Message Effects

Message effects are iMessage-specific visual animations that play when a recipient opens your message. They add personality and emphasis to conversations. For the basics of sending messages, see Sending Messages.

The effect field is an object with a type (screen or bubble) and a name:

"effect": { "type": "screen", "name": "confetti" }

Screen effects

Screen effects fill the entire screen with an animation. Use "type": "screen":

Name	Description
confetti	Colorful confetti falls from the top of the screen
fireworks	Fireworks explode across the screen
lasers	Laser beams sweep across the screen
sparkles	Sparkles glitter across the screen
celebration	Streamers and confetti burst out
hearts	Hearts float up from the message
love	A large heart floats up from the message
balloons	Balloons float up from the bottom
happy_birthday	A “Happy Birthday” banner with confetti
echo	The message echoes and repeats across the screen
spotlight	A spotlight illuminates the message

Bubble effects

Bubble effects animate the message bubble itself. Use "type": "bubble":

Name	Description
slam	The message slams down onto the screen
loud	The message grows large and shakes
gentle	The message appears small and delicate
invisible	The message is blurred until the recipient swipes to reveal it

Sending a message with an effect

Add the effect object inside message, alongside parts:

cURL

curl -X POST https://api.linqapp.com/api/partner/v3/chats/{chatId}/messages \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $LINQ_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
      "message": {
        "parts": [
          {
            "type": "text",
            "value": "Congratulations! 🎉"
          }
        ],
        "effect": {
          "type": "screen",
          "name": "confetti"
        }
      }
    }'

TypeScript

await client.chats.messages.send({chatId}, {
  message: {
    parts: [
      {
        type: "text",
        value: "Congratulations! 🎉",
      },
    ],
    effect: {
      type: "screen",
      name: "confetti",
    },
  },
});

Python

client.chats.messages.send(
    {chat_id},
    message={
        "parts": [
            {
                "type": "text",
                "value": "Congratulations! 🎉",
            },
        ],
        "effect": {
            "type": "screen",
            "name": "confetti",
        },
    },
)

Important notes

• iMessage only — Effects are an iMessage feature. They are silently ignored when sending via RCS or SMS. See Protocol Selection for protocol capabilities.
• One effect per message — You can only apply a single effect to each message.
• Playback — Effects play once when the recipient first opens the message. They can be replayed by the recipient.
• Combine with media — Effects work with both text and media message parts.