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Door staff@engadget.com (Jonny Evans) - 22 Sep 2026
You don't lose any functionality when you remove these buttons from iMessage; all the options remain
You just need to know where to look:
To record voice messages, just tap the + (plus) button to the left of the text entry box and tap Audio from the list that appears.
To dictate a message, tap the microphone icon you see just under the keyboard on the lower right. (This should be on by default, but if you can't see it, you can re-enable it in Settings > General > Keyboard > Enable Dictation.)
Apple made several improvements in iMessage with iOS 27. One nice enhancement (possibly introduced in preparation for the larger display available on the iPhone Duo) is a new Drawing app that lets you send sketches and handwritten notes, and it provides markup tools within iMessage.
Apple also introduced a new AI tool that suggests useful words and phrases and can automate tasks within a conversation, such as adding items to Reminders or Notes. It is also now possible to use one number across two separate iPhones. Finally, Apple's messaging app now offers improved RCS support, including the ability to edit and unsend messages.
You just need to know where to look:
To record voice messages, just tap the + (plus) button to the left of the text entry box and tap Audio from the list that appears.
To dictate a message, tap the microphone icon you see just under the keyboard on the lower right. (This should be on by default, but if you can't see it, you can re-enable it in Settings > General > Keyboard > Enable Dictation.)
Apple made several improvements in iMessage with iOS 27. One nice enhancement (possibly introduced in preparation for the larger display available on the iPhone Duo) is a new Drawing app that lets you send sketches and handwritten notes, and it provides markup tools within iMessage.
Apple also introduced a new AI tool that suggests useful words and phrases and can automate tasks within a conversation, such as adding items to Reminders or Notes. It is also now possible to use one number across two separate iPhones. Finally, Apple's messaging app now offers improved RCS support, including the ability to edit and unsend messages.