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.

Related Roundups: iOS 18, iPadOS 18, WWDC 2025

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Top Rated Comments

Schnort Avatar
10 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
10 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
10 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
10 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
10 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
10 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)