Messages

You can forward one or more text messages in a conversation to a different recipient. You just select the messages you want to forward, share them, and enter recipients. To show the message bubbles and timestamps as they appear in a conversation, though, you can send a screenshot instead.

1. Go to the Messages app on your iPad.
2. Open a conversation. Touch and hold a message bubble you want to forward.
3. Tap More, tap to select one or more messages to forward, and then tap the Share button.
4. Enter recipients, then tap the Send button.

Quick tip: Instead of forwarding messages, send a screenshot as an attached image, and the message bubbles and timestamps look just as they do in the conversation.

See also

• Send and reply to messages on iPad
• Have a group conversation in Messages on iPad
• Set up Messages on iPad

iMessage is Apple’s end-to-end encrypted messaging service that you can use to send and receive messages in the Messages app on your iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, or Apple Vision Pro.

If someone sends a message to your email address or phone number using iMessage, you receive the message on all your Apple devices set up to receive messages sent to that email address or phone number. When you view an iMessage conversation, you see all messages sent from any device, so you can keep in touch with others wherever you are.

You need an Apple Account to use some iMessage features. If you’ve made purchases from the iTunes Store or App Store or you’ve signed in to iCloud, you already have one.

Here are some things worth knowing about communicating in iMessage:

• You can send texts over Wi-Fi.
• Texts you send and receive using iMessage don’t count against your SMS, MMS, or RCS allowances in your phone’s cellular messaging plan, but cellular data rates may apply.
• When you communicate with others who also use iMessage on an Apple device, the texts appear in blue bubbles. (SMS, MMS, and RCS messages appear in green bubbles.)

  Messages are sent with iMessage when you see a blue send button. A green send button indicates the message is sent with SMS, MMS, or RCS.

• In a conversation, you can see if someone’s writing a message. If someone has read receipts turned on, you can also see if they’ve opened your message.
• You can use a wider range of apps and features, like text formatting, drawings, backgrounds, polls, Memoji, editing, unsending, scheduling, collaboration, group conversation management, and more.
• When you use iMessage, you can report spam messages to Apple and screen unknown senders.
• For security, messages sent using iMessage are end-to-end encrypted before they’re sent, and you can also use Contact Key Verification. When a conversation is end-to-end encrypted, you see a lock icon and the word “Encrypted” at the top of the conversation. If you don’t see this indicator—for example, in SMS or MMS conversations—messages in the conversation aren’t protected from being read by others as they’re sent.

About RCS

With RCS, a carrier-provided messaging service, the Messages app on your iPhone can reach people on both Apple and non-Apple devices. Messages can send your text as RCS when iMessage isn’t available, and those RCS messages appear in green bubbles.

It’s worth knowing these points about RCS:

• RCS is provided by your cellular carrier, not by Apple. To use RCS, you need a text-messaging plan from a carrier that supports it.
• RCS supports read receipts, typing indicators, Tapbacks, inline replies, and high-resolution photos and videos.
• RCS conversations can be end-to-end encrypted when both your carrier and your contact’s carrier support encrypted RCS.

See also

• Turn on iMessage
• Set up Messages on iPad
• Send and reply to messages on iPad

You can use Contact Key Verification to receive automatic alerts that help verify you’re communicating only with the people you intend. You can also generate unique codes that you and your contacts can compare simultaneously in the Messages app to further verify each other’s identities.

You can even post your Public Verification Code to a social media account so other people can confirm that it’s you when they send you a message, and you can save other people’s codes in the Contacts app. Your devices need to be passcode or password protected, and the person you’re trying to verify must be in your contacts.

Note: Contact Key Verification is designed to prevent highly sophisticated cyberattacks; it isn’t designed to prevent fraud such as phishing or other text-based scams.

Before you begin

Before you use Contact Key Verification, check that the following are true:

• Your devices are passcode or password protected.
• You’re signed in to iCloud and iMessage with the same Apple Account and you have two-factor authentication turned on for your Apple Account.
• The person you’re trying to verify is in your contacts.

