How to Use iPhone AssistiveTouch for One-Handed Use

Pinning messages on iPhone moves a conversation or contact to the top of the Messages app for faster access. To create an iMessage pin, open Messages, find the conversation, then pin it by long-pressing the thread or swiping right on it. Pinned contacts stay at the top until unpinned manually.

Steps

Open the Messages app on the iPhone.
Find the conversation to keep at the top of the list.
Long-press the conversation, then tap Pin.
- Another method: swipe right on the thread and tap the yellow pin icon.
Confirm the conversation appears in the Pinned section at the top.
To remove the iMessage pin, long-press the pinned contact and tap Unpin, or drag the pinned icon out of the top area in some iOS versions.

Common Issues and Fixes

Pin option does not appear — The likely cause is an older iOS version or selecting the wrong area. Update iOS if available, then long-press the full conversation thread in Messages.
Pinned contacts disappeared — The likely cause is Messages app sync changes, iCloud settings, or a recent restore. Restart the iPhone, check Messages sync settings, and reopen the app.
Conversation will not stay pinned — The likely cause is a temporary Messages app glitch. Force close Messages, reopen it, and pin messages on iPhone again.
Only some chats can be pinned — The likely cause is confusion between message threads and individual messages. iPhone supports pinning conversations to the top, not single text bubbles inside a chat.
Pinned section looks different — The likely cause is an iOS version difference. Some versions show circular pinned contacts, while others use slightly different layout behavior.

Quick Tips

Up to nine conversations can usually be pinned in Messages on iPhone.
Pinned contacts can include SMS threads and iMessage conversations, not only Apple-to-Apple chats.
Muting a conversation does not remove the iMessage pin. A pinned thread can stay at the top even when notifications are silenced.
Deleting a conversation also removes it from pinned contacts automatically.

Can a single message be pinned inside an iPhone conversation?

No. iPhone supports pinning the entire conversation thread in Messages, not a specific message bubble inside the chat.

How to reorder pinned contacts in iMessage?

Press and hold a pinned conversation in the top section, then drag it to a new position. The new order saves automatically.

🤔Note:

If pinned conversations change unexpectedly after device setup, backup restore, or message sync issues, checking message data on a computer with a device manager such as Dr.Fone can help confirm whether conversations still exist before making further changes.