Apple has introduced new text formatting options in the Messages app with iOS 18, giving you more ways to express yourself in conversations. The latest update allows you to add emphasis to your text messages using bold, italic, underline, and strikethrough formatting.
The new feature provides a richer messaging experience, moving beyond the limitations of plain text and all-caps for emphasis. You can now apply these formatting options to entire messages, individual words, or even specific letters, offering a high degree of customization in how you communicate.
To access the new formatting tools, you can tap the "A" icon that appears above the keyboard after typing a message. This action highlights the entered text and presents a range of formatting options. Alternatively, you can double-tap to select specific words and then choose the desired formatting from the options that appear.
Here's a step-by-step walkthrough to get you started:
- Select the text that you want to add formatting to with a double tap. (You can use the anchors to shorten and widen your selection.)
- Tap the "A" icon, or select the Text Effects option in the popup menu (tap right to reveal it).
- Above the text effects, choose the formatting option that you'd like to use. From left to right, they are Bold, italics, underline, and strikethrough.
That's all there is to it. Did you know that in iOS 18, the Messages app also has a new Send Later option to let you schedule messages? Click the link to learn how it works.
