- Starting with iOS 16, Apple allows you to mark text messages as unread in the Messages app on your iPhone.
- You can mark a conversation as unread by swiping it to the right or by tapping and holding the conversation, then choosing Mark as Unread from quick actions.
- The Filters view now lets you see just your unread messages.
If you're a long-time iPhone user, you probably know the frustration of reading a text message and then forgetting to reply to it.
Apple has fixed that annoyance in iOS 16 by adding the ability to mark messages as unread on the iPhone. Now, if you don't have time to reply right away, you can mark it as unread as a reminder to get back to it later. Even better, you can change the view in the Messages app to see just the unread messages.
Note: You'll only be able to mark texts as unread for messages you've sent to other iPhone users who have also updated to iOS 16.
How to mark messages as unread on iPhone
There are several ways to mark messages as unread. Start the Messages app and go to the conversations list. Once you are there, you can do whichever method is most convenient:
- Tap a conversation. Find the conversation you want to mark as unread. Tap and hold the chat until the message preview window pops up, and then tap Mark as Unread from the list of quick actions at the bottom of the screen.
- Swipe right on a conversation. Swipe a conversation to the right. If you swipe all the way, it'll automatically be marked as unread; if you swipe it part way, release and tap the Mark as Unread button on the left.
- Select several conversations at once. Tap the three-dot menu at the top of the screen and choose Select Messages from the drop-down menu. Tap to select each message you want to mark as unread, then tap Unread at the bottom of the screen.
How to find all unread messages at once
You can filter the conversations in the Messages app to just your unread chats. From the conversation list, tap Filters at the top left. Then, on the Filters page, tap Unread Messages. Here, you'll see all your unread messages — both messages that you haven't read and messages you manually marked as unread.
Quick tip: If you don't see this view, you probably haven't enabled filtering. Start the Settings app and tap Messages, then scroll down and find Filter Unknown Senders. Turn it on by swiping the button to the right.
Dave Johnson Freelance Writer Dave Johnson is a technology journalist who writes about consumer tech and how the industry is transforming the speculative world of science fiction into modern-day real life. Dave grew up in New Jersey before entering the Air Force to operate satellites, teach space operations, and do space launch planning. He then spent eight years as a content lead on the Windows team at Microsoft. As a photographer, Dave has photographed wolves in their natural environment; he's also a scuba instructor and co-host of several podcasts. Dave is the author of more than two dozen books and has contributed to many sites and publications including CNET, Forbes, PC World, How To Geek, and Insider. Read more Read lessncG1vNJzZmivp6x7o8HSoqWeq6Oeu7S1w56pZ5ufonyowcidnKxnpJqwqXvHqK5mrJ9iuqK%2BymaknqujlrSmv4yaqmatnqeyorCMqKVmoaCdvK%2Bx
