How to Access Camera Effects in iOS 12 Messages

With iOS 12, Apple introduced an integrated camera effects drawer directly inside the Messages app, allowing users to enhance photos and videos with Animoji, Memoji, filters, animated text, and stickers. This guide provides a straightforward, step-by-step walkthrough on how to locate and open the effects drawer within any iMessage conversation.

Step 1: Open a Conversation in Messages

Launch the Messages app on your iPhone or iPad running iOS 12. Tap on an existing conversation or start a new message by tapping the compose icon in the top-right corner.

Step 2: Open the In-App Camera

Tap the gray Camera icon located to the left of the text input field. This opens the full-screen camera interface inside Messages rather than the standard system Camera app.

Step 3: Tap the Effects Icon

Once the camera viewfinder is active, look at the bottom-left corner of the screen. Tap the star-shaped icon (the Effects button).

Step 4: Use the Effects Drawer

Tapping the star reveals the effects drawer along the bottom toolbar. From here, you can swipe horizontally through various creative tools:

• Animoji / Memoji: Apply an animated mask over your face in real time (requires a device with a TrueDepth camera, such as iPhone X or later).
• Filters: Apply comic book, watercolor, or classic color filters to your shot.
• Text: Add customizable, animated text banners.
• Shapes: Insert arrows, speech bubbles, and shapes that track facial movement.
• App Stickers: Add stickers from compatible third-party iMessage apps installed on your device.

Step 5: Capture and Send

Select your desired effect, customize it on the screen, and tap the shutter button to take a photo or hold it to record a video. Once captured, tap the blue arrow button to send your media into the conversation thread.