overhaul in iOS 11, although one that's not as big as last year's update. This fall, the app's main new addition will be a redesigned App Drawer for your Messages apps, which are placed as a scrollable toolbar below the texting field. Apps should be easier to access in comparison to iOS 10's user interface, which requires one tap to get into the App Drawer, and another to go to Recents to find the app you want.
Check out the full MacRumors iOS 11 roundup for more features coming to Messages, including peer-to-peer payments using Apple Pay and full chat archive synchronization in iCloud, so transferring over to a new iPhone retains all of your old conversations.
(Thanks, Koohyun Y!)
Popular Stories
If you have been experiencing issues with wireless CarPlay in your vehicle lately, it was likely due to a software bug that has now been fixed.
Apple released iOS 18.4.1 today, and the update's release notes say it "addresses a rare issue that prevents wireless CarPlay connection in certain vehicles."
If wireless CarPlay was acting up for you, updating your iPhone to iOS 18.4.1 should...
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models simultaneously, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect from Apple's 2025 smartphone lineup.
If you skipped the iPhone...
Apple is preparing a "bold" new iPhone Pro model for the iPhone's 20th anniversary in 2027, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. As part of what's being described as a "major shake-up," Apple is said to be developing a design that makes more extensive use of glass – and this could point directly to the display itself.
Here's the case for Apple releasing a truly all-screen iPhone with no...
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices.
Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos.
Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025:
Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and ...
The first iOS 19 beta is less than two months away, and there are already a handful of new features that are expected with the update.
Apple should release the first iOS 19 beta to developers immediately following the WWDC 2025 keynote, which is scheduled for Monday, June 9. Following beta testing, the update should be released to the general public in September.
Below, we recap the key...
Apple today released tvOS 18.4.1, a minor update to the tvOS 18 operating system that came out last September. tvOS 18.4.1 comes two weeks after Apple released tvOS 18.4, and it is available for the Apple TV 4K and Apple TV HD models.
tvOS 18.4.1 can be downloaded using the Settings app on the Apple TV. Open up Settings and go to System > Software Update to get the new software....
Apple has quite a few security features that it's added to iPhones, iPads, and Macs over the years. Now more than ever, it's important to make sure you're taking advantage of the built-in security tools that are available to keep yourself and your data safe, so we've rounded up a list of the most important options.
If you don't already have these enabled, you might want to consider turning...
More images of a redesigned power cable allegedly for a future Apple "Vision Air" headset were today shared online by the prototype collector and leaker known as "Kosutami."
Yesterday, the leaker explained that the Apple "Vision Air" will feature a thinner design and switch the battery enclosure and several of its internal structures to titanium to reduce the device's overall weight. Most of ...
