iOS: How to Send Links in iMessage Without the Rich Preview

Bryan thinks I’m off my rocker

Starting in iOS 10 Apple changed the way URLS are displayed in iMessage. Rich previews make the URL more visually appealing, but you may run into trouble. Here’s a way to send links in iMessage that disables the rich preview.

In the past I’ve had trouble sending Android users links using iMessage. I don’t know if the error was on my end or his, and if it had to do with rich previews or not, but it was annoying.

Poor Previews

The next time you have a URL copied to your clipboard, here’s what you do:

1. Open iMessage.


2. Type a period.


3. Paste the link.


4. Type another period.

The link will be sent without the preview. It shows as a regular link on both ends. You can also type two periods instead of one, but if you only type one period it won’t show up in the message itself.

I haven’t tested this with Messages for Mac because I’ve been having trouble sending messages with it. But I imagine it would work the same way.

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