When you get a new text, you want it to be from a friend, not an obvious scam. Alas, the latter sort are all too frequent. But in recent years, Apple has added some helpful tools to filter out messages from unknown senders, and send obvious spam to its own unique folder.
Apps > Messages, then choose both "Screen Unknown Senders" and "Filter Spam." The latter will simply send suspected spam to its own folder, but the former comes with added options. Tap "Allow Notifications," and you'll see four settings: "Time Sensitive" is enabled by default and allows unknown senders if your device deems it urgent or important. However, the rest are disabled by default: "Personal," texts from unknown subjects that aren't likely business or organizations; "Transactions," texts or receipts from online orders; and "Promotions," like offers and updates from companies. If you do nothing, all of these types of texts will arrive silently, so you won't be pinged every time you get a coupon from a company you bought something from once. But you can adjust these settings to your liking. If you want to make sure you don't miss out on a text from a new contact, for example, you can enable "Personal" to continue receiving alerts for these types of texts.
Use "When Messaging" to remind yourself to bring something up the next time you text a contact
Apple's Reminders app has, over the years, turned into an excellent tool to keep on task throughout the day. If you need to text your friend something, but don't want to reach out just yet, you could set yourself a Reminder to text them at a later time. Or, even better, you could use this Reminders feature to give you a natural nudge the next time you text them.
There are a few ways to share photos with people in Messages. You can share directly from the Photos app, of course, but you can also use the Photos app in the (+) menu. There's nothing wrong with that method, but when you know you want to send a particular shot, it can be a bit clunky to tap (+), then "Photos," then wait for your images to load. Instead, the next time you want to share a photo in Messages, just long-press the (+). It instantly brings up Photos, which can save a bit of time.
Use this hidden feature to write handwritten notes
To start, make sure your iPhone doesn't have Portrait Lock enabled by accessing Control Center (swipe down from the top right corner) and ensuring the Portrait mode icon (the lock with the arrow) isn't engaged. Now, open a conversation in Messages and turn your iPhone sideways. Open the keyboard, and you'll notice a new icon that resembles a scribble or cursive letter. Tap that, and you'll open a blank canvas upon which you can draw. (The last 24 handwritten messages you've sent will also be saved and displayed at the bottom of the screen, so you can send them again at a tap.) You can use two fingers to swipe across the canvas to give yourself some more room if you need it. When you're finished, hit "Done," and you'll be able to send your handwritten note promptly.
To start, tap (+), then long-press on any Messages app you want to move. After a moment, you'll feel a haptic, confirming you locked on to the app. Now, drag it anywhere you like in the list. Personally, I drag all of Apple's AI apps, like Genmoji and Image Playground, to the bottom, and float more useful or frequently used apps, like Send Later and #images, to the top.
Use this setting to translate conversations automatically
What happens in Messages stays in Messages, which means interested parties may be eager to scroll through your chats for a peek at your secrets. If you have conversations you don't want others seeing, or you just want to boost your privacy overall, you can lock your Messages app behind Face ID, Touch ID, or a passcode. That way, even if you hand your unlocked iPhone over to a friend, or it's swiped from your hands as you're using it, no one will be able to open your Messages app without your face, fingerprint, or PIN.
Use RCS to send encrypted messages to Android friends
One of the best steps Apple has taken in recent years has been adopting RCS support. It's now finally possible to text Android friends in Messages without it being a total mess. While the bubbles are still green, the experience is largely the same as iMessage: You can send high-res images and videos; create functioning group chats, and see typing indicators. We've come so far.
First, you'll need to make sure your iPhone is running iOS 26.5 or later and that your Android friend is using a chat app that supports E2EE RCS. (For the most part, that'll be Google Messages.) Next, go to Settings > Apps > Messages > RCS Messaging, and ensure that both "RCS Messaging" and "End-to-End Encryption (Beta)" are enabled. Now, you don't need another chat app to send protected messages to your non-iPhone friends.
To fill that gap, you can use Advanced Data Protection, which encrypts most of the data you back up to Apple's servers. When you do this, things like your Messages backup, but also your device backup, iCloud Drive, Notes, Photos, and more are all protected by encryption. That's great for privacy, but comes with a risk: Since Apple will no longer have the ability to access your data, it won't be able to help you if you lose access to your recovery information. As such, proceed with caution. You'll find the setup instructions by heading to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > Advanced Data Protection.
Use this setting to automatically delete one-time passcodes
To enable it, head to Settings > General > AutoFill & Passwords, then, under "Verification Codes," tap the toggle next to "Delete After Use." From now on, whenever you use AutoFill to enter a one-time passcode, your device will delete it from your Messages app.
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