
iOS 14 Now Features Mentions in iMessage — Here's How to Use It
By Mustafa GatollariSep. 17 2020, Published 5:24 p.m. ET
Group chats can go from being incredible to one of the most annoying and miserable experiences in all existence. An endless barrage of people one-upping themselves with inside jokes, contributing random GIFs, and asking the same questions over and over again, along with incessant memes polluting your phone's notifications are a nightmare. If you can relate to those group text experiences, then you might want to know how to mention someone in iMessage on iOS 14.
iOS brings in a slew of new features: a handy list.
Apple's latest iteration of its popular mobile operating system packs a slew of new little tricks:
- Redesigned and expanded widgets list
- An App Library for better organization
- Compact User Interface, like the "picture in picture" feature from Android
- Improved Search
- Pinned Conversations in Messages, inline replies, setting group chat photos
- New Memoji hairstyles, clothing features, etc.
- Maps improvements which includes locations of speed cameras, congestion zones, etc.
- Translation updates

- Increased Siri functionality
- Home can do more with smart appliances
- Improved Safari experience
- Sharing virtual "Car Keys", creating temporary ones so people can borrow your car.
- Car Play UI and feature improvements
- App Clips
- New AirPods features
- Improved Privacy
And those are just some of features offered in the newest update to users — you can check out the full list here.
How do you mention someone in iMessage on iOS 14?
If you've been a longtime WhatsApp user who utilizes the platform for group messages, then you're probably very familiar with "@'ing" people in mentions. It's a great way to catch people's attention in a hectic group text, and now, Apple is offering this functionality too.
So here's how you mention someone in your chat:
- Open Messages
- Choose the group chat you want to Mention someone in
- Type "@" before the person's name in the chat. Let's say the person's name is "Mustafa," then write "@Mustafa."
- Write the message and send it as normal and there you go, you've just mentioned someone.
iMessage Mentions on iOS 14 is very problematic. When you mention someone, you have to mention them by their entire name on *your* phone.
— mehedi hassan (@mehedih_) September 17, 2020
This is annoying bc if you have emojis next to someone’s name, you have to put the exact emoji, with the exact skin tone.
(1/2) pic.twitter.com/93iqI9wmk2
How to set up specific alerts for @mentions in iMessage on iOS 14.
Maybe you need to mute a group chat because there's just too much going on in it, but you don't want to miss out on any specific mentions that reference you.
While @Mention notifications are active by default, if you wanted to disable them or make sure they're on, here's what you gotta do:
- Open Settings
- Open Messages
- Turn Notify Me on/off under "Mentions."
iOS 14 pro tip: if you’re in a group text and everyone is on iOS 14, you can mention people so they’ll be alerted even if they have alerts for that group turned off. Just type their name and tap it when it changes color.
— Jordan Duke (@ThisIsTheDuke) September 17, 2020
I thought this was only applicable on Group Messages. This has got to be one of my most favorite iOS 14 updates. Now you can specify which message you are replying to. pic.twitter.com/pehzLZDC8L
— Miggy (@MiguelitoDCB) September 17, 2020
How to use inline reply to respond specifically to a mention.
Let's say if you want a sidebar conversation that doesn't concern everyone else in the group chat, or you want a lot of relevant information to stay in one place so everyone else doesn't get notified (but people can see this convo and join in if they like), all you need to do is:
- Open the Messages app
- Pick your desired group chat
- Long press on the message you want to inline respond to.
- "Reply" will come up as an option, hit it.
Hope everyone enjoys iOS 14. It’s not a bad update but nothing super crazy.
— ℕ𝕪𝕝𝕖𝕤-𝕊𝕒𝕟. (@NylesSan) September 16, 2020
•Shows love to iMessage group chats
•Home Screen apps can be rearranged in a variety of ways.
•New App Library sorts all your apps in relation with each other.
•New color splash effect on Music app. pic.twitter.com/W4rYVf45tT
iOS 14 is out (or should be out soon) my favs:
— Austin* (@IAmAustinHa) September 16, 2020
- widgets
- new compact call UI
- PiP (also for FaceTime!)
- iMessage mentions and replies pic.twitter.com/vjfr2nrOVc
Voila! And that's it. Have you updated to iOS 14? Or are you holding off for a while, or maybe you're an Android user, or you like to keep it old school and use a flip phone?