Here is how to send iMessage on iPhone and iPad.
iMessage gets more convenient and feature-rich with every iOS update. It lets you send data-based text, photo, video, and audio messages to anyone on any Apple device and also lets you share your location with someone, either indefinitely or for a set duration. This makes it incredibly convenient to communicate and interact with anyone else who owns an Apple device.
The group chat feature in iMessage is also especially fun for family conversations.
How to Set up iMessage
To set up iMessage on iPhone and iPad, you will need to make a few changes in the Settings app. Here’s how to do it.
- Tap Settings (gear icon) from your iPad’s home screen.
- Scroll down and tap Messages.
- Ensure the iMessage switch is turned on (green).
Log in with your Apple ID if prompted. - Tap Send & Receive to configure how others can reach you on iMessage.
- Tap the phone numbers and email addresses you want to use to receive messages. You must check at least one destination on this screen.
Make sure that any phone numbers that aren’t yours are unchecked, so family members don’t receive messages meant for you. - You’ve set up iMessage and can now use the Messages app to keep in contact with your friends and family without needing an iPhone.
Texts you send and receive using iMessage don’t count against your SMS/MMS allowances in your cellular messaging plan, but cellular data rates may apply. iMessage texts can include photos, videos, and other content. You can see when other people are typing and send read receipts to let them know when you’ve read their messages.
You can also undo and edit sent messages. For security, messages sent using iMessage are encrypted before they’re sent.
SMS messages are short text messages, while MMS messages may include text, graphics, audio, video, and other media.
Turn on iMessage in iCloud
When you turn on iMessage in iCloud, every message you send and receive on your iPad is saved in iCloud. And, when you sign in with the same Apple ID on a new device that also has Messages in iCloud turned on, all your conversations show up there automatically.
Go to Settings 
> [your name] > iCloud, then turn on Messages (if it’s not already turned on).
After you turn on Messages in iCloud, any messages or attachments you delete from your iPad are also deleted from your other Apple devices (iOS 11.4, iPadOS 13, macOS 10.13.5, or later) where you have iMessages in iCloud turned on.
Share your name and photo
In iMessage, you can share your name and photo with others. You decide whether to share it whenever you send or receive a message from someone new. Your photo can be a Memoji or custom image.
When you open iMessages for the first time, follow the instructions on your iPhone or iPad to choose your name and photo.
You can change your name, photo, or sharing options.
- In the Messages conversation list, tap Edit in the top-left corner.
- Tap Edit Name and Photo, then do any of the following:
- Change your picture: Tap Edit below the circle, 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.
- Change who can see your name and picture: 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.
Note: Your name and photo may not appear as expected when you send messages to recipients who are using non-Apple devices.
How to send a text message using iMessage on iPhone
If you have ever sent an SMS message, you already know how to send an iMessage. However, if you are a brand-new iPhone or iPad user, here is how to go about it:
- Launch the Messages app on your iPhone.
- Tap on the Compose button in the upper right-hand corner.
- Type the name of the contact to whom you’d like to send a message.
- Tap the contact to whom you’d like to send a message.
- Type your message in the message field.
- Tap the send arrow next to the message.
How to reply inline to a specific message
If you and your recipients are all using Apple devices, you can respond to a specific message inline. Inline replies quote the message you’re responding to. This keeps a busy conversation organized by clarifying which part relates to which response.
- Touch and hold the message bubble that you want to reply to.
- Tap Reply or a Tapback symbol, such as a thumbs-up or a heart.
- Enter your message, then tap
. - To return to the main conversation, tap the blurred background.
Tip: You can automatically let others know when you’ve seen their messages. Go to Settings > Messages, then turn on Send Read Receipts.
How to use Siri to send, read, and reply to messages
You can use Siri to send messages for you, read your incoming texts out loud, and reply to messages.
Siri: Say something like:
- “Send a message to Mayuri saying, how about tomorrow?”
- “Read my last message from Antonio”
- “Reply, that’s great news!”
