How to Write Text Messages in a Screenplay (With Examples)

Screenplay format has no single official rule for text messages. What it does have is two habits every reader expects: be clear (anyone reading the page knows what appears on screen and who sent it) and be consistent (pick one method and use it for every text in the script).

Here are the four methods you see most in produced scripts, with an example of each, and what to think about when the scene gets shot.

1. In the action line

Best for a single text that the character reads. Describe the moment, then give the message itself in quotes, italics or capitals, whatever you use for on-screen text elsewhere.

INT. MAYA'S APARTMENT - NIGHT

Maya's phone lights up on the couch. A text from DAD:
"Call me when you land. Love you."

She stares at it. Doesn't call.

It is the shortest option and keeps the read fast. Use it when the text matters but the act of texting doesn't.

2. INSERT: the phone screen

Best when the audience needs to read the screen itself: a long message, a photo, a "Read" receipt, a name in the contact list. An INSERT is a cut to a close shot of a detail, then back to the scene.

Maya grabs the phone.

INSERT - MAYA'S PHONE

A text from UNKNOWN: "look outside"

BACK TO SCENE

Maya walks slowly to the window.

Write BACK TO SCENE when you return. Each insert adds a few lines, and in a text-heavy script those lines add up: a page is roughly a minute of screen time, so don't spend half a page on a two-word message.

3. On-screen text

Best for longer exchanges, or when you want the texts to float in the frame beside the actor instead of cutting to the phone. Shows like Sherlock and House of Cards made this style familiar. State it once, clearly, and then list the messages:

Jake types. His messages appear ON SCREEN beside him:

JAKE (ON SCREEN)
you up?

A beat. The reply appears:

LILY (ON SCREEN)
it's 3am jake

Some writers use SUPER: (superimposed) instead of ON SCREEN. Either is fine; just keep the same label.

4. Dialogue blocks for a back-and-forth

Best for a full conversation where the rhythm matters. Format each message as dialogue with an extension or parenthetical that says it is texted, so no one reads it as spoken:

                    MAYA (TEXT)
          Are you coming or not?

                    JAKE (TEXT)
          On my way. 10 min.

Maya checks the time. 11:40.

                    MAYA (TEXT)
          You said that an hour ago.

This method reads the most like a scene, which is why writers like it for long exchanges. Keep the action beats between messages: the audience watches faces, not just words.

Group chats and long conversations

• Name every sender, every time. In a group chat, a missing name is a lost reader.
• Trim hard. On screen, people read slowly and the shot holds still while they do. Two or three messages usually say what ten would.
• Give the audience time to read. Short lines, one idea per message.
• Don't hide story-critical information in a text that flashes by. If the audience must know it, let a character react to it or say it.

From the page to the screen

Once the script is shot, someone has to make those texts real. Filming a real phone brings real problems: your own notifications, glare, a screen that dims mid-take, and an app that won't show the exact time and name you need.

Many productions use a prepared graphic instead. You can make one with Fake Text Maker:

• For an INSERT: type the messages, set the contact name, clock, battery and Read receipts, and download an iPhone-style PNG at up to 3x, the shape of a recent iPhone screen. Show it on a phone on set, or place it in the edit.
• For on-screen text: use the chat story video export, a 1080 × 1920 MP4 in which the messages arrive one by one, with typing bubbles, on a green screen you can key out in Premiere, DaVinci Resolve or CapCut. Each video ends with a 2-second end card, which you can trim off.

Both run in the browser, free, with no sign-up. If you plan to release the film, check with your production how you may show any real app's look on screen.

FAQ

How do you write a text message conversation in a script?

For a few messages, put them in the action lines or an INSERT of the phone. For a real back-and-forth, use dialogue blocks with a (TEXT) extension or an ON SCREEN label, and keep the sender's name on every message.

Do you italicize text messages in a screenplay?

You can, but you don't have to. Quotes, italics or capitals all work. What matters is using the same style for every text in the script.

What does INSERT mean in a screenplay?

It is a close shot of a detail, such as a phone screen, a letter or a sign, cut into the scene. After it, you write BACK TO SCENE.

Do text messages count toward page count?

Yes. Everything on the page counts, which is why long text exchanges should be trimmed to the messages the story needs.