The Messages app is one of the areas where Apple Intelligence is most directly integrated into everyday life. Summaries of unread chats, automatic reply suggestions, custom Genmoji, AI-generated images, and real-time translations are now built directly into iMessage – and with iOS 26, the selection has grown significantly.
Communication is time-consuming: skimming chats, finding the right words, quickly sending a picture in between. This is precisely where Apple Intelligence comes in – not through a single menu, but distributed across many parts of the Messages app. A compatible device is required, meaning an iPhone 15 Pro or later, with Apple Intelligence enabled; the complete initial setup is described step-by-step in the Apple Intelligence setup guide. In iOS 26, the toggle switch is located in Settings under "Apple Intelligence & Siri." With iOS 27, this central toggle switch is removed: the menu is simply called "Siri," and the functions are enabled by default. Once the devices are downloaded, the following tools are available in the Messages app – this overview shows what they are and how to use them.
Summaries of unread news
Even in the conversation list, Apple Intelligence shows what an unread chat is about, without having to open it. A compact summary of unread messages appears under each conversation, allowing you to see at a glance if there's anything urgent. This significantly reduces scrolling, especially when you have many open chats or long group histories.
- Open the Messages app on your iPhone.
- Take a look at the conversation list: Under each chat you'll find summaries of the unread messages.
Turn news summaries on or off
The summaries are active as soon as Apple Intelligence is running. If you prefer to see the most recent message in a conversation in the overview, you can disable them specifically:
- Open the settings on your iPhone.
- Tap on "Apps" and select "Messages".
- Enable or disable the "Summarize messages" option.
The setting can be adjusted at any time, depending on how you want the conversation list to look.
Reply faster with Smart Reply
Smart Reply suggests relevant responses that can be applied with a single tap. Apple Intelligence analyzes your previous interactions and offers short, context-sensitive replies directly above the keyboard. This is ideal when you need to respond quickly and don't have time to type a full reply.
- Open a conversation in the Messages app.
- Tap the text box; suggested answers will appear above the keyboard.
- Choose a suggestion – it will appear directly in the text field.
- Adjust the answer if necessary, then tap Send.
For fine-tuning, the writing tools handle rewording, shortening, and changing the tone. With iOS 27, these tools are integrated into "Write with Siri" - on Macs and in regions with available Siri AI. However, on iPhones and iPads in the EU, the classic writing tools menu will remain for the time being, as the Digital Markets Act blocks the launch of Siri AI on these devices.
Create your own Genmoji directly in the chat
With Genmoji, Apple Intelligence creates custom emojis from a short description – perhaps related to an inside joke, your pet, or a current topic of conversation. The finished emojis can be sent as standalone messages, stickers, or as Tapbacks.
- Tap on the text field in a conversation and switch to the emoji keyboard.
- Tap "Genmoji" in the top right corner.
- Describe the desired motif or combine existing emojis – up to seven elements can be combined to create a new Genmoji.
- Choose one of the offered options and add it to the message.
User-created Genmoji are saved along with the stickers and are then permanently available. iOS 26 introduced several improvements, such as customizable facial expressions and the ability to modify details like hairstyles or glasses – a more detailed look can be found in the overview of the major Genmoji update in iOS 26. For iOS 27, it is also planned that Genmoji will automatically suggest descriptions based on the user's photos and frequently used phrases; manually typing a description would then be optional.
Images and backgrounds with Image Playground
Image Playground brings AI-generated images directly into the chat. Original images are created in seconds from a description and can be shared – and since iOS 26, you can also create your own chat backgrounds.
- Open a conversation and tap the plus symbol next to the text field.
- Select "Image Playground", create an image and send it to the desired contacts.
To customize the background, go to the conversation settings:
- Tap the name of the contact or group at the top of the conversation.
- Set a background there – Image Playground is available as one of the sources.
Start polls in group chats
While polls are not exclusively an Apple Intelligence feature, the AI recognizes the right moment: as soon as various options appear in a group chat – for example, when voting on a restaurant or a movie night – Apple Intelligence suggests creating a poll.
- Open or start a group chat.
- If multiple options are being discussed and the suggestion "Create survey" appears, tap it.
- Alternatively, a survey can be created manually at any time using the plus symbol.
This way, the vote is taken without lengthy back-and-forth in the conversation, and all participants see the result in one place.
Translate news in real time
Apple Intelligence overcomes language barriers in the Messages app with Live Translation. Incoming messages in a foreign language automatically appear in your preferred language, and as you type, your reply is translated directly. The feature runs entirely on the device, so content remains private – and it's available in German. Unlike the AirPods version, this translation in Messages works without any additional hardware.
- Open the relevant conversation and tap on the contact's name at the top.
- Scroll down and activate "Auto-translate".
- Select the appropriate language if needed.
When sending the message, the recipient receives both the translation and the original text.
Apple Intelligence makes iMessage faster and more personal
Between summaries, Smart Reply, and Live Translation on the one hand, and Genmoji, Image Playground, and polls on the other, Apple Intelligence in the Messages app covers a broad spectrum - from quickly processing your inbox to adding a creative touch to chats. Since the features are based on generative models, it's still worth taking a closer look at the suggestions for important content. The same summarizing and replying tools also work in the Mail app, similarly decluttering your inbox there.
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Frequently Asked Questions: Apple Intelligence in the Messages app
Summaries of unread chats, Smart Reply with suggested answers, custom Genmoji, AI images and chat backgrounds via Image Playground, automatic poll suggestions in groups, and Live Translation for real-time translations.
An iPhone 15 Pro or newer with Apple Intelligence enabled. These features are not available on older models.
Go to Settings → Apps → Messages and disable the "Summarize messages" option. Afterwards, the overview will again display the most recent message in each conversation.
Switch to the emoji keyboard in the text field, tap "Genmoji" in the top right corner, enter a description or combine up to seven elements, select a variant, and insert it. Genmoji you create yourself are saved along with the stickers.
Yes. The translation integrated into the Messages app (without AirPods) runs entirely on the device, is available in German, and therefore usable in the EU. Only the separate Live Translation option with AirPods was temporarily restricted to the EU and was added with iOS 26.2.
The classic writing tools are integrated into "Write with Siri" on Macs and in regions with available Siri AI. On iPhones and iPads in the EU, the classic writing tools menu will remain for the time being, because Siri AI is blocked there by the Digital Markets Act.
No. Apple Intelligence uses generative models, the results of which can vary. For important content, it's advisable to review the information before relying on a summary or suggestion.
