It seems that Apple is working on an iMessage feature that will allow you to add text effects for chats in iOS 18. This is different from the existing effects option, as it can be applied directly to the text. The company is currently working on integrating RCS support into the app.
iMessage “Text Effects” would allow you to send animated text
Currently, iMessage users can apply animated effects to chat bubbles, as well as send full-screen effects. For example, you can momentarily fill the chat screen with floating balloons. However, Apple would like to go a step further in iOS 18 with text effects that would allow you to animate individual words to send via iMessage.
This means that, instead of adding an animation to just a chat bubble, you could send animated words or phrases. According to the MacRumors report, this feature could even be compatible with third-party messaging apps that support the standard RCS. iMessage is expected to integrate RCS support with the iOS 18 update. This will allow better feature compatibility between iMessage and other messaging apps, among other advantages.
So, the other party could receive the text effects through apps like Google Messages. However, they could not send animated text, since it is an app-dependent feature. For them, Google would have to develop a similar feature that is supported by RCS capabilities.
More formatting options could be missing for another year
On the other hand, there is still no confirmation on possible text formatting options for individual words or phrases. This has been requested for a long time by many users of iOS devices. Taking into account the popularity of iMessage, it is striking that it still does not allow applying bold, italic, or underlining to a particular section of text.
Apple is also working on more improvements to the chat and typing experience in iOS 18. They are said to integrate an AI-powered auto-completion tool for better suggestions while you type. The company is expected to announce iOS 18 on June 10, while the stable rollout will begin in September. But before that, the first public beta should be available in July.
2024-06-01 15:07:29