Turn on Contact Key Verification

1. Open Settings, tap [your name], and then tap Contact Key Verification.
2. Turn on Verification in iMessage and tap Continue.

   Note: When you turn on Contact Key Verification, you’re prompted to update all of your Apple devices to compatible software. If you have a device that can’t be updated, you need to sign out of iMessage on that device before you can turn on this feature.

Share a Public Verification Code

Other people can verify your identity with your Public Verification Code, which you can share in a message or post on a social media account.

1. Open Settings, tap [your name], and then tap Contact Key Verification.
2. Tap Show Public Verification Code.
3. To share your Public Verification Code, tap Copy Verification Code, tap OK, and then paste the code wherever you want to share it.

It works the other way, too. Someone else’s Public Verification Code lets you verify their identity. If the code someone shares with you doesn’t match the one displayed on their social media profile, for example, stop sending them messages until you can confirm their identity.

Generate verification codes in Messages

If you want a higher level of security, generate a verification code in Messages with your contacts and save each other’s Public Verification Codes in Contacts. That’s useful for verifying each other simultaneously, or when a Public Verification Code you received and the one your contact shares with you don’t match.

1. Start the Messages app on your iPad.
2. Tap the person’s name at the top of the conversation, scroll down, and tap Verify Contact.

   When the other person taps Verify Contact on their device, a contact verification code appears.

3. Compare the verification codes on both devices. Do one of the following:
   • If the codes match: Tap Mark as Verified, tap Update to add the verification code to the other person’s contact card, and tap Done.
   • If the codes don’t match: You might not be communicating with the person that you intend. Tap No Match. Stop sending messages to the person until you can verify their identity.

Verified contacts get a checkmark next to their name in Messages. Their verification status also shows in the Conversation Details, and you’ll find their Public Verification Code in Contacts.

See also

• Sign in and manage your Apple Account on iPad
• Screen and filter text messages on iPad
• Get started with Contacts on iPad
• iMessage overview

You can add a background to an iMessage conversation. Other people in the conversation see the background on their devices too and can change the background for the group.

You can use a dynamic background, a photo, or an original background you create, and revert to a plain background anytime. With a photo, you can crop the image, remove the color, or apply a color filter.

Here’s how to add backgrounds in Messages on iPad.

Note: To add, view, or change conversation backgrounds, you need iMessage running on iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS Tahoe, watchOS 26, or visionOS 26 or later.

Use a dynamic background

1. Go to the Messages app on your iPad.
2. Go to the conversation where you want to add a background.
3. Tap the contact or group icon at the top of the conversation, then tap Backgrounds.
4. Tap Color, Sky, Water, or Aurora.
5. Swipe left to choose an option.

   Tip: For Color, tap the swatches in the bottom corners to adjust the colors.

6. Tap the Done button to add the background to your conversation.

Use a photo as a background

1. Open the Messages app on your iPad.
2. Go to the conversation where you want to add a photo to the background.
3. Tap the contact or group icon at the top of the conversation, then tap Backgrounds.
4. Tap Photo. Then tap to select a photo from your library.

   Tip: If someone shared a photo you want to use as a background, touch and hold the photo in the message, then tap Set as Background.

5. Do any of the following:
   • Crop the image: Pinch in or out.
   • Remove the color: Swipe left to Black & White.
   • Apply a color filter: Swipe left to Duotone or Color Wash. Then tap the color swatch to change the palette.
6. Tap the Done button to add the background to your conversation.

You can set conversations to showcase backgrounds when you return to them. Go to Settings > Apps > Messages, then turn on Start with Photos Visible.

Note: You can have your (or a family member’s) iPad receive warnings before a background image containing sensitive content is sent or received.

Create an original background

If you have Apple Intelligence, Image Playground can make one-of-a-kind images for your conversation backgrounds.

