How to use search filters in the Messages app to instantly find text messages

Learn how to use the enhanced search function in the Apple Messages app on your iPhone, iPad, and Mac to quickly find messages.

Search filters in Messages app on iPhone running iOS 17

You can type just one word or phrase in the Messages app search box and get matching results. It does the job, but it can take a while of scrolling to find the right text you were looking for.

As an example, if you want to find a message with the word “party” that was sent by your office colleague “James,” you’d search for “party” in the Messages app, and it’d list all texts that have this word. You’d then have to scroll through all filtered messages and look for the one sent by James.

But you can find the desired text faster by using search filters. For example, if you type “James” in the search box, and then “party,” the Messages app will list all text from James that contain the word “party.”

With this little thoughtful feature, you can quickly find the specific text you’re looking for. And just like using the sender’s name filter, you can also use photo, location, link, and document filters to narrow the search results.

Search filters work for both regular SMS text messages and iMessages on iPhone, iPad, and Mac running the latest versions of iOS, iPadOS, and macOS. In the examples below, I’m using my iPhone, but the steps for iPad and Mac are very similar.

Find a specific message from a specific sender

Use these steps to filter messages based on the sender.

1) Open the Messages app and type the person’s name in the search box at the top. It also works if you type a phone number.

2) Tap “Messages with: name.” You can also select a common group chat to which you and this person are added.

Search for a person in iPhone Messages app and select to see their texts

3) After following the above step, you’ll see the person’s name in the search box. Now, type another search query.

In this example, I’m looking for all messages from my wife that have the word “birth.” So, I type birth, and my iPhone narrows down the search result to include only those texts that have the word “birth” and are sent by my wife.

4) In the search results, I can tap See All to see all texts that match my search query. I can also select a message to see it in its entirety.

Add more search filters to Messages app on iPhone

Photo, Location, Links, Document, and other search filters

Like text-based messages, you can also use search filters to swiftly find all photos, documents, web links, and map locations from all your messages or by a specific contact.

From all messages

Simply type Photo, Location, Link, or Document in the Messages app search box and select it from the list of suggestions. For instance, if you type Photo and select it, it should show your photos. You can tap one and jump to that spot in the conversation or tap See All to swipe through all pictures in your Messages app.

Search for all photos in iPhone Messages app

By a specific person

Enter the person’s name and select “Messages with: name.” Next, tap Link, Photo, or Location. I’m choosing Photo. Now, the messages app will show all photos from that contact.

See all photos by a person in Messages app on iPhone

To find documents from a specific person, enter the contact’s name, select “Messages with: name,” type document, and select the Document suggestion.

Search for all documents from a person in iPhone Messages app

Combine more than one search filter in Messages

You’re not limited to using just one search filter. You can add another search filter on top of an existing filter to go deep and narrow down the results even further.

Imagine my wife has sent a few locations for croissant shops. Now, I can set the Messages app’s search function to show me only those texts from my wife that have a location, and that location is for places with “croissant” in their name. Here’s how:

1) Type the contact’s name in the Messages app search box and select “Messages with: name.”

2) Tap Location.

See all locations by a sender in Messages app on iPhone

3) Type croissant, and now I will see all messages with map links for restaurants having “croissant” in their names.

Combine more than one search filters in Messages app on iPhone

What do you think of this convenient little feature? Is it something that you find helpful?

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