You’re staring at your iPhone, wanting to say "Happy Birthday" or "Congrats on the new job," but a plain blue bubble feels empty. It lacks the punch. You've seen friends send those bursts of color that fill the entire screen, but you can’t quite figure out the magic trick. Honestly, it’s one of those features Apple hides just well enough to make it feel like a secret handshake.
How do you send text with confetti? It's actually a built-in part of the iMessage ecosystem called Screen Effects. It isn't just for confetti, either. You can send lasers, fireworks, and even giant floating balloons. The catch is that it only works between Apple devices. If that bubble is green, you're out of luck. SMS doesn't support the metadata required to trigger these animations.
The Secret Long-Press Trick
Most people fail because they just hit the send arrow and hope for the best. To trigger the confetti, you have to be intentional. First, type your message. Don't send it yet. Instead of a quick tap on that blue upward-pointing arrow, you need to press and hold it.
A "Send with effect" menu will slide up. It defaults to "Bubble" effects like Slam or Loud, which change how the individual text box behaves. You don't want that. Look at the top of the screen. Tap the tab that says Screen.
Now you're in the big leagues. Swipe from right to left across the screen. You'll see different previews. Echo makes a swarm of bubbles; Spotlight focuses a beam of light on your text. Keep swiping until you see the colorful bits of paper raining down. That’s the one. Once the preview is active, tap the blue arrow. Your recipient will get a face full of digital celebration the moment they open the chat.
Trigger Words That Do the Work for You
Apple also uses "keywords" to automate this. It’s knda cool because you don't even have to use the long-press menu if you're lazy. If you type "Congratulations" or "Congrats," the confetti usually triggers by default.
There are others, too. "Happy Birthday" brings up balloons. "Happy New Year" triggers fireworks with haptic feedback that makes your phone vibrate in sync with the explosions. If you send "Pew Pew," you get a laser light show. It’s a bit of a legacy feature from the iOS 10 era, but Apple has kept it remarkably consistent over the years.
Sometimes it doesn't work. Why? Usually, it's because the "Reduce Motion" setting is turned on in your Accessibility options. If your phone feels "still" or lacks the usual sliding animations when you open apps, that's likely the culprit. Go to Settings, then Accessibility, then Motion. Make sure "Auto-Play Message Effects" is toggled on. If it's off, the confetti stays in the box.
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The Nuance of iMessage vs. WhatsApp or Android
It's worth noting that this is a very "walled garden" feature. If you’re trying to figure out how do you send text with confetti to your friend with a Samsung, the short answer is: you don't. At least not this way. RCS (Rich Communication Services) is slowly bridging the gap between iPhone and Android, but these specific full-screen animations are proprietary to Apple's Apple Push Notification service (APNs).
On WhatsApp, you can’t do screen-filling confetti exactly like this. You’re limited to stickers or GIFs. Facebook Messenger has "Word Effects" which are similar—you can designate an emoji to trigger a fountain of icons when a specific word is typed—but it requires setup in the chat settings first. Apple’s version is much more "out of the box."
Why These Effects Actually Matter for Digital Communication
We lose a lot of tone in text. Sarcasm is hard. Joy can feel flat. A "Congratulations" can sound sincere or it can sound like a brush-off. Adding the confetti adds a layer of "digital body language." It signals that you actually took the extra three seconds to make the message special.
Technically, these effects are just small files of code that tell the receiving iPhone to run a specific animation overlay. They don't take up much data. They don't lag your phone. They're just a clever way to make a $1,000 piece of glass feel a bit more human.
Quick Reference for Common Effects
If you're tired of swiping through the menu, remember these specific triggers:
- Balloons: Type "Happy Birthday."
- Confetti: Type "Congratulations" or "Congrats."
- Fireworks: Type "Happy New Year" or "Happy Chinese New Year."
- Celebration: Type "Happy Diwali." This triggers a unique golden sparkler effect.
- Lasers: Type "Pew Pew."
If the keyword doesn't work—which happens occasionally if the dictionary doesn't recognize the context—just go back to the long-press method. It’s foolproof.
Beyond the Basics: Combining Effects
You can't really "stack" these, which is a bummer. You can't send balloons and confetti at the same time. However, you can use the "Bubble" effects in tandem with the "Screen" effects for different messages in a row to create a sequence.
Send a "Slam" message for emphasis, followed immediately by a "Confetti" screen effect. It creates a rhythm to the conversation. Just don't overdo it. Sending ten confetti texts in a row is the digital equivalent of screaming in someone's ear. Use it for the big moments.
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Moving Forward With Your iMessages
Now that you know how do you send text with confetti, the best thing to do is test it on yourself. Open a thread with your own contact info and try the long-press. See how the "Echo" effect looks versus the "Spotlight."
Check your Accessibility settings if things aren't popping. If you have a friend who just got a promotion or a sibling who just finished an exam, try the manual confetti trigger instead of the keyword. It shows you know the "secret" ways of the iPhone.
Next time you’re in a group chat, remember that everyone in the group will see the effect if they're on an iPhone. It’s a great way to liven up a boring logistical thread. Just type, long-press the blue arrow, hit "Screen," swipe to the confetti, and let it fly. It’s a small bit of flair that makes a big difference in how your message is received.
Make sure your iOS is updated to the latest version to ensure you have the full library of effects. Apple occasionally adds new ones during major updates, and you don't want to be the one sending "Pew Pew" when there's a cooler, newer animation everyone else is using. Keep it simple, keep it celebratory, and use that long-press whenever a plain text bubble just isn't enough.