iOS 27 gives Messages one of its biggest updates in years, particularly for conversations between iPhone and Android users.
RCS gets two features that make green-bubble conversations behave more like iMessage, while Apple has also added a new drawing tool, smarter replies, better search, and several smaller fixes.
Here are the Messages changes worth knowing about after updating to iOS 27.
1. RCS finally gets in-line replies
You can now reply directly to a specific message in an RCS conversation, just as you already can in iMessage.
That makes longer group conversations with Android users much easier to follow, since replies stay attached to the message they’re responding to rather than appearing as another text at the bottom of the thread.
2. Tapbacks work properly with Android phones
Emoji reactions sent through RCS now appear as actual reactions on supported Android phones.
That gets rid of awkward messages such as “Ryan loved an image” that could appear when reactions weren’t properly interpreted between platforms.
Both improvements come from newer RCS standards. Editing and unsending RCS messages are also supported by the standard, although those features aren’t currently available in Messages.
3. Messages gets its own drawing tool
A new Drawing app inside Messages lets you sketch or write something by hand and send it directly in a conversation.
It uses the same familiar Markup tools found elsewhere in iOS and works on any compatible iPhone.
The feature could become particularly useful on the iPhone Duo, which has a much larger foldable display and is getting Apple Pencil support.
4. Apple Intelligence can suggest what to do next
Messages is getting contextual suggestions that recognize when someone asks you to do something.
If a friend asks you to send photos, for example, Apple Intelligence can search your library using people, places, and keywords to surface relevant images. Requests mentioned in a conversation can also be turned into reminders or notes without leaving Messages.
There’s one catch: this feature didn’t make the initial iOS 27 release. Apple says it’s coming in a future update.
5. Failed messages automatically try again
A message that fails to send no longer has to sit there waiting for you to notice the error.
Messages can automatically retry the send, addressing one of those small annoyances that becomes particularly useful when moving between areas with weak or inconsistent service.
6. Smart Replies sound more like you
Apple is making its suggested responses more personal.
Smart Reply can now take your writing style into account when generating suggestions, making the responses better match the way you normally communicate instead of offering the same generic replies to everyone.
7. You can remove the audio button
If you regularly hit the audio recording button by accident, iOS 27 finally lets you get rid of it.
The option is available under Settings > Apps > Messages, where the button can be replaced with dictation or removed from the message field altogether.
8. Search works with nicknames and phone numbers
Messages search can now find conversations using a person’s nickname or phone number.
Apple has also improved searching for media that has been offloaded from the device to save storage. Those photos and videos can still display thumbnails and appear in search results.
9. Tapbacks won’t bombard you with notifications
Multiple people reacting to the same message no longer need to generate a string of individual alerts.
iOS 27 can consolidate those Tapbacks into a single notification, cutting down on the pile of alerts that can come from an active group conversation.
10. Messages adds stronger protections for kids
For child accounts, Messages can automatically detect violent or graphic material in shared photos and videos and prevent it from being displayed.
The protection expands the safety features Apple already uses to help limit children’s exposure to sensitive content.
11. Messages should feel faster
Apple has made several less visible changes to how Messages handles conversations and media.
Threads load faster, cross-device syncing has been improved, and photos, videos, and messages can continue sending without one transfer holding up everything behind it.
