Reply to specific messages on your iPhone and iPad

With iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 and later, you can reply directly to a specific message and use mentions to call attention to certain messages and people.

How to reply to a specific message

  1. Open a Messages conversation.

  2. Touch and hold a message bubble, then tap the Reply button.

  3. Type your message, then tap the Send button.

    An iPhone showing the inline reply menu after you touch and hold a message bubble to send an inline reply

You can reply to a specific message in conversations with one person and in groups.

How to use mentions

  1. Open a Messages conversation.

  2. Type a contact's name, then tap the name when it appears. Or type @ followed by their name.

    An iPhone showing how to send a mention in a text message

Depending on your contact's settings, a mention can notify them even if they've muted the conversation. To change this notification setting:

  1. Go to Settings > Apps > Messages.

  2. Scroll down to Mentions.

  3. Turn Notify Me on or off.

Do more with Messages

Explore the latest features in Messages to stay connected to the conversations that matter the most.

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