How to Show an iMessage Timestamp in One Swipe

* This article is from our Tip of the Day newsletter. . *

iPhone Messages timestamps for individual texts are hidden, so you'll need to know how to see an iPhone message timestamp to know when a message was received or sent. We'll walk you through how to see the date and time someone texted you on iPhone with one simple gesture.

Why You'll Love This Tip:

  • See iPhone text timestamps to know when any message was sent or received. 
  • Access text message timestamps with one quick gesture. 

How to See Timestamp on iPhone Text Messages

Many users would prefer to always see timestamps on text messages, but unfortunately, the Apple Messages app doesn't allow that. Instead, you have to know how to see an iMessage timestamp for every message in a text thread using a special swipe gesture. We'll show you how to see the message date and time in the steps below. To learn more tips and shortcuts for iPhone, sign up for our free Tip of the Day newsletter. 

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  1. Open the Messages app.

  2. Tap on the message thread you're curious about.

  3. Texts from different days will be separated by a date stamp, which also includes the timestamp for the first message of each day.

  4. To see text message timestamps, tap and drag the message screen to the left.

  5. Now you'll see the time each text in the thread was received.

  6. When you let go, the iPhone message timestamps will be hidden again.

How often do you find yourself checking for an iPhone Messages timestamp? Let us know and share other tips you’d like to see in the comments below.

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Author Details

Sarah Kingsbury's picture

Author Details

Sarah Kingsbury

As the Editorial Director at iPhone Life, Sarah Kingsbury manages the online editorial team and oversees all website content. She is a long-time Apple enthusiast who never goes anywhere without her Apple Watch and owns way too many HomePods. Since joining iPhone Life in 2013, Sarah has done everything from writing hundreds of how-to articles to founding the Daily Tip newsletter. She even co-hosted the early episodes of the iPhone Life Podcast. When not at work, Sarah can be found hiking in the mountains and canyons around Las Vegas, where she lives with her partner and dogs.