3 hidden iPhone Messages features that actually make your life easier

1. Copy only part of a text message

Traditionally, copying text from Messages meant selecting the entire bubble and pasting everything, which frustrating when you only needed one specific detail.

Messages now lets you highlight and copy just the portion you actually need. Press and hold anywhere on a text bubble until it becomes selectable. Instead of automatically selecting the entire message, you'll see selection handles appear at the beginning and end of the text.

Drag these handles to highlight only the specific section you want to copy. Once you've selected the exact text, tap Copy from the menu that appears.

The feature seems small but eliminates the annoying workaround of copying an entire message, pasting it somewhere else, then manually deleting everything except the part you wanted. Now you just grab what you need directly.

2. Schedule messages to send at a specific time

Texting someone at 6 AM because you're awake and thinking of something feels inconsiderate. Trying to remember to send that same message at a reasonable hour later rarely works. Scheduled sending solves both problems by letting you write messages now and send them automatically at whatever time makes sense.

This feature requires iOS 18 or later. Open any conversation in Messages, tap the plus icon next to the text field, and select Send Later from the menu.

A scheduling interface appears where you choose the exact date and time you want the message delivered. After setting your schedule, tap the arrow to send.

Scheduled messages work for birthday wishes you want to arrive exactly at midnight, work messages you draft outside business hours but don't want to send until morning, or reminders you need to reach someone at a specific future moment.

You can edit or cancel scheduled messages before they send by tapping the message in your conversation and selecting Edit or Delete.

3. Filter spam and unknown senders

Messages from unknown numbers clutter your main inbox and make finding actual conversations harder. Apple added filtering that separates these messages into dedicated categories you can check when needed without mixing them with your regular texts.

Go to Settings, Apps, and Messages. Then enable both "Screen Unknown Senders" and "Filter Spam." These settings work together to automatically sort incoming messages.

Open the Messages app and look for the three-line filter icon in the upper right corner. And simply tap it to reveal filtering options. You'll see categories for Unknown Senders and Spam alongside your normal inbox and other message groups.

This doesn't block messages, everything still arrives. It just organizes them so promotional texts and random notifications don't interrupt actual conversations with people you know.