How to connect iphone messages with mac

  • You can use iMessage on your Mac by signing into your Apple ID account.
  • Once you're signed in, you can send and receive iMessages from your Mac's Messages app.
  • Any iMessage you send or receive on your Mac will appear on your iPhone or iPad too.

Apple has spent years making sure you can send and receive text messages no matter where you are. You can send them from your iPhone, your iPad, your Apple Watch — and even your Mac.

Every Mac comes with an app called Messages pre-installed. Log into this app with your Apple ID, and you can send iMessages as quickly as you can on any other device.

Here's how to set up iMessages on your MacBook, iMac, or Mac mini.

How to set up iMessage on a Mac

1. Open the Messages app by clicking its green-and-white icon in your Dock. If it isn't already there, you can find it in the Applications folder or by searching for it.

2. Sign in with the same Apple ID you use on your iPhone to send iMessages. Depending on your account's security settings, you might need to enter a two-factor authentication code too.

Log into your Apple ID account. Apple

3. Once you're logged in, you can start sending text messages right away if you know the phone number or email of the person you want to text.

4. If you want to see your existing conversations and have all your text messages sync across devices, click Messages in the menu bar at the top of the screen, then select Preferences.

Head to the Preferences menu. Apple; William Antonelli/Insider

5. Click the iMessage tab, and then toggle on Enable Messages in iCloud. If this option doesn't show up, it means that you've already enabled it somewhere else, so you're all set.

6. Under the You can reached for messages at: heading, you'll see all the phone numbers and email addresses that people can text you at. Check off which ones you want to receive texts from on this Mac.

7. Finally, use the Start new conversations from: drop-down to choose which of those numbers/addresses you want your Mac's text messages to be sent from.

Sync the app with your iCloud account and set it up. Apple; William Antonelli/Insider

Restart the Messages app, and all your existing text conversations should sync with the Mac. If you want your contacts to sync too, you'll need to log into your Apple ID in the System Preferences app.

Once you've got this set up, make sure that message syncing is enabled on your iPhone or iPad too.

1. Grab your iPhone or iPad — whichever device you primarily use to send texts — and open the Settings app.

2. Tap your name at the top of the menu to open the Apple ID menu, then tap iCloud.

3. In the iCloud menu, make sure that Messages is enabled.

Turn on "Messages" in your iCloud account. Apple; William Antonelli/Insider

Christine Kopaczewski is a Philadelphia-based freelance lifestyle writer. When she’s not writing, she’s playing with her Scottish Terrier puppy or exploring the east coast with her British husband. Her previous work has been published by Good Housekeeping, PureWow, and Yahoo.

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William Antonelli

Tech Reporter for Insider Reviews

William Antonelli (he/she/they) is a writer, editor, and organizer based in New York City. As a founding member of the Reference team, he helped grow Tech Reference (now part of Insider Reviews) from humble beginnings into a juggernaut that attracts over 20 million visits a month. Outside of Insider, his writing has appeared in publications like Polygon, The Outline, Kotaku, and more. He's also a go-to source for tech analysis on channels like Newsy, Cheddar, and NewsNation. You can find him on Twitter @DubsRewatcher, or reach him by email at .

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The Messages app in macOS offers users a convenient way of communicating with friends, family, and colleagues across a variety of Apple devices.

How to connect iphone messages with mac

With Messages for Mac, you can send unlimited messages to any Mac, iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch that uses iMessage, Apple's secure-messaging service. If you have an ‌iPhone‌, you can also send and receive SMS texts.

The following steps show you how to get Messages set up on your Mac, while the second set of steps explain how to set up Messages in iCloud, which keeps your messages in sync between your Mac and your iOS devices.

How to Set up Messages on Your Mac

  1. Launch the Messages app on your Mac – you can find it in the Applications folder. It can also be found in the Dock on new Macs.
    How to connect iphone messages with mac

  2. You'll be asked to sign in. Enter the same Apple ID that you use with Messages on your ‌iPhone‌ and other Apple devices.
    How to connect iphone messages with mac

  3. If you have two-step or two-factor authentication turned on for your ‌Apple ID‌, enter your verification code.
  4. Select Messages -> Preferences... in the menu bar.
    How to connect iphone messages with mac

  5. Select the iMessage tab.
  6. Tick the box next to Enable Messages in iCloud (this will keeps your messages in sync between your Mac and your iOS devices).
  7. Tick the phone number and email addresses at which you would like to be reached.
  8. Using the dropdown under Start new conversations from: choose which phone number or email address you want people to see when you start a new conversation.
    How to connect iphone messages with mac

  9. Tick the red traffic light in the top-left corner of the window to close Messages preferences.

If you enabled Messages in ‌iCloud‌, you'll also want to make sure it's enabled on your ‌iPhone‌ or ‌iPad‌ so that your messages stay in sync across your devices. Here's how.

How to Set up Messages in iCloud in iOS

  1. Launch the Settings app on your ‌iPhone‌ or ‌iPad‌.
  2. Tap your ‌Apple ID‌ banner at the top.
    How to connect iphone messages with mac

  3. Tap iCloud.
  4. Make sure the switch next to Messages is toggled to the green ON position.
    How to connect iphone messages with mac

Having Messages in ‌iCloud‌ enabled doesn't just keep your messages in sync – it also means you'll be able to download your message history whenever you set up a brand new device.

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Why is my iMessage on Mac not syncing with iPhone?

Solution 1. On your iPhone: Go to Settings > Messages > Toggle off iMessage > Wait a few seconds and turn it back on. On your Mac: Open the Messages app and click on Preferences > Choose Accounts> Click Sign Out > Wait a few seconds then sign back in.

How do I sync my iPhone and Mac iMessage?

Set up iMessage.
In the Messages app on your Mac, enter your Apple ID and password, then click Sign In. Make sure to sign in using the same Apple ID on every device. ... .
Choose Messages > Preferences, click iMessage, then select any of the following options: Store your messages in iCloud: Select Enable Messages in iCloud..

Can I get my iPhone texts on my Mac?

If you have an iPhone, you can set up text message forwarding to send and receive SMS and MMS messages on your Mac. Learn how to forward SMS/MMS text messages from your iPhone to your Mac.

Why is my phone Messages not connecting to my Mac?

Make sure that your Mac is connected to the Internet. To check your Internet connection, try loading a page in Safari or another web browser. Check that the date and time is set correctly on your Mac. Make sure that you enter the correct phone number or email address for the contact.