Have you ever felt ignored in a busy group text conversation? Do messages to specific people get lost in the chaos? Mentions help!
I‘m going to teach you an easy iPhone trick to draw one person‘s attention in iMessage. We‘ll also cover mentioning iMessage users from a Mac computer.
By the end, you‘ll be a pro at personalizing messages to participants who need to see them.
First, What Can Mentions Do?
The ability to mention someone in an iMessage was added by Apple back in 2020. When you mention another person, their name gets highlighted.
They receive special notification alerts even if group messages are muted. This alerts them you need their input regardless of conversation settings.
Over 23% of US smartphone users rely on iMessage based on surveys. Mentions improve group chats among these 900 million Apple device owners by:
- Clarifying who you‘re addressing
- Drawing specific people‘s attention
- Organizing long chaotic message histories
- Prompting urgent replies when necessary
People use them for family chats, school projects, sports teams, work groups, gaming clans, and more.
Let‘s get you started mentioning others in iOS!
How to Mention Someone in iMessage on iPhone or iPad
You have two options to mention fellow iPhone owners:
Option 1: Type their name prefixed with @
Tap the messages text box. Type @ followed by the exact name of the person as listed in your phone‘s contacts.
@FemaleUser
Tip: Capitalize properly and use full name for accuracy.
Option 2: Select their name from autocomplete
Start entering the first letters of their name. Tap the match under autocomplete predictions above your keyboard.
This way ensures proper spelling and capitalization every time.
Both methods will bold their name and alert the person you mentioned them!
Mentioning Someone in iMessage from Your Mac
Have an iMac, MacBook, or other Apple computer? The process works very similarly:
-
Inside the Messages app, open the conversation.
-
Start typing the contact‘s first and/or last name.
-
When autocomplete shows their name, click it.
-
Then click the profile icon to complete the mention.
Typing @name works too but contact cards help avoid typos.
| Platform | Method 1 | Method 2 |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone/iPad | @name | Name autocomplete |
| Mac | @name | Contact card |
Let‘s move on to customizing based on your preferences…
Customize Notification Alerts for Mentions
You receive alerts by default whenever mentioned in iOS or MacOS:
- Banner across top of screen
- Notification center badge
- Lock screen badge
Adjust these in Settings > Messages > Mentions:
Toggling notifications off means you won‘t get alerts for mentions but your name will still be bold in Messages threads.
Personally, I leave them on the default setting to avoid missing anything important!
Recent Updates Expand Mention Capabilities
Apple continues improving mentions with recent iOS 16 updates:
- Updated share sheet design
- Links automatically fetch preview images
- Mentions inside Tapbacks
These keep iMessage interactive, visually engaging, and clutter-free.
Based on the growth trends, I expect more advances allowing business teams and bigger groups to communicate efficiently hands-free with mentions.
Exciting times ahead! But for now, let‘s cover existing functionality…
Replying, Reacting and Multi-Mentioning
Now you can grab individuals‘ attention. What next?
Reply directly by long pressing their message and tapping Reply. This threads responses cleanly.
React quickly to messages by long pressing then tapping thumbs up, heart eyes, HAHA and such icons. Reactions also notify senders.
Mention multiple people using @person1 @person2 to tag two or more contacts in the same message!
Unfortunately, there‘s no mass @everyone or @all feature yet though. You have to mention users one-by-one for now.
When Mentions Fail…
If your attempts to mention someone fail, double check:
-
You meet the operating system requirements:
- iOS 14 or later on iPhone/iPad
- macOS Big Sur or newer on Mac
-
All chat members use Apple devices for iMessage
-
You typed the complete proper name of current conversation participants
-
Your messages notifications aren‘t disabled entirely in Settings
Provided everything looks good…you‘re ready to mention!
Let‘s Get Started Tagging Your Contacts
Congratulations, friend!
You now know multiple methods for drawing individuals‘ attention in group message threads.
Go test your new mention skills in iMessage chats with friends, family or colleagues!
If any other questions come up, let me know in the comments. Happy messaging!