diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+# 1.0.1.0
+- add Timestamp conversion from/to UTCTime
+- add replyTo, reactTo
+
 # 1.0.0.2
 - add version bounds on deps
 - add changelog
diff --git a/signal-messaging-dbus.cabal b/signal-messaging-dbus.cabal
--- a/signal-messaging-dbus.cabal
+++ b/signal-messaging-dbus.cabal
@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
 cabal-version: 1.12
 
--- This file has been generated from package.yaml by hpack version 0.35.0.
+-- This file has been generated from package.yaml by hpack version 0.35.1.
 --
 -- see: https://github.com/sol/hpack
 
 name:           signal-messaging-dbus
-version:        1.0.0.2
+version:        1.0.1.0
 synopsis:       Bindings for signal-cli's DBus interface
 description:    This library aims provides a way to interact programmatically with the private messenger signal <https://signal.org/>. To use this, you need an instance of [signal-cli] (https://github.com/AsamK/signal-cli) running in daemon mode, with the DBus interface enabled. Support exists for almost the whole api, which should be sufficient for your bot-writing needs.
 category:       web
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@
       base >=4.7 && <5
     , bytestring <0.12
     , dbus >=1.2.12 && <1.3
+    , time >=1.8 && <1.13
     , unliftio ==0.2.*
   default-language: Haskell2010
 
@@ -53,5 +54,6 @@
     , bytestring <0.12
     , dbus >=1.2.12 && <1.3
     , signal-messaging-dbus
+    , time >=1.8 && <1.13
     , unliftio ==0.2.*
   default-language: Haskell2010
diff --git a/src/SignalDBus.hs b/src/SignalDBus.hs
--- a/src/SignalDBus.hs
+++ b/src/SignalDBus.hs
@@ -65,6 +65,10 @@
     -- * Receiving Messages
     SignalDBus.Interface.withReceiveMessages,
 
+    -- * Utility functions
+    reactTo,
+    replyTo,
+
     -- * Control interface
     -- $control
     link,
@@ -156,14 +160,41 @@
     SignalDBus.Types.Device,
     SignalDBus.Types.Group,
     SignalDBus.Types.ReceivedMessage(..),
+    fromUTCTime,
+    toUTCTime,
 ) where
 
 import Data.ByteString (ByteString)
 import Data.Int (Int32, Int64)
 import DBus.Internal.Types (toVariant, ObjectPath(..))
+import DBus.Client (clientError)
 import SignalDBus.Interface
 import SignalDBus.Types
-import UnliftIO (MonadIO)
+import UnliftIO (MonadIO, throwIO)
+
+-- |Utility function for sending a message in the same chat as you received a message from
+replyTo :: MonadIO m
+    => ReceivedMessage -- ^ Message in whoose chat the reply should be sent
+    -> String          -- ^ Message content
+    -> [String]        -- ^ Paths to attachments. Resolves using the working dir of the signal-cli daemon, not this process
+    -> SignalConn      -- ^ Connection object
+    -> m Timestamp     -- ^ Timestamp of sent message
+replyTo (Message _ _ (Just gId) _ _) msg as sc = sendGroupMessage msg as gId sc
+replyTo (Message _ n Nothing _ _) msg as sc = sendMessage msg as [n] sc
+replyTo (SyncMessage _ _ _ _ _) _ _ _ = throwIO $ clientError $ "replyTo called on SyncMessage"
+replyTo (Receipt _ _) _ _ _ = throwIO $ clientError $ "replyTo called on SyncMessage"
+
+-- |Utility function for reacting to a received message
+reactTo :: MonadIO m
+    => ReceivedMessage -- ^ Message which to react to
+    -> String          -- ^ Unicode grapheme cluster. Only tested with "😂"
+    -> Bool            -- ^ whether to remove an existing reaction
+    -> SignalConn      -- ^ Connection object
+    -> m Timestamp     -- ^ Timestamp of sent message
+reactTo (Message ts n (Just gId) _ _) emoji rm sc = sendGroupMessageReaction emoji rm n ts gId sc
+reactTo (Message ts n Nothing _ _) emoji rm sc = sendMessageReaction emoji rm n ts n sc
+reactTo (SyncMessage _ _ _ _ _) _ _ _ = throwIO $ clientError $ "replyTo called on SyncMessage"
+reactTo (Receipt _ _) _ _ _ = throwIO $ clientError $ "replyTo called on SyncMessage"
 
