woman texting on smart phone using cell
With iOS 14, it's easy to reply only to specific messages in an iPhone text conversation.
Images By Tang Ming Tung/Getty Images
  • You can send inline replies in the Messages app on your iPhone if you have iOS 14 and you’re messaging iMessage users.
  • Replying inline makes it easier to carry on multiple conversation threads within the same chat.
  • To reply inline, tap and hold a message until the pop-up menu appears, then choose “Reply.”
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For years, Apple’s Messaging app has lacked a useful way to manage related “threads” in the same conversation. Starting with iOS 14, you can now add inline replies within a conversation.

Inline replies only work in conversations with other iMessage users – the option won’t be available if you are texting with a non-iPhone user. But you can use inline replies in two-person conversations or in group chats. 

How to inline reply in Messages on iPhone

1. Open the Messages app on your iPhone and open a conversation. 

2. Tap and hold the message you want to reply to. Hold it until you see the pop-up menu. 

3. Tap “Reply.”

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Tap and hold a message to see the "Reply" menu option.
Dave Johnson/Business Insider

4. Type your message and send it. 

Replies appear in two places within your conversation:

  • If you scroll to the location in the conversation where you replied, you should see how many replies there are to that message. Tap it to expand the text and continue replying.  
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Inline replies appear in the appropriate part of the conversation, and also at the bottom.
Dave Johnson/Business Insider
  • The reply will also appear at the bottom of the conversation, so you can respond to it without having to scroll back up to find it. A gray bracket indicates the reply.
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Inline replies also appear at the bottom, where they're easy to find.
Dave Johnson/Business Insider

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