What Does Emphasized an Image Mean on iPhone?

If you use iMessage, you might be notified that someone has emphasized an image. You might not understand this message if you are new to iMessage and the Apple ecosystem. At the same time, this is a typical notification for those who are pretty active in the iMessage group chats.

In this guide, I have explained what emphasized an image means on iPhone and in the context of iMessage.

Emphasized an Image: What It Means

The Emphasized Image reaction on iPhone means someone has reacted to your message with an iPhone reaction called Emphasize. This reaction is used to show excitement or surprise. You can emphasize an image by holding a message and selecting the !! Sign.

As you may know, iMessage has a feature called Tapbacks. You can think of this as a reaction to individual messages or attachments you receive or send on iMessage. Emphasize is one of those reactions, which is indicated by a symbol of double exclamation marks.

So, when you open a notification saying that someone has emphasized an image, you will find an iMessage thread with an attachment with a double exclamation mark reaction. You will also be able to see other reactions or Tapbacks that have been added to the messages in that particular thread.

This notification may appear in individual iMessage chats as well as group chats. I have seen the reaction more commonly in group chats. This is because people often want to highlight some messages or bring them to attention.

Why Does One Emphasize A Message?

You may first think that the Emphasize Tapback is designed to show a kind of excitement or when you see something you are surprised by.

However, according to the culture, the meaning of the emphasized message would vary. Depending on where you are from and the cultural signals in that region, it could mean one of the following things.

• To highlight a message from the past.
• Show shock or excitement toward a message.
• Express agreement or acknowledge its urgency.

In essence, an emphasized message is something that one of the senders would like to highlight. While the exact meaning of the reaction may vary, you should consider Emphasize as a common reaction in iMessages.

I will tell you how to emphasize a message or image on iMessage.

Now, multiple people may have left different Tapbacks for one of the messages. If you want to see who did this, you can click on the stack to show you different people’s reactions.

How to Emphasize A Message on iMessage

Before I tell you the exact steps to emphasize a message on iMessage, I must tell you about Tapbacks.

Tapbacks were introduced a couple of years back, and they are designed to make your iMessage experience more exciting. That is instead of replying with text or even replying to a thread, you can now add reactions to individual text messages within an iMessage thread.

Emphasize is one of the many Tapbacks available in iMessage. The others include Heart, Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down, Haha, and Question Mark. I’m sure you can guess the meaning of these reactions. You can put these reactions to any kind of message, including text, pictures, or emojis.

If you are new to iMessage, you may have seen a similar feature on WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger.

Anyway, here are the steps to use it.

1. Open the iMessage thread on which you want to use the Tapback.
2. Double-tap the individual text, image, or emoji
3. Choose the Emphasize reaction from the menu

That’s it. You will now see the double exclamation mark reaction next to the message. It is only one of the many types of responses that you can add to iMessage. For instance, there is even an option to add reactions or special effects to the photos that you send.

It is equally easy to delete an emphasized iMessage.

How to Delete an Emphasized iMessage

To delete an emphasized iMessage,

1. Open the iMessage thread.
2. Locate the exact message and tap on the Emphasize reaction.
3. iMessage will now remove the reaction from the message.

Alternatively, you can add another reaction to the text.

Who Can Receive Emphasized Messages and Tapbacks?

You may have already guessed that Tab Packs are available only on iMessage. So, you will receive the notification only if you have enabled iMessage for your number. But keep in mind that you can receive the notification on your phone, your iPad, or your Mac.

Now, there is only one condition for these tab packs to work. You should have a device running macOS 10.12, iOS 10, iPadOS 13, or later versions. If you highlight a message from a person who uses a device running an older version, they will see only a text-based reaction instead of the actual Tapbacks.

Considering that most people update their Apple devices to the latest versions whenever possible, you would not have trouble sending these Tapbacks.

Can Android Users See Emphasize or Other Tapbacks?

Another common question is whether you can get an image emphasized for users of Android.

You might have understood that the emphasis and other Tapbacks are exclusive to iMessage on Apple devices. Like many other features, this would not be compatible with Android. However, recently, Android has released support for emoji reactions.

So, this is what happens when you emphasize an image or any other reaction to a text with an Android user. The user will get the corresponding emojis.

If you send the emphasized reaction to an image, you will be shown the excited emoji. Similarly, if you send a Haha reaction, the Laughing emoji reaction will be shown on an Android device.

In short, even though Android does not support iMessage Tapbacks, it will show a similar reaction to convey the general idea.

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

I believe this guide has cleared all your doubts regarding the Emphasized Image notification on an iPhone or other Apple devices.

If used sensibly, this feature can enhance your iMessage experience. However, it only works when all your friends or family use iOS devices.