How to Use iMessage on Your Mac

iMessage can be used on your MacOS just like the one you use on your iPhone. Before getting started on how to use iMessage on your Mac, you must know that you need to have MacOS X High Sierra or later on your Mac to use the name.

Now, let us get started on how to use iMessage on your Mac.

How to set iMessage on your Mac?

The steps to set up iMessage on your Mac are:

1. Locate and open the Messages app on your Mac from the Dock. You can search for the same on the search bar as well. Note: To use iMessage on your Mac, it is not necessary to own an iPhone. All you need is an Apple account to access the same. Thus, you can create an account if you don’t have one already.

2. Enter your Apple ID and Password to log in to your Apple account. You might need to go through double-factor authentication if you’ve enabled it.
3. iMessage offers you to link with a third-party messaging app such as Google, Yahoo, etc. but don’t forget, iMessage is your prime focus.
4. Tap on the ‘Messages’ button from the menu bar on the top of the screen. A pop-up menu will appear.
5. Select ‘Preferences’ from the pop-up menu.
6. An iMessage dialog box will open. Select the ‘iMessage’ tab on the top of the screen beside the ‘General’ tab.
7. Tap on the checkbox for ‘Enable this account’ and ‘Enable messages in iCloud’ to enable both the options.
8. You can choose to receive a message from a different account if you have more than one. Such as two separate accounts for a contact number and Apple ID. 
9. If your contact info is not added in the option, you can manually add it with the help of your iPhone settings. The steps to do the same are:
10. Go to the ‘Settings’ app on your iPhone.
11. Click on the ‘Messages’ option from the menu.
12. Open the ‘Send & Receive’ tab.
13. Select and tap on any of the two options that are: contact number and Apple ID, under the section ‘YOU CAN RECEIVE IMESSAGES TO AND REPLY FROM.’
14. A window will show up on your Mac asking you if you permit to add your contact number on iMessage and Facetime. Tap on the ‘Yes’ button to confirm.

This is it! Following the steps above will set up an iMessage account on your Mac that you can start using instantly.

Note: You can send and receive messages from a non-iPhone user as well. Go to the ‘Settings’ app and turn the slider on for your Mac device under the ‘Text Message Forwarding’ section. The messages will be sent and received as SMS and not an iMessage. Also, these messages will appear in a Green bubble.

Enable iMessage in iCloud

Messages use a lot of space on your device and also need a back-up. If you have an iOS 11.4 version or later, you can choose to store your messages in iCloud. This not only saves a lot of space on your device, but keeps a back-up for the same.

Even if you set up a new Mac, the messages will appear in the history section, that means you don’t need to restore your data.

Setting up iMessage in iCloud

The steps to set up an iMessage in iCloud are:

1. Open the ‘Settings’ app on your iPhone from the home screen.
2. Click on your profile on the top of the settings window.
3. Click on the ‘iCloud’ option.
4. Locate the ‘iMessage’ option and turn on the slider for the same to enable this function.

As long as you’ve logged in on other Apple devices with the same account, all the messages will get synced if your ‘Sync Now’ option is enabled.

How to sign out of iMessage on Mac?

While it is convenient for some people to use iMessage on Mac, others don’t like this option much. Thus, there are two ways you can sign out of iMessage on your Mac and the steps for both are mentioned below.

Method 1 – Disable iMessage on your Mac

The steps to disable iMessage on your