How do you format a text message in a screenplay?

There are three accepted methods: describe it in an action line, show it as on-screen text using a note like TEXT ON SCREEN, or format it as dialogue with an extension such as (texting). The best choice depends on how many texts there are and how important the exact wording is.

Is there a standard way to write texting in a script?

There is no single mandated standard, but consistency is the rule. Pick one method, use it every time, and make sure the reader always knows who is texting and what the message says. Modern scripts increasingly show messages as on-screen text since audiences now read texts directly on screen.

How do you format a phone call in a script?

If we only see one side, the other speaker is usually formatted as (V.O.). If you cut between both callers, use INTERCUT to show the conversation across both locations.

How to Format Text Messages and Phone Screens in a Screenplay

Three proven ways to format text messages in a script, plus when to use each. Handle phone screens, group chats, and on-screen text like a professional.

Phones drive modern stories, but screenplay format was designed for people speaking in rooms — not thumbs on glass. There's no single mandated rule for texting, which is exactly why writers get stuck. The good news: there are three accepted methods, and the professional move is picking one and using it consistently. Here's each, with when to use it.

Method 1: Describe it in an action line

Simplest, best for the occasional text:

Sarah's phone buzzes. A text from DANIEL: "Where are you?"
She types back — "Almost there" — and pockets it.

Use when: texts are infrequent and the exact wording matters less than the beat. It reads fast and needs no special convention.

Method 2: On-screen text (the modern standard)

Today's films often show the message directly on screen, so the script mirrors that. Call it out explicitly:

INSERT - SARAH'S PHONE

     TEXT ON SCREEN: "Where are you?"

     She replies: "Almost there."

Some writers use CHYRON:, TITLE:, or INTERCUT TO PHONE SCREEN — any is fine if you're consistent. Use when: the audience needs to read the exact words, or texting is a recurring device in the story.

Method 3: Texting as dialogue

Treat the message like a spoken line with an extension:

                    DANIEL (V.O.)
                (texting)
          Where are you?

                    SARAH (V.O.)
                (texting)
          Almost there.

Use when: there's a rapid back-and-forth and you want it to read with the rhythm of a conversation. The (V.O.) fits because the texter often isn't in the scene — see V.O. vs. O.S..

Phone calls: a quick note

For calls where we only see one person, format the other caller as (V.O.). If you want to show both sides, use an INTERCUT so the reader follows the conversation across both locations without repeating scene headings.

The rules that actually matter

Be consistent. Whichever method you pick, use it every time.
Never lose clarity. The reader must always know who is texting and what it says.
Don't overload the page. Twenty formatted texts kill pace. Summarize in action when the content matters more than each word.

Keep the page clean

Texting sequences get messy fast with manual indentation and inserts. A screenwriting tool that applies the right elements — inserts, on-screen text notes, dialogue extensions — keeps these sequences readable. Scriptease handles that formatting for you, so a texting scene stays as clean as any other.

More conventions in our full screenplay formatting guide.