Text Fireworks

How to Text Fireworks on iPhone (iMessage Effect + a Better Way)

Text Fireworks Blog · Updated July 2026

The iPhone text fireworks effect is one of iMessage's best hidden features: your message arrives and the whole screen erupts in fireworks. Here's exactly how to send it — plus the catch nobody mentions, and how to send text fireworks to people who don't have an iPhone.

How to send the fireworks effect in iMessage

  1. Open Messages and type your text (for example "Happy Birthday!").
  2. Press and hold the blue send arrow — don't just tap it.
  3. The "Send with effect" screen opens. Tap the Screen tab at the top.
  4. Swipe left until you reach Fireworks (you'll see other options: balloons, confetti, lasers, shooting star).
  5. Tap the blue arrow to send. When your friend opens it, fireworks fill their screen.

Bonus trick: iMessage fires some effects automatically — texting "Happy New Year" sends fireworks on its own, and "Happy Birthday" sends balloons.

The catch: it only works iPhone-to-iPhone

The fireworks are an iMessage screen effect, so they need blue bubbles on both ends. Send the same message to an Android friend (green bubble), to Zalo, WhatsApp, Messenger or Telegram, and it arrives as plain text — sometimes with an awkward "(sent with Fireworks)" note. There is also no way to put a name or wish inside the fireworks; they're a generic overlay.

The better way: send a fireworks video with their name in it

A fireworks video plays identically everywhere — iPhone, Android, WhatsApp, TikTok, Facebook. With the free Text Fireworks maker, the fireworks don't just fill the screen: each rocket explodes into a letter of your message, until the whole wish glows in the night sky with real firework sounds.

  1. Open the text fireworks maker in any browser (it works on the iPhone itself — nothing to install).
  2. Type the message and the person's name, each on its own line.
  3. Pick colours, a style (marquee bulbs, hearts or stars) and the frame size.
  4. Press download and share the video in any chat app.

It's free, has no watermark, and your text never leaves your device.

iMessage effect vs. fireworks video

iMessage effectText Fireworks video
Works on Android / WhatsApp / ZaloNoYes
Shows their name in fireworksNoYes — letter by letter
SoundYesYes — real firework recordings
Can be posted to TikTok / ReelsNoYes (9:16 size built in)
PriceFreeFree, no watermark

Quick answers

How to get fireworks on iPhone text? Hold the send arrow, choose the Screen tab, swipe to Fireworks. That single menu is the whole Apple text effects fireworks feature — there is no separate Apple text fireworks app to install.

How to do text fireworks on iPhone in one line? Type → hold send → Screen → Fireworks → send.

Is the fireworks text effect iPhone-only? The screen effect, yes. A fireworks video reaches everyone.

Where is the iPhone text balloons option? Same Screen menu, one swipe away — balloons, confetti, lasers, hearts and the shooting star live beside fireworks.

How do I make fireworks on my iPhone text automatically? Send the words "Happy New Year" — iMessage fires the fireworks effect by itself. "Happy Birthday" triggers balloons; "Congratulations" triggers confetti.

How do I add fireworks to my iPhone text if the Screen tab is missing? Check that Reduce Motion is off (Settings → Accessibility → Motion), and that the chat is a blue-bubble iMessage, not SMS.

How to do fireworks on an iPhone text to Android? You can't — the iPhone text fireworks effect dies at the green bubble. Send a fireworks video instead, or read the Android guide.

Can I get an iMessage firework text effect with my own words inside? Not with Apple's effect — it's a fixed overlay. Only a video puts your text inside the fireworks.

Happy New Year iPhone text fireworks? Both work together: type the phrase for the automatic effect, and attach a New Year fireworks video with your own greeting.

Related guides

🎆 Send fireworks to ANY phone: make a text fireworks video free →