iOS 27: 13 Ways the Messages App is Smarter and Less Annoying

The Messages app is arguably the most important app on the iPhone, and in iOS 27, Apple is adding some useful improvements. There are some quality-of-life fixes for longtime issues, and new AI features. Contextual Suggestions Messages uses Apple Intelligence to surface one-tap suggestions based on what’s being discussed in a conversation.

If someone you’re talking to asks you to send a photo, Messages recognizes the request and suggests adding the relevant photos. If someone invites you to an event, Messages offers to add it to your Calendar. If someone asks you to pick something up at the store, Messages will suggest adding it to your Reminders list or to the Notes app.

Messages will also suggest Genmoji you might want to generate based on the conversation. Write With Siri There’s a systemwide Write with Siri feature that’s available in the Messages app. ‌Siri‌ AI can compose entire messages for you, proofread your messages, or give you feedback.

There is a dedicated Write with ‌Siri‌ button above the keyboard where you can get to the new ‌Siri‌ tools. Smart Reply suggestions also use your writing style so they sound more natural.

Siri AI ‌Siri‌ AI integrates with the Messages app. You can ask ‌Siri‌ to find images, videos, links, addresses, phone numbers, and more in the Messages app, plus ‌Siri‌ can draft message replies and act on info in the Messages app, like adding an event date to the Calendar app.

Drawing You can use a new Drawing interface in the Messages app to send little sketches and notes. It’s available when tapping on the "+" button next to the text bar in a conversation.

The drawing interface is the same as the Markup tool available in apps like Photos and Notes. There’s a marker, a pen, a highlighter, and an eraser, plus options to use the tools in any color.

Accidental Recordings The ‌iOS 27‌ Messages app includes an option to remove the audio button from the text bar. In the Messages section of the Settings app, you can navigate to Show in Text Field to set the right-side button to Record Audio, Start Dictation, or None.

Setting the option to none will prevent you from accidentally recording a voice message with an errant tap. Tapbacks Messages now consolidates notifications for Tapback responses, which is useful when you’re in a group thread and tons of people are sending emojis.

Sending When a message fails to send in ‌iOS 27‌, your iPhone will automatically retry sending it. In iOS 26, you get an alert if a message fails, but you have to manually tap to try to send it again.

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 go offline, it automatically resumes sending when the connection is restored.

Syncing Cross-device syncing is improved in ‌iOS 27‌, so conversations will sync more reliably across the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and Vision Pro. Fewer messages will fail to sync and display properly when you switch between devices.

Messages, read states, 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 to add recent camera captures to Messages. Search Apple improved its search index across apps like Mail and Messages, so you’re more likely to find what you’re looking for.