Messages got a serious upgrade with Apple Intelligence. Not the flashy kind that makes for good commercials, but the practical stuff that actually saves time when you're texting throughout the day.
Here's what changed: summaries of long message threads so you don't need to read everything, smart replies that actually make sense in context, Genmoji for creating custom emoji, and Writing Tools integration for fixing typos or changing tone before you hit send.
I'll walk through each feature with actual examples of when and how to use them. This isn't theory—it's what works in daily messaging after several weeks of real use.
Apple Intelligence in Messages requires iOS 18.1 or later on iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, or any iPhone 16 model. Older iPhones don't support these features regardless of iOS version.
Make sure you have set everything up correctly. Check our guide on how to enable Apple Intelligence if you haven't already.
Message Summaries
The most immediately useful feature. When you step away from a group chat and come back to 50 unread messages, a summary appears under the conversation showing what happened.
Instead of scrolling through everything, you get the key points: "Planning dinner Saturday at Mario's, 7pm. John can't make it. Sarah bringing dessert." That's the entire 50-message thread condensed into one sentence.
Group Chat Scenario: Your family is planning Thanksgiving. You're busy at work, your phone blows up with 30 messages.
Summary Shows: "Turkey and sides at mom's house, 3pm Thursday. Bring apple pie. John is vegetarian now, need meat alternatives."
What It Saved: Reading through an entire thread of back-and-forth about recipes and random tangents.
Summaries strip out tone, jokes, and emotional context. For sensitive conversations—relationship stuff, conflict resolution—don't trust the summary. Read the actual messages.
Smart Reply
Smart Reply has existed in Messages for a while, but Apple Intelligence made it significantly better. The AI analyzes incoming messages and suggests contextually appropriate responses.
Incoming Message: "Want to grab lunch tomorrow? I'm thinking that new Thai place around noon if you're free."
Smart Reply Options:
- "Sounds great! See you at noon."
- "Can't do lunch tomorrow, how about Wednesday?"
- "Thai place works for me, what time exactly?"
Writing Tools
Writing Tools work in Messages the same way they work everywhere else. This matters more in Messages than you'd think. How many times have you drafted a text that came across wrong?
Proofread
Catches typos and grammar mistakes when texting quickly.
Rewrite
Rephrase your message if it's not quite right. Helpful when you can't find the right words.
Adjust Tone
Use "Friendly" to warm up stiff texts, or "Professional" for work messages. Read our full Writing Tools guide for more details.
Genmoji
Genmoji is Apple's term for AI-generated custom emoji. Can't find the exact emoji you need? Describe it in text and the AI creates it.
How to Make Genmoji
In Messages, tap the emoji button, then look for "Create Genmoji". Type a description: "a dancing taco," "a cat wearing sunglasses"—whatever you can imagine. The AI generates options. Pick the one you like, and it inserts into your message.
Privacy
Apple processes most Apple Intelligence features directly on your device. Message summaries, Smart Reply suggestions, Writing Tools—all happen on your iPhone without sending data to Apple's servers.
Your texts stay private, never leaving your device for AI processing. The AI models run locally using your iPhone's Neural Engine.
Final Thoughts
Apple Intelligence transforms Messages from "just texting" into "texting with AI backup." The features don't fundamentally change how you communicate, but they smooth out rough edges and save small amounts of time that add up.
Give the features a genuine try for two weeks. First few days feel awkward as you remember to use them. After that, the helpful ones become natural parts of your messaging workflow.