 -- $control
 --
diff --git a/src/SignalDBus/Types.hs b/src/SignalDBus/Types.hs
--- a/src/SignalDBus/Types.hs
+++ b/src/SignalDBus/Types.hs
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 {-# OPTIONS_GHC -Wno-orphans #-} -- :/
+{-# LANGUAGE GeneralizedNewtypeDeriving #-}
 
 {-|
 Module:      SignalDBus.Types
@@ -18,9 +19,14 @@
     Device(..),
     Group(..),
     ReceivedMessage(..),
+
+    toUTCTime,
+    fromUTCTime,
 ) where
 
 import Data.Int (Int64)
+import Data.Time (UTCTime)
+import Data.Time.Clock.POSIX (posixSecondsToUTCTime, utcTimeToPOSIXSeconds)
 import DBus.Client (Client)
 import DBus.Internal.Types
 import Text.Read (readPrec)
@@ -30,59 +36,39 @@
 data SignalConn = SignalConn !ObjectPath !Client
 
 -- |Timestamp, represented as an ms-precision unix timestamp
-newtype Timestamp = Timestamp Int64 deriving (Show, Read, Eq, Ord)
-
-instance IsVariant Timestamp where
-    toVariant (Timestamp ts) = toVariant ts
-    fromVariant v = Timestamp <$> fromVariant v
-
-instance IsValue Timestamp where
-    typeOf_ _ = TypeInt64
-    toValue (Timestamp ts) = toValue ts
-    fromValue v = Timestamp <$> fromValue v
+newtype Timestamp = Timestamp Int64 deriving (Show, Read, Eq, Ord, IsVariant, IsValue)
+-- |Conversion to 'UTCTime'. This retains precision, so converting back-and-forth
+-- is unproblematic.
+toUTCTime :: Timestamp -> UTCTime
+toUTCTime (Timestamp ts) = posixSecondsToUTCTime (fromIntegral ts * 0.001)
+-- |Conversion from 'UTCTime'. This retains precision, so converting back-and-forth
+-- is unproblematic.
+fromUTCTime :: UTCTime -> Timestamp
+fromUTCTime t = Timestamp $ floor $ utcTimeToPOSIXSeconds t * 1000
 
 -- |Opaque object representing a linked device
-newtype Device = Device Int64 deriving (Show, Read, Eq)
-instance IsVariant Device where
-    toVariant (Device i) = toVariant i
-    fromVariant v = Device <$> fromVariant v
-
-instance IsValue Device where
-    typeOf_ _ = TypeInt64
-    toValue (Device i) = toValue i
-    fromValue v = Device <$> fromValue v
+newtype Device = Device Int64 deriving (Show, Read, Eq, IsVariant, IsValue)
 
 instance Read ObjectPath where -- :/
     readPrec = ObjectPath <$> readPrec
 
 -- |Opaque Group object, aquired by 'SignalDBus.listGroups' or 'SignalDBus.getGroup'
-newtype Group = Group ObjectPath deriving (Show, Read, Eq, Ord)
-instance IsVariant Group where
-    toVariant (Group i) = toVariant i
-    fromVariant v = Group <$> fromVariant v
-
-instance IsValue Group where
-    typeOf_ _ = TypeObjectPath
-    toValue (Group i) = toValue i
-    fromValue v = Group <$> fromValue v
+newtype Group = Group ObjectPath deriving (Show, Read, Eq, Ord, IsVariant, IsValue)
 
 -- |Received message
 data ReceivedMessage =
-    -- |Message sent by a linked device to someone else
-    SyncMessage
+    SyncMessage       -- ^ Message sent by a linked device to someone else
         Timestamp     -- ^ When this message was sent
         String        -- ^ Message sender (TODO: always yourself?)
         (Maybe Group) -- ^ If sent in a group, corresponding group object
         String        -- ^ Message text
         [String]      -- ^ Paths to stored attachments
 
-    -- |Read receipt sent by someone else in response to one of your messages
-  | Receipt
+  | Receipt       -- ^ Read receipt sent by someone else in response to one of your messages
         Timestamp -- ^ Which message was read
         String    -- ^ Phone number of the receipt sender
 
-    -- |Message sent to you by someone else
-  | Message
+  | Message           -- ^ Message sent to you by someone else
         Timestamp     -- ^ When this message was sent
         String        -- ^ Message sender
         (Maybe Group) -- ^ If sent in a group, corresponding group object