Apple is expected to announce iOS 18 in a week from now, and the update is rumored to include a lot of new features for the iPhone.
See also: iOS 18's Control Center will feature a new music widget
iOS 18 is set to be unveiled during the WWDC on June 10, and the first beta will be available to members of the Apple Developer Program immediately after the presentation. The first public beta of iOS 18 will likely follow in July , and the update will be rolled out widely to all users with compatible iPhones in September.
Below, we recap what to expect from the Messages app in iOS 18.
RCS support
Last year, Apple announced that it would support the RCS (Rich Communication Services) cross-platform messaging standard in the Messages app starting "later" in 2024, so it's likely a feature you'll see included in iOS 18 based on that timeframe.
RCS support will bring many improvements to the default messaging experience between iPhone and Android.
See also: Apple: Some Siri features will not be released in iOS 18 until 2025
Per-Word Effects
Apple is planning to add a per-word text effects option to the Messages app in iOS 18, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter. While it’s already possible to send iMessages with full-bubble or full-screen effects like invisible ink or confetti, text effects will let you bring individual words to life within a message. We’re hoping Apple will also add bold, italic, and underline formatting options, but we haven’t confirmed that feature.
Suggested answers
iOS 18 will add AI-generated suggested replies to the Messages app, according to Bloomberg and AppleInsider. The feature would analyze recent messages in a conversation and provide a few suggested replies that users could tap to send.
Custom Emoji
Another rumored AI-powered feature is the option to send custom emojis that are automatically generated based on the context of your recent messages.
See also: Accessibility features coming to iOS 18
Message recaps
iOS 18 is rumored to provide AI-generated summaries of information from various apps, including recent messages received in the Messages app.
New Tapback Icons
Tapback Icons (the heart, thumbs up, thumbs down, “haha” that can be added to messages) may be redesigned in iOS 18, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman said in his latest Power On newsletter.
Source: macrumors
