Mark Messages As Unread on iPhone in iOS 16: Multiple Quick Methods

Notably, there are multiple ways to mark messages as unread in the Apple Messages app. If you have a liking for quick gestures, chances are you would find the process pretty smooth sailing. While it may seem to be a nifty feature, it’s just as notable as the ability to unsend messages, edit the already sent messages or recover the accidentally deleted messages in terms of value addition.

Use Quick Slide Gesture to Mark a Message As Unread 

  1. To get started, launch the Messages app on your iPhone.
  2. Now, go to the message thread that you wish to mark as unread. 
  3. Next, slide from left to right across the message thread and then hit on the blue icon to mark the specific message as unread.  Now, a blue dot will appear to the left of the message. Once you have read the message, the blue dot will automatically disappear.

Swipe All the Way to the Right Edge to Mark a Specific Message As Unread

If you are fond of a smooth gesture, you would be glad to know that the Apple Messages app offers another pretty quick way to mark a message as unread.  To get it done, all you need to do is just swipe all the way to the right edge until the blue dot is shown to the left of the message.

Use the Long-Press Gesture to Mark a Message As Unread 

No prizes for guessing, the long-press gesture also comes in handy for marking any message as unread. 

  1. To get going, launch the Messages app on your device and find the conversation thread that you would like to mark as unread.
  2. Tap on Mark As Unread in the popup menu and you are done!

Quickly Mark Several Messages As Unread 

  1. On your iPhone, launch the Messages app and then tap on the Ellipsis (…) or the triple-dot icon in the upper-right corner of the screen. 
  2. Tap on the Select Messages menu. 
  3. Now, choose all the messages that you want to mark as unread and tap on Unread at the bottom left corner of the screen.  There you go!

Signing Off

So, these are the quick ways to mark any messages as unread in the stock messaging app on your device. Hopefully, you have found this guide helpful. Do you have any feedback to share regarding this feature? If yes, we would be glad to know it in the comments section below.