Note: Apple Intelligence on iPadOS 27 or later is available on an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPad mini (A17 Pro) and iPad models with M1 or later. Apple Intelligence is not available in all languages or regions. Usage limits may apply.*

1. Open the Messages app on your iPad.
2. Go to the conversation where you want to add a photo to the background.
3. Tap the contact or group icon at the top of the conversation, then tap Backgrounds.
4. Tap Playground, follow the onscreen instructions to create an image and then tap the Done button.
5. Tap the Done button to add the background to your conversation.

Revert to a plain background

Note: Removing a background affects all participants in a conversation.

1. Open the Messages app on your iPad.
2. Go to the conversation with a background you want to remove.
3. Tap the contact or group icon at the top of the conversation, then tap Backgrounds.
4. Tap None.

Turn conversation backgrounds off

If you turn conversation backgrounds off, others in a conversation can still see any background chosen for it.

1. Open the Settings app on your iPad.
2. Tap Apps, then tap Messages.
3. Turn Conversation Backgrounds off.

*Apple Intelligence is available with Siri and device language set to Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Danish, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish, or Vietnamese. Some features may not be available in all regions or languages. Some devices may not be available in all regions. Siri AI is available in beta in iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, watchOS 27, and visionOS 27 and requires an Apple Intelligence–enabled device set to a supported language. Available in English to start. Siri AI will not be initially available in the EU on iOS, iPadOS, and watchOS. Certain Apple Intelligence features that rely on server-side models are subject to daily usage limits, including but not limited to Siri AI, Intelligent Photo Editing Tools, Image Playground, and AFM 3 Cloud models in Shortcuts. Daily limits may vary by feature, request complexity, system demand, system policies, and other factors. Expanded access to such features will be available for a fee in the future. Use of these features is subject to the Apple Intelligence Terms and Conditions.

See also

• Have a group conversation in Messages on iPad
• Format text and animate messages on iPad
• Share content in Messages on iPad
• Collaborate on projects with Messages on iPad

Tapbacks give you a quick and easy way to respond to a message, such as a heart, a thumbs-up or thumbs-down, laughter, exclamation points, a question mark, and any sticker, Memoji, or emoji.

A Tapback is attached to a specific message, and everyone in the conversation can see it. If a message has more than one, they appear in a stack, and you can see who added each one. You can edit or remove only the Tapbacks you added, too.

React with a Tapback

1. Go to the Messages app on your iPad.
2. Open a conversation.
3. Double-tap (or touch and hold) a message.
4. Swipe left to see suggested emoji and stickers, or tap the Emoji button. Then tap to choose any of the following kinds of Tapbacks:
   • Other emoji: Tap the Emoji button (jump to other emoji categories with icons to the right of the Emoji button).
   • Stickers: Tap the Live Stickers button.

Each Tapback sticks to a specific message in a conversation, where everyone who’s part of the conversation can see it.

Find out who sent a Tapback

If a message has more than one Tapback, they appear in a stack, and you can find out who added each one.

1. Open the Messages app on your iPad.
2. Open a conversation with Tapbacks.
3. Tap a stack of Tapbacks.

   Senders and their Tapbacks appear near the top of the screen.

Edit or remove your Tapback

You can only edit or remove the Tapbacks you added, not Tapbacks other people added.

1. Open the Messages app on your iPad.
2. Open a conversation.
3. Tap your Tapback and then do one of the following:
   • Use a different Tapback: Tap a different emoji, Memoji, or sticker.
   • Remove the Tapback: Tap the same Tapback you used (so it’s not highlighted).

Each message can have only one Tapback. To send additional stickers, read our guide, Place stickers on a conversation.

See also

• Format text and animate messages on iPad
• Send stickers in Messages on iPad
• Add emoji, Memoji, and stickers with the iPad keyboard

You can express yourself in the messages you send by formatting and animating text, or by adding effects to message bubbles or the entire screen. You can also search #images to find trending GIFs to send, and save GIFs others send to you (not available in all countries or regions).