Siri can send a message right after it has been read back to you. Go to Settings > Siri & Search > Automatically Send Messages, then turn on Automatically Send Messages.
How to tell if you send iMessage or an SMS/MMS
Apple’s built-in iMessage app can send both carrier-based SMS/MMS to any phone and data-based iMessages to any other Apple device. To make it easy to tell the two apart — and so that you know what might be charged as SMS/MMS vs. part of your data package — Apple color-codes all your messages.
- Green is for SMS/MMS. Any time you’re on the cellular network and sending to another mobile phone, it’ll be contained in a green bubble.
- Blue is for iMessage. Any time you’re on Wi-Fi or using cellular data and send a message from your Apple device to another Apple device, it’ll be contained in a blue bubble.
Your iPhone may try to send over SMS/MMS if iMessage is offline. Therefore, you need to keep an eye on it if you want to avoid charges, especially international charges outside of any texting plan you might have.
How to send a new photo or video using iMessage
- Launch the Messages app on your iPhone or iPad.
- Tap on the conversation in which you’d like to send a photo.
- Tap on the camera button to the left of the text field. The camera app will launch.
- Tap the shutter button when you’re ready to take your photo or swipe left or right to take a video, panorama, or another image, and wait a moment. A new screen will appear with a blue button in the bottom right corner.
- Edit or markup the photo as you’d like before sending it. You can apply filters, change the brightness, and more.
- Tap the blue send button in the bottom right corner.
How to send an existing photo or video using iMessage
You can send not just new photos and videos in iMessage, but existing pictures and video clips too. Here’s how to do just that.
- Launch the Messages app on your iPhone or iPad.
- Tap on the conversation in which you’d like to send a photo.
- Tap on the apps button to the left of the text field.
- Tap the Photos app button, which should be the leftmost icon. It’s the same as the Home screen icon for the Photos app.
- Tap the photo or video you’d like to send.
- Add a comment if you’d like.
- Tap the send button.
If you don’t want to constantly share your location but want to send someone your current location, it’s easy to do.
- Tap on the name at the top of the conversation screen in a Messages conversation.
- Tap the Info button that appears below the name.
- Tap Send My Current Location.
The person on the other end can then tap on the location to view it and even get directions.
Apple has tied iMessage into Find My. So, if you want to share your location for an hour or the rest of the day, that is also an option.
- Launch the Messages app.
- Tap on the conversation in which you’d like to send your location.
- Tap on the name at the top of the conversation screen.
- Tap the Info button that appears below the name.
- Tap Share My Location.
- Tap the duration for which you’d like to share your location. You can choose from one hour, until the end of the day, or indefinitely.
If you’d like to stop sharing your location before the end of the period you chose, follow the above steps and tap Stop Sharing My Location.
How to Send More Than Just Text in an iMessage
You can send more than just text in an iMessage. Here are some examples of what you can do:
In a new message, tap the heart with two fingers, draw a message, and send it.
Tap the Apple Pay icon to send money via iMessage.
Tap the Photos icon to attach pictures and movies from your Camera Roll, and tap the Images icon to send animated GIFS.
Tap More to see even more options for sending a message via iMessage.
iMessage on iPad
The Messages app on an iPad is limited because it can only send iMessages. These are better than SMS messages because they’re completely free but also worse because you can only send them to other people on iMessage. This means you can only message other iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch users.
To send an iMessage on an iPad, start up the Messages app and tap on the compose button. It is the square symbol with a pencil piercing it diagonally (to the right of the ‘Messages’ heading on the lefthand bar). Start typing the name of the contact you want to send a message to, and iOS will offer to complete it for you.
But can you send a message to that person? If the name is blue in the auto-suggest field, they’re on iMessage and you can send them a message without paying a penny. If the name is grey – and then displays as red when you select it – they are not (they’re probably on Android) and you’ll find that you get a ‘Not Delivered’ error message, or won’t be able to activate the send button at all.
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