Clean Up Your iPhone Messages Menu (iMessage Apps Explained)

Have you ever opened a text message, tapped the plus sign beside the typing area, and wondered what all those choices are for? You may see Photos, Stickers, Location, Polls, Check In, and several other options that you have never used.

Those are called iMessage apps. They can be genuinely helpful, but when the menu gets crowded with games, shopping tools, stickers, and apps you do not use, the useful choices become harder to find.

The good news is that you can clean up this menu without deleting your regular iPhone apps. You are simply choosing which tools appear inside Messages.

What Is an iMessage App?

An iMessage app is a small tool you can use without leaving a text conversation. It is not a separate app that you need to open from your Home Screen. Think of these tools as shortcuts built into the Messages app.

To find them, open a conversation in Messages and tap the plus sign next to the typing area. A menu appears with options for adding different things to your message.

Depending on your iPhone and the apps you have installed, the menu may let you:

• Send a photo
• Share your location
• Send an audio recording
• Create a poll in a group conversation
• Set up a Check In for someone you trust
• Schedule a message to send later
• Use stickers, games, shopping tools, or other add-ons

Most of these features work best when the conversation has blue message bubbles. Blue bubbles mean you are using iMessage with another Apple user. If a conversation has green bubbles, some options may not be available or may work differently.

Apple provides additional details about Messages features in its iPhone Messages User Guide.

The Most Useful iMessage Apps to Know About

You certainly do not need to use every tool in the plus menu. Start with the ones that solve a real problem for you.

Photos: Send a Picture Without Leaving Messages

Photos is one of the most useful options because it lets you send an image quickly while you are already in a conversation.

1. Open the conversation and tap the plus sign.
2. Tap Photos.
3. Choose the picture you want to send.
4. Tap the checkmark in the upper-right corner.
5. Tap the blue send arrow.

This saves you from leaving Messages, opening the Photos app, finding the image, and then sharing it from there. When you are finished choosing a photo, you can swipe down on the gray bar to close the Photos area.

Location: Share Where You Are

The Location option is especially helpful when you are meeting family or friends somewhere. Tap the plus sign, find Location, and tap it.

From there, you can share your current location with someone. You may also be able to request another person’s location if they have agreed to share it with you. If you do not see Location right away, scroll farther down the plus menu.

Check In: Let Someone Know You Arrived Safely

Check In is a wonderful safety feature. It can notify a friend or family member when you reach a destination, such as arriving home after an evening out or getting to a vacation destination.

Choose the person you want to notify and set up the Check In. Your iPhone can let them know when you arrive. If there is an unexpected delay, it can share helpful information with them if you choose to allow that.

When you are done setting it up, tap the X to close the Check In panel.

Polls: Make Group Decisions Without a Long Text Chain

In a group text, you may see Polls. This is handy when everyone is trying to decide something together.

Instead of sending message after message asking where everyone wants to eat, create a poll with a few restaurant choices and let each person vote. It is a much easier way to organize a family plan or group outing.

Send Later: Schedule a Message for the Right Time

Send Later is one of my favorite features. Perhaps you receive a message late at night and want to reply, but you do not want to disturb the other person. With Send Later, you can write the response now and have it sent at a better time.

1. Tap the plus sign in a conversation.
2. Choose Send Later.
3. Select the date and time you want the message sent.
4. Type your message.
5. Tap the send button.

The message will appear in a bubble in the conversation, but it will not send until the scheduled date and time. If you decide not to send it, tap the X to remove the scheduled message from the text input area.

Why the iMessage Plus Menu Gets So Crowded

The plus menu can collect a lot of extras over time. You may have sticker packs, games, gift tools, shopping apps, and other choices that you never use in Messages.

There is nothing wrong with having those apps on your iPhone. The trouble is that when too many options are listed, useful tools such as Photos, Location, Audio, and Check In become harder to find.

The simplest solution is to hide anything that does not help you.

How to Remove Apps From the iMessage Menu

Turning off an iMessage app does not delete that app from your iPhone. It only removes it from the menu that appears after you tap the plus sign in Messages. You can turn it back on at any time.

Here is how to clean up the list:

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Make sure you are on the main Settings page.
3. Scroll toward the bottom and tap Apps.
4. Find and tap Messages. You can use the letter M on the right side of the Apps list to get there more quickly.
5. Scroll down and tap iMessage Apps.
6. Review the list of apps allowed to appear in the Messages menu.
7. Tap the switch next to any app you do not use in Messages.

When a switch is gray, that app is hidden from the Messages plus menu. For example, you might turn off a game, shopping app, or sticker app that you never use.

I would suggest keeping the tools you are most likely to need, such as:

• Photos
• Location
• Audio
• Check In
• Send Later

There is no perfect list. This is your iPhone, so keep the options that make sense for you and hide the ones that do not.

Check That Your Messages Menu Is Simpler

When you have finished making your choices, return to the Messages app, open a conversation, and tap the plus sign again. The apps you turned off should no longer be listed.

That is all there is to it. Your menu should now be simpler, less overwhelming, and easier to use when you need to send a picture, share your location, or use another helpful tool.

How to Add an iMessage App Back Later

If you hide something and later decide you want it back, do not worry. Return to:

Settings > Apps > Messages > iMessage Apps

Then find the app in the list and turn its switch back on. It will return to the plus menu in Messages.

Should You Add More iMessage Apps From the Store?

You can also browse for additional iMessage apps. Open a conversation, tap the plus sign, and choose Store.

You will find both free and paid options there. But my advice is not to add apps simply because they are available. Start with the built-in tools already on your iPhone. For many people, Photos, Location, Check In, Polls, and Send Later are all they need.

A few minutes spent cleaning up the iMessage apps menu can make Messages feel much easier to use. The next time you need to send a photo or share where you are, the right choice will be much easier to find.