iOS 14 rolled out in September with a completely new look: For the first time, you can customize everything about your home screen, app icons, and much more. With all of the changes, you’d be forgiven for missing some smaller tweaks, including a ton of new Messages features that make it easier to wrangle your texts—specifically the group chats. I don’t know about you, but mine have spiraled out of control during the pandemic. iOS 14's Messages features help you organize your chats in a few ways. You can now pin conversations to the top of Messages so you’ll see them first; just long-press on a thread to pin it (long press again to unpin). You can also label group chats with emojis or photos to separate them from the pack by tapping the ‘i’ for information at the top of the conversation. Within a group chat, you can create a thread by replying specifically to a person. Just type the person’s name and then tap on the contact card that pops up with their info. You can also choose to be notified if someone replies to you directly, too. Open Settings, tap on Messages, then scroll down to Mentions. Toggle on the Notify me option. To see these tips in action, check out the video above. And, as always, if you have tech questions you want us to answer (either to satisfy your own curiosity or to helpfully share with a loved one in need of some guidance), drop ‘em in the comments.
