iMessage got quite a few new features with the release of iOS 10, making the texting platform more dynamic and interactive. In this post, we’ll run through how to use all of them to give you a refresher and make sure you’re getting the most out of iMessage.

Reactions

Reactions are similar to the “Like” feature on Facebook. They are a simple way to acknowledge a message without having to actually reply to it. All you have to do is press down on an iMessage that someone has sent you, and a bubble pop up with a set of reactions to choose from. After you select one, your reaction will become “attached” to the message and the sender will be notified that you reacted to their message.

Bubble Effects

Bubble effects change the way your message is sent. First, type out the message you want to send. Then, tap and hold down on the blue “send” arrow. This will bring up four bubble effects for you to choose from: “Slam,” “Loud,” “Gentle,” and “Invisible Ink.”

Screen Effects

Screen effects are similar to bubble effects. Instead of changing your messages, they animate your screen to accompany your messages. All you have to do is type out your message and hold down on the blue send arrow, and then tap the “Screen” tab at the top. Swipe left and right to test out the screen effects until you find one you like — you can choose from balloons, hearts, lasers, fireworks, shooting stars and sparkles. To use the effect, just press the send button.

Handwriting

The handwriting feature is a great way to add a more personal touch to your message. All you have to do is turn your phone so that the screen is horizontal, and tap the “Draw” symbol in the bottom right corer of your keyboard. This will bring up a big empty pad  where you can draw or write messages. When finished, just tap “Done” and send.

Digital Touch

With digital touch, you can draw pictures or send various effects. To start, tap the grey arrow to the left of the text box, and select the icon with two fingers and a heart. This will bring up the digital touch menu.

Tap any of the icons on the left of the menu to bring up a guide on how to use Digital Touch. You can sketch, or send things like fireballs, kisses and heartbeats.

If you are sketching and want to change the color of your drawing, just tap the blue button for the color palette.

Emoji

With the release of iOS 10, your iPhone can instantly analyze your text and offer emoji suggestions. First, make sure your emoji keyboard is activated, which you can do by going to Settings, then General, and tapping Keyboard.

Once your emoji keyboard is all set up, simply type the text you wish you send in iMessage and then press the globe button in the bottom left corner of your keyboard. This will take you to the emoji keyboard. Your iPhone will find words to replace with emojis and highlight them in orange. To turn a word into an emoji, simply tap on the word.

GIFs

GIFs are like moving images. They are a fun way to express what you want to say without actually having to type it out. All you have to do is press on the grey arrow next to the text box, and tap the “Applications” icon.  Select “#images.” From there, you should be able to search for GIFs by typing in certain keywords or phrases, like “Excited” or “Miss you.” Once you find a GIF you like, tap on it and hit send.

These features are a great way to make texting your friends a fresh, new and interactive experience. For whatever you want to say, iMessage will give you a lot of ways to say it.