The Messages app is one of the most important apps on the iPhone, and for that reason, Apple is adding some useful improvements with the new iOS 27 version . There are some fixes that improve everyday use and new artificial intelligence features.
Write With Siri
There's a 'Write with Siri' feature in the Messages app. Siri's artificial intelligence can compose entire messages for you, correct your messages , or give you feedback. There's a dedicated button above the keyboard where you can access Siri's new tools.
Smart reply suggestions also use your writing style to sound more natural.
Siri AI
You can ask Siri to find images, videos, links, addresses, phone numbers, and more in the Messages app, and Siri can compose replies to messages and act on information in the Messages app, like adding an event date to the Calendar app.
See also: WhatsApp is working on “View-Once Text Messages”
Content-based suggestions
The Messages app uses Apple Intelligence to show one - tap suggestions based on what’s being discussed in a conversation. If someone asks you to send a photo, the app recognizes the request and suggests adding the relevant photos. If someone invites you to an event, the app suggests adding it to your Calendar. If someone asks you to buy something from the store, the app will suggest adding it to your Reminders list or Notes app.
The Messages app will also suggest Genmoji you might want to create, based on the conversation.
Drawing
You can use a new drawing interface in the app to send small sketches and notes. It’s available when you tap the “+” button next to the text bar in a conversation. The drawing interface is the same as the Markup available in apps like Photos and Notes. There’s a highlighter, a pen, a highlighter, and an eraser, as well as options to use the tools in any color.
Random Recordings
The Messages app in iOS 27 includes an option to remove the audio button from the text bar. In the Messages section of the Settings app, you can find the 'Show in Text Field' option and set the button on the right side to 'Record Audio', 'Start Dictation', or 'None'.
By setting the option to 'None', you will prevent a voice message from being accidentally recorded with a wrong press
Tapbacks
The Messages app now unifies notifications for Tapback reactions, which is useful when you're in a group thread and a lot of people are sending emojis.
Search
Apple has improved the search index in apps like Mail and Messagesso you're more likely to find what you're looking for. You can also search for conversations in the Messages app using a phone number or a contact's nickname.
See also: iOS 26 fixes a major Messages app problem
Shipment
When a message fails to send in iOS 27, your iPhone will automatically try to resend it. In iOS 26, you get a notification if a message fails, but you have to manually tap to try to resend it.
The Messages app also supports continuous sending of photos, videos, and texts. If you're sending someone a photo and your connection is poor or you get disconnected, the sending will automatically resume when the connection is restored.
Synchronization
Cross-device syncing has been improved in iOS 27 so conversations sync more reliably between iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and Vision Pro.
Messages, read statuses, reactions, and attachments sync faster.
When you take a photo and then go to the Messages app to send it, you're more likely to see it right away. Apple says the iPhone is faster at adding recent camera shots to the Messages app.
Offloaded Media
If you have offloaded photos or videos to save storage space, you can find them in the Messages app when you search.
Thumbnails are also displayed for saved media instead of a placeholder image, so you know what's there.
RCS
In RCS Message conversations with Android users, you can now long-press on a message to send an inline reply. iOS 27 also displays reaction emoji directly on images and videos, a feature that didn't work in iOS 26.
See also: AI agent Poke for Messages Business Chat approved by Apple
Genmoji
Apple revamped Genmoji creation in iOS 27. There's an updated interface for describing an emoji you want, with options to start from an existing emoji, choose an image from Photos, or select a person.
After uploading an image or using a text phrase to create a Genmoji, there's a new 'Describe a Change' interface for making updates to what you've already created. You can iterate over designs and change individual elements of a Genmoji, tweaking colors and objects. Each change uses the old base instead of creating a new Genmoji.
Genmoji output is more consistent and Genmoji look more like real emoji with a 3D, cartoonish style by default. There's now an option to change the style, so if you don't want the cartoonish look, you can request something else, like a drawing or sketch.
Great Conversations
Large conversations load and scroll faster in iOS 27, according to Apple.
iOS 27: Apple Messages Upgrade
With iOS 27, Apple continues to enrich the Messages app, emphasizing both artificial intelligence and small improvements that make a difference in everyday use. From intelligent suggestions and Siri capabilities to faster search and better syncing across devices, the user experience is more complete than ever.
While it remains to be seen how useful all the AI features will prove to be in practice, the new version clearly demonstrates Apple's strategy to turn Messages into one of the smartest and most comprehensive communication apps in its ecosystem.