Bold, italics, and underlining can format your text, and playful effects like explode or shake can go on a single word, emoji, sentence, or your entire message. Bubble and screen effects play when your recipient gets your message.

Note: Sending and receiving messages with formatting or effects only works if you and your recipients use iMessage. Recipients can see text formatting and text effects if they use iMessage on a device running iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS 15, watchOS 11, or visionOS 2 or later. Otherwise, the messages appear in plain text.

Format and animate words

When you send texts with iMessage, you can use bold, italics, and underlining, or animate any letter, word, or sentence (even emoji) with playful effects like shake or explode.

1. Go to the Messages app on your iPad.
2. In a conversation, enter a message and then select the text you want to format or animate.
3. Tap the Text Format button above the keyboard and then select your preferred formatting (bold, italic, underline, or strikethrough) or text effect (big, small, shake, nod, explode, ripple, bloom, or jitter).
4. Tap the Send button.

You can format or apply effects to a 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.

Add effects to the message bubble or the full screen

Special effects you can add, which play when your recipient gets your message, include the following:

• Bubble effects that change how the message appears—Slam or Loud make it pop out, Gentle makes it arrive softly, and Invisible Ink blurs the bubble until your recipient swipes to reveal it
• Full-screen animations like fireworks, balloons, confetti, lively lasers, a moving spotlight, or the echo effect, which fills the conversation with copies of your message bubble

1. Open the Messages app on your iPad.
2. In a conversation, enter a message or insert an image or link.
3. Touch and hold the Send button and then do one of the following:
   • Tap a gray dot to preview a bubble effect.
   • Tap Screen, then swipe left to preview different screen effects.
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.

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

• Balloons for “Happy birthday”
• Confetti for “Congratulations”
• Fireworks for “Happy New Year”

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

Add an animated GIF

1. Open the Messages app on your iPad.
2. In a conversation, tap the Add button and then tap #images. (You may have to swipe up.)
3. To search for a specific GIF, tap “Find images,” enter a keyword (like “birthday”). Then tap a suggestion or tap the Search key on the keyboard.
4. Tap a GIF to add it to your message. Then tap the Send button.

To save a GIF that you receive in a message to the Photos app so you can use it again later, touch and hold the GIF, then tap Save.

To freeze GIF animations as still images, check out our article, Customize onscreen motion.

Note: GIFs from #images animate in the Messages app on Apple devices, but nowhere else.

See also

• Send stickers in Messages on iPad
• Draw and create images in Messages on iPad
• Use iMessage apps in Messages on iPad

You can search for text messages and attachments in the Messages app, using different criteria to narrow your results. You can limit your search to one person or conversation, or to types of shared items, and combine search criteria. The search field also opens suggestions, like conversations, photos, locations, and links.

1. Go to the Messages app on your iPad.
2. Tap the search field above the conversation list. (You may need to swipe down to reveal the search field.)
3. Enter what you’re looking for (such as a word or phrase).
4. To filter your search, do any of the following:
   • Limit your search to one person or conversation: Start by typing a person’s name, tap Messages with or Messages in and then tap other criteria that appear or add any text you want to find in your conversation.
   • Limit your search to types of shared items: Begin your search with a search term—such as Photo, Link, Wallet (for passes). When a filter appears near the top of the screen, tap it to add it to filter the search.
   • Combine search criteria: Add another search term or filter.
5. Tap the Search button. Tap a message in the results list to read it.

The search field also opens suggestions—such as conversations, photos, locations, links, and more. Tap any suggestion to quickly jump to a conversation.

See also

• Search with Spotlight on iPad
• Search for photos and videos on iPad
• Share content in Messages on iPad
• Keep track of messages on iPad

While using Messages on an iPad that meets minimum system requirements, you can share your screen or ask to see someone else’s. In supported apps, you can also use SharePlay to get together with friends while you watch the latest episode of your favorite show or listen to a new song in real time.

From Messages, you jump to FaceTime to share your screen and bring apps and webpages into the conversation, or to see another person’s screen and even control it remotely.

