Apple's iMessage app delivers a better messaging experience than standard texting, and with Apple's iOS 14 update, iMessage gained some new capabilities.
Chief among them is the ability to directly mention a specific person in a group conversation. That means if you want to cut down on distracting notifications, you can customize a group so that you only get notifications when you are mentioned by name.
This feature only works if every member of the group is using iMessage; if it's a mixed group with non-iMessage participants, you can't send direct mentions.
How to direct mention in Messages on iPhone
1. Open the Messages app on your iPhone and either open an existing group message or create a new one. Every member needs to be an iMessage user.
2. Start writing a message. In the message, include the name of a member of the group. As you finish typing the person's name, you should see it change color to a light gray.
3. Tap the name. A pop-up should appear with the individual's name and photo, if they have one.
4. Tap the pop-up. The name should turn blue in your text composition box.
5. Finish the message and send it as usual. Once sent, the name will appear in bold type.
How to only get notified when direct mentioned in a group chat
You can adjust a group chat's alerts so that you only get notifications for new messages when someone in the conversation includes a direct mention of you.
1. Open the Messages app on your iPhone and open an existing group message.
2. Tap the names in the group at the top of the screen.
3. Tap "info."
4. Scroll down and turn on "Hide Alerts" by swiping the button to the right and then tap "Done."
Related coverage from Tech Reference:
-
How to play iMessage games on an iPhone with your contacts
-
How to enable iMessage on your iPhone to easily send messages to iPhone, iPad, and Mac users
-
How to turn off iMessage on a Mac, or turn off its notifications when you're trying to avoid distractions
-
'Why won't my iPhone update to iOS 14?': How to troubleshoot your iPhone's updating issues in 4 ways
-
How to sync text messages to iCloud and view your messages on all of your devices
Insider Inc. receives a commission when you buy through our links.
