Apple Messages app has gone through a complete overhaul in iOS 17. Aside from the revamped user interface, the stock messaging app has received several noteworthy features including the “Apple Check In”, a direct way to share passwords and contacts, and the fun-loving Live Stickers. Another equally handy but slightly hidden iMessage feature is the ability to quickly reply to a specific message through a nifty swipe gesture. Let me show you how to swipe right to replay in iMessage in iOS 17 on iPhone or iPad.
Swipe Right and Quickly Reply in iMessage on iOS 17 and iPadOS 17
Whether while communicating in a personal chat or having a lengthy banter in a group chat, the ability to respond to a particular message gives you the flexibility to control the pace of a conversation. If you get a bit late or can’t catch hold of an important message, you can jump right on the specific message and get the desired answer.
Bear in mind that the swipe-to-reply gesture is available only for the iMessage aka blue bubble. That means you can use it for the regular SMS message (or the green bubble).
- To get started, open the Messages app on your iPhone or iPad.
- Now, navigate to an iMessage conversation thread.
- Next, swipe right on the message you would like to reply to.
- Next up, your specified message will come into focus, while other messages will be slightly blurred out. Type in your message in the “Reply” box.
- Once you have entered your message, hit the Send button and you are good to go!
- The replied message shows a tiny “Reply” button so that you and the person on the other side of the conversation can easily spot the message and respond to it.
So, yeah, that’s how you can quickly reply to an iMessage chat thread using the pretty nifty swipe-right gesture.
From what I can tell this new add-on works as expected. When I first ran into this gesture, I thought it might have some restrictions like the time frame. Luckily, there is no such limitation. That means you can respond to a message without having to worry about any delay.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How do you recover a deleted iMessage conversation thread?
- On your iPhone or iPad, go to the Messages app > tap on the Filters button at the top left corner of the screen. Next, tap on Recently Deleted > choose the specific message you want to recover and hit the Recover button.
2. How do you activate the low-quality image mode in iMessage?
- Navigate the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad > Messages > scroll all the way to the bottom of the screen and turn on the switch next to Low-Quality Image Mode. From now onwards, iMessage will automatically compress the size of the images.
3. How do you hide focus status from a friend?
- Go to the Messages app > open a chat thread > hit the name of the person at the top > turn off the toggle next to Share Focus Status.
Read more: Best Tips to Create and Use Personal Voice in iOS 17 Like a Pro