Show someone else what’s on your screen

Jump from Messages to FaceTime and share your screen, bringing apps, webpages, and more into the conversation.

1. Go to the Messages app on your iPad.
2. In a conversation with just one other person, tap the FaceTime button.
3. Tap Share My Screen. See Share your screen in a FaceTime call.

See another person’s screen

To see another person’s screen, or even remotely control it, you can jump from Messages to FaceTime.

1. Open the Messages app on your iPad.
2. In a conversation with just one other person, tap the FaceTime button.
3. Tap Ask to Share Screen. See Request remote control.

Use SharePlay to enjoy content together

Supported apps like Apple TV and Music let you start a Messages conversation right from the app.

SharePlay in Messages requires you and your recipients to be using iMessage, and shared playback controls keep everyone in sync.

1. In a supported app, find a show, movie, song, album, or other content you want to share. Tap the item to see its details.
2. Do one of the following:
   • Tap the Share button, then tap SharePlay.
   • Tap the More button at the top right, tap the Share button, then tap SharePlay.
   • Tap the More button next to the content, then tap SharePlay.
3. In the To field, enter the contacts you want to share with and tap Messages.
4. Tap Start or Play to begin using SharePlay.

   To begin viewing or listening, recipients tap the content’s title at the top of the Messages conversation, then tap Open. For everyone who has access to the content, the video starts playing at the same time.

   Note: If the shared content requires a subscription, the service may ask those who don’t have access to subscribe, make a transaction, or sign up for a free trial, if available.

   When you select content to share and tap the Play button, you can also select Play for Everyone (if it appears) to begin it for everyone in the conversation. (Others on the thread may have to tap Join SharePlay to see the video.)

Anyone in the conversation can play, pause, rewind, or fast-forward for everyone with the playback controls, while settings like closed-captioning and volume are up to each person.

Use Messages when you want no interruptions to the sound of the movie, show, song, or podcast, or tap the FaceTime button to switch to FaceTime when you want to see and hear other people as you chat.

Quick tip: Once the video is playing, you can stream it to Apple TV 4K. See our article, Send what you’re watching in SharePlay to Apple TV 4K.

See also

• Have a group conversation in Messages on iPad
• Collaborate on projects with Messages on iPad
• Share content in Messages on iPad

You can design your own personalized Memoji—choose skin tone, glasses, body, and more—and create multiple Memoji to use in different contexts. Each Memoji, even the ones you create, automatically generates a range of poses and expressions.

On supported models, you can send animated Memoji messages that record your voice and mirror your facial expressions. To make a new Memoji that’s slightly different from one you have, you can duplicate it and edit the copy.

Create Memoji

1. Go to the Messages app on your iPad.
2. In a conversation, tap the Add button.
3. Tap Memoji. (You may have to swipe up.)
4. Tap the Add Memoji button.

   Tip: To make a new Memoji whose outfit or appearance differs slightly from one you already have, tap to select it, tap the Edit button, then tap Duplicate.

5. Tap each feature (Skin, Hairstyle, and others to the right) and choose the options you want.
6. Tap the Done button to save the Memoji to your collection.

Send animated Memoji or Memoji recordings

Supported models can send Memoji messages, which record your voice and mirror your facial expressions.

1. Open the Messages app on your iPad.
2. In a conversation, tap the Add button.
3. Tap Memoji, then swipe and tap to choose a Memoji.
4. Tap the Record button to record your facial expressions and voice. Then tap the Recording button to stop.

   Tap Replay to review your message.

5. Tap the Send Recording button to send your message or the Discard Recording button to cancel.

You can also capture your movements, facial expressions, and voice in Memoji when you become a Memoji in a FaceTime conversation.

See also

• Create your own emoji with Genmoji on iPad
• Draw and create images in Messages on iPad
• Take and edit photos or videos in Messages on iPad
• Add emoji, Memoji, and stickers with the iPad keyboard