iPhone User Guide
- Welcome
- What’s new in iOS 14
-
- Wake and unlock
- Adjust the volume
- Change sounds and vibrations
- Access features from the Lock Screen
- Open apps
- Take a screenshot or screen recording
- Change or lock the screen orientation
- Change the wallpaper
- Set a Live Photo as wallpaper
- Make screen items more reachable
- Search with iPhone
- Use AirDrop to send items
- Perform quick actions
- Use and customize Control Center
- Add widgets
- Charge and monitor the battery
- Learn the meaning of the status icons
- Travel with iPhone
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- Calculator
- Compass
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- Collect health and fitness information
- Maintain a health profile
- View health and fitness information
- Track your menstrual cycle
- Track headphone and environmental sound-level exposure
- Share health and fitness data
- Download health records
- Create and share your Medical ID
- Manage health with the Health Checklist
- Register as an organ donor
- Back up your Health data
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- View maps
-
- Use Siri, Maps, and widgets to get directions
- Choose your preferred type of travel
- Get driving directions
- Report traffic incidents
- Find your parked car
- Get cycling directions
- Find places to stop
- Get walking directions
- Get transit directions
- See an overview of your route or its directions in a list
- Change audio settings for turn-by-turn directions
- Select other route options
- Get directions between places other than your current location
- Delete recently viewed directions
- Use Maps on your Mac to get directions
- Help correct and improve Maps
- Get rides
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- View photos and videos
- Delete and hide photos and videos
- Edit photos and videos
- Edit Live Photos
- Edit Portrait mode photos
- Organize photos in albums
- Search in Photos
- Share photos and videos
- View Memories
- Find people in Photos
- Browse photos by location
- Use iCloud Photos
- Share photos with iCloud Shared Albums
- Use My Photo Stream
- Import photos and videos
- Print photos
- Shortcuts
- Stocks
- Tips
- Translate
- Weather
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- Set up Family Sharing
- Download family members’ purchases
- Stop sharing purchases
- Turn on Ask To Buy
- Set up Apple Cash Family
- Share Apple Card
- Share subscriptions and iCloud storage
- Share photos, a calendar, and more with family members
- Locate a family member’s missing device
- Set up Screen Time through Family Sharing
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- Charging cable
- Power adapters
- MagSafe chargers and battery packs
- MagSafe cases and sleeves
- Qi-certified wireless chargers
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- Set up AirPods
- Charge AirPods
- Start and stop audio playback
- Change the AirPods volume
- Make and answer calls with AirPods
- Switch AirPods between devices
- Use Siri with AirPods
- Listen and respond to messages
- Share audio with AirPods and Beats headphones
- Change noise control modes
- Control spatial audio
- Restart AirPods
- Change the name of your AirPods and other settings
- Use other Bluetooth headphones
- Use EarPods
- Check headphone sound levels
- Apple Watch
- HomePod and other wireless speakers
- External storage devices
- Magic Keyboard
- Printers
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- Share your internet connection
- Allow phone calls on your iPad, iPod touch, and Mac
- Hand off tasks between iPhone and your Mac
- Cut, copy, and paste between iPhone and other devices
- Connect iPhone and your computer with a cable
- Sync iPhone with your computer
- Transfer files between iPhone and your computer
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- Intro to CarPlay
- Connect to CarPlay
- Use Siri
- Use your vehicle’s built-in controls
- Get turn-by-turn directions
- Report traffic incidents
- Change the map view
- Make phone calls
- Play music
- View your calendar
- Send and receive text messages
- Play podcasts
- Play audiobooks
- Listen to news stories
- Control your home
- Use other apps with CarPlay
- Rearrange icons on CarPlay Home
- Change settings in CarPlay
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- Get started with accessibility features
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- Turn on and practice VoiceOver
- Change your VoiceOver settings
- Learn VoiceOver gestures
- Operate iPhone using VoiceOver gestures
- Control VoiceOver using the rotor
- Use the onscreen keyboard
- Write with your finger
- Use VoiceOver with an Apple external keyboard
- Use a braille display
- Type onscreen braille
- Customize gestures and keyboard shortcuts
- Use VoiceOver with a pointer device
- Use VoiceOver in apps
- Zoom
- Magnifier
- People detection
- Display & Text Size
- Motion
- Spoken Content
- Audio Descriptions
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- Important safety information
- Important handling information
- Get information about your iPhone
- View or change cellular data settings
- Find more resources for software and service
- FCC compliance statement
- ISED Canada compliance statement
- Ultra Wideband information
- Class 1 Laser information
- Apple and the environment
- Disposal and recycling information
- Copyright
Send and receive text messages on iPhone
Use the Messages app to send and receive texts, photos, videos, and audio messages. You can also personalize your messages with animated effects, Memoji stickers, iMessage apps, and more.
![A Messages conversation. Along the top, from left to right, are the Back button, and a photo of the person you’re messaging. At the center are the messages sent and received during the conversation. Along the bottom, from left to right, are the Photos, Stores, Apple Pay, Memoji, Hashtag Images, Music, and Digital Touch buttons.](https://help.apple.com/assets/60DCD49E882CDF5DF9628F1F/60DCD4A5882CDF5DF9628F68/en_US/b4c25fef1e21117d3c4c78fe2c317384.png)
WARNING: For important information about avoiding distractions while driving, see Important safety information for iPhone.
Send a message
You can send a text message to one or more people.
Tap
at the top of the screen to start a new message, or tap an existing message.
Enter the phone number, contact name, or Apple ID of each recipient. Or, tap
, then choose contacts.
On models with Dual SIM, to send an SMS/MMS message from a different line, tap the line shown, then choose the other line. See also Manage your cellular plans for Dual SIM.
Tap the text field, type your message, then tap
to send.
An alert
appears if a message can’t be sent. Tap the alert to try sending the message again.
Tip: To see what time a message was sent or received, drag the message bubble to the left.
To view conversation details, tap the name or phone number at the top of the screen, then tap . You can tap the contact to edit the contact card, share your location, view attachments, leave a group conversation, and more.
To return to the Messages list from a conversation, tap or swipe from the left edge.
Reply to a message
Ask Siri. Say something like:
“Send a message to Eliza saying how about tomorrow”
“Read my last message from Bob”
“Reply that’s great news”
Tip: When you wear AirPods Max, AirPods Pro, AirPods (2nd generation), or other supported headphones, Siri can read your incoming messages, and you can speak a reply for Siri to send. See Listen and respond to messages.
Or do the following:
In the Messages list, tap the conversation that you want to reply to.
To search for contacts and content in conversations, pull down the Messages list and enter what you’re looking for in the search field. Or, choose from the suggested contacts, links, photos, and more.
Tap the text field, then type your message.
Tip: To replace text with emoji, tap
or
, then tap each highlighted word.
Tap
to send your message.
You can quickly reply to a message with a Tapback expression (for example, a thumbs up or a heart). Double-tap the message bubble that you want to respond to, then select a Tapback.
Share your name and photo
In Messages, you can share your name and photo when you start or respond to a new message. Your photo can be a Memoji, or custom image. When you open Messages for the first time, follow the instructions on your iPhone to choose your name and photo.
To change your name, photo, or sharing options, open Messages, tap , tap Edit Name and Photo, then do any of the following:
Change your profile image: Tap Edit, then choose an option.
Change your name: Tap the text fields where your name appears.
Turn sharing on or off: Tap the button next to Name and Photo Sharing (green indicates that it’s on).
Change who can see your profile: Tap an option below Share Automatically (Name and Photo Sharing must be turned on).
Your Messages name and photo can also be used for your Apple ID and My Card in Contacts.
Pin a conversation
You can pin specific conversations to the top of the Messages list so the people you contact most always come first in the list.
Do any of the following:
Swipe right on a conversation, then tap
.
Touch and hold a conversation, then drag it to the top of the list.
![The Messages conversation list. At the top several individuals are pinned to allow quick access to their conversations. Below is the conversation list.](https://help.apple.com/assets/60DCD49E882CDF5DF9628F1F/60DCD4A5882CDF5DF9628F68/en_US/c0637d9fabd6b8d190bea6e0350d355f.png)
Unpin a conversation
You can unpin specific conversations at the top of the Messages list.
Do any of the following:
Touch and hold a conversation, then drag the message to the bottom of the list.
Touch and hold a conversation, then tap
.
Switch from a Messages conversation to a FaceTime or audio call
In a Messages conversation, you can initiate a FaceTime or audio call with the person you’re chatting with in Messages.
In a Messages conversation, tap the profile picture or the name at the top of the conversation.
Tap FaceTime or audio.