How to find unread text messages on iPhone

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Written by xiao
2026年1月23日

How to find unread text messages on iPhone

Bombarding your iPhone with unread text messages in the Messages app is a common practice. Finding important messages can be tricky when they're mixed in with those you've already read. Fortunately, there's an easy way to view only unread messages. Here's how to find unread text messages on your iPhone.

How to view unread messages on iPhone

System Requirements

This prompt was made on an iPhone 15 Pro running iOS 18.3.1. Find out how to update to the latest version of iOS.

Using the Filter Unknown Senders feature, you can easily find unread messages on your iPhone. This is useful if you see the notification badge on your Messages app but don't see any unread messages. You can easily track down mysteriously missing messages and mark them as read. Here's how to filter unread text messages on your iPhone:

    1. Open information
      The iPhone's home screen features a red box surrounding the Messages app.
    1. tap lightly filterIn the top left corner. (If you don't see the filter, you may not have the "Unknown Senders" filter enabled. Please make sure this feature is enabled before proceeding.)
      iPhone Messages app with a filter button around a red box
    1. tap lightly Unread messages
      The iPhone Messages app's filter screen features a red border around unread messages.
    1. Now you will see all the unread messages.
      The iPhone Messages app displays unread messages, highlighted with a red box indicating the unread text.

Now you know where to find unread text messages on your iPhone. Next, figure out how to keep your inbox organized, automatically deleting verification codes or pinning important conversations.

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