iOS 26 Messages App: Smarter Filters, Drafts, and Spam Protection

Apple’s upcoming iOS 26 brings a refreshing upgrade to the Messages app, making it smarter, cleaner, and more organized than ever before. While previous updates focused on emojis, reactions, and customization, this time Apple is tackling something that affects nearly everyone: clutter and spam. With the addition of new filters and a Drafts folder, staying on top of conversations just became a whole lot easier.

Filtering Made Simple

At the heart of the new Messages experience is a Filter button, conveniently placed at the top-right of the screen. This button opens a new menu that allows you to quickly sort through your conversations.

Some of the default filter options include:

• Messages – your standard inbox view.
  
  

• Spam – filters out junk texts and suspicious links.
  
  

• Recently Deleted – recover or permanently remove older chats.

But the smart part? These filters adapt to your activity. If you have unread conversations, you’ll see an Unread filter. If you’ve scheduled a message using Send Later, a filter will appear to help you find it instantly.

Drafts Folder: A Long-Awaited Addition

For the first time, iMessage now includes a Drafts folder. If you start typing a message but don’t hit send, iOS 26 will automatically save it and categorize it under Drafts.

This means no more scrolling endlessly trying to remember where you left an unfinished reply. Instead, simply open Filters → Drafts to see all conversations that have messages in progress.

This is especially handy for multitaskers who juggle multiple conversations during the day. Whether you’re halfway through texting a colleague or paused in the middle of making weekend plans, you can easily pick up where you left off.

A Cleaner Way to Manage Conversations

The new filtering system ensures you never lose track of what’s important. Whenever a filter is active, the toolbar button turns blue, making it clear you’re only seeing a subset of chats. To return to your full inbox, just tap the filter button again.

This small but meaningful change makes iMessage more functional for people with dozens of ongoing threads, helping reduce noise while surfacing the conversations that matter most.

With iOS 26 making iMessage smarter and more organized, many users will want a smooth way to carry their conversations forward when upgrading devices — whether moving to a new iPhone or even switching between platforms.

This is where Smart Transfer, a third-party copy data app, shines. This smart switch tool allows you to securely transfer messages, contacts, photos, videos, and more across iOS and Android devices without relying on cloud storage. Using the content transfer feature, Smart Transfer ensures your chats and media remain private, fast, and intact during migration.

Pairing the new iOS 26 filters with the effortless data migration of Smart Transfer ensures you always stay organized — whether inside iMessage or across devices.

Final Thoughts

Apple’s iOS 26 Messages app update is all about decluttering and giving users control. From filtering spam to saving drafts and surfacing unread conversations, the new tools are designed to make your messaging experience faster and smarter. And with the help of apps like Smart Transfer, you can enjoy these upgrades seamlessly, even when switching to a new phone.