The Beginner’s Guide to Texting, Emojis, Group Chats, and Photos

Texting has replaced phone calls as the primary way most people communicate. That is not an opinion — Pew Research confirms that 97% of Americans send at least one text per week, and adults over 50 now send an average of 20 texts per day. If you have been avoiding texting, relying on your spouse to send messages, or limiting yourself to “OK” and “Thanks,” this guide walks you through everything step by step. No jargon. No assumptions about what you already know. Just clear instructions for both iPhone and Android.

Texting Basics: Sending Your First Message

Whether you have an iPhone or an Android phone, the process is nearly identical. Here is exactly how to send a text message:

Understanding Emojis: What They Actually Mean

Emojis are the small pictures you see in text messages. They started as simple smiley faces in the late 1990s, but there are now over 3,600 of them. You do not need to know them all — but understanding the 15 most common ones prevents confusion, especially when texting with younger family members who have given some emojis meanings that are not obvious.

The Emoji Keyboard: How to Find and Use It

Group Chats 101

A group chat is a single conversation with multiple people. Everyone in the group sees every message. They are useful for coordinating family events, sharing updates with grandkids, or staying in touch with a circle of friends. Here is what you need to know:

How to Create a Group Chat:

How to Manage a Group Chat:

• Mute notifications: If a group chat buzzes constantly, open the conversation, tap the group name at the top, and select “Hide Alerts” (iPhone) or “Notifications > Silent” (Android). You can still read messages — your phone just stops buzzing for that chat.
• Name the group: Tap the group name or icons at the top of the conversation, then tap “Change Name” or “Group Name.” Something like “Book Club” or “Smith Family” makes it easy to find later.
• Leave a group: On iPhone, tap the group name, scroll down, and tap “Leave this Conversation” (only works if everyone in the group uses iMessage). On Android, tap the three dots, then “Leave group.” You will stop receiving messages from that group.

Sending Photos and Videos

Sharing photos through text is one of the most popular features of any smartphone. You can either take a new photo right inside the messaging app or share one from your existing photo gallery.

Voice Messages: When Typing Is Too Much

Sometimes it is easier to talk than type. Voice messages let you record a short audio clip and send it like a text. The recipient can play it back at their convenience — unlike a phone call, they do not need to answer right away.

When to use voice messages: Long or complicated explanations, when your hands are busy (cooking, driving with hands-free), when tone of voice matters (jokes, emotional messages), or when typing is physically difficult due to arthritis or small keyboards.

How to send one:

• iPhone (iMessage): Tap and hold the audio waveform icon (looks like sound waves) to the right of the text field. Speak your message. Release to review it, then tap the arrow to send.
• Android (Google Messages): Tap and hold the microphone icon to the right of the text field. Speak your message. Release to send, or slide left to cancel.

Keep voice messages under 30 seconds. Anything longer and you should probably just call.

Common Texting Abbreviations

These shorthand abbreviations save time and are used by people of all ages. You will encounter them in texts from family, friends, and even businesses:

Texting Etiquette for Adults

Texting has its own unwritten rules. Following these will make your messages easier to read and less likely to cause misunderstandings:

• Do not type in ALL CAPS. It reads as shouting. “SOUNDS GOOD” feels aggressive; “Sounds good” does not. The only exception: abbreviations like “LOL” that are always capitalized.
• Respond within a reasonable time. You do not need to reply instantly, but within a few hours during the day is the norm. If someone asks a time-sensitive question and you cannot answer yet, a quick “Let me check and get back to you” goes a long way.
• One message, not twenty. Sending your thought in a single message rather than hitting send after every few words is easier on the recipient. Each message triggers a notification buzz on their phone.
• Read the room on periods. Younger people sometimes interpret a period at the end of a text as curt or annoyed. “Sure.” can read as passive-aggressive, while “Sure” or “Sure!” feels friendly. Use your judgment based on who you are texting.
• Know when to call instead. Bad news, complicated plans, emotional conversations, and anything requiring extended back-and-forth discussion are better handled by phone call. A text that says “Call me when you can” is perfectly acceptable.
• Do not text before 8 AM or after 9 PM unless you know the person keeps different hours. Phones buzz on nightstands and can wake people up.

The Bottom Line

Texting is straightforward once you know where the buttons are. Open the Messages app, tap compose, pick a contact, type (or dictate), and hit send. Emojis add personality — start with the thumbs up, the red heart, and the laughing face and expand from there. Group chats keep families connected but can always be muted when the notifications pile up. Photos go through the camera or paperclip icon. And if the keyboard feels too small, voice-to-text dictation is built into every phone made in the last decade.

The best way to learn is to practice. Send a text to a friend or family member right now. Try adding an emoji. Ask someone to add you to a group chat. Within a week of regular use, every step in this guide will feel automatic.