Spice Up Your Texts With These Hidden iPhone Message Tricks

I have been an iPhone owner for a decade and a tech writer for two years, and I only just yesterday learned of what happens on Messages when you text someone: "pew pew." I guess I'd never texted anyone "pew pew" before. But evidently, when you do so, lasers shoot out of the text bubble. Mesmerizing! And if you've ever been on the receiving end of a digital confetti bomb, you know there are also certain celebratory words that trigger such grandiose reactions in Messages as well.

Ahead, we've corralled all the other tricks you can deploy on Messages to spice up your communication while practicing social distancing. Just make sure your devices are up-to-date with the latest iOS version, and voila — may these tricks be a resource of joy for you while you can't hug your friends IRL. You can send them virtual balloons! Not the same thing. But still, something.