Abstract: Techniques for rendering animations on a display of a data processing system herein can be used with a messaging application to provide animations associated with one or more messages of a messaging session. These techniques include receiving a signal reflecting a user input to invoke an animation associated with a message displayed on a user interface of a display of a computing device, determining via a processor an animation point at a preset location specified relative to dimensions of the user interface or the display and not based on a location of the message, establishing via the processor an animation path that includes the animation point and a target display location relative to the location of the message, such that at least a portion of the animation is rendered from the animation point to the target display location relative to the message, and rendering the animation on the user interface according to the animation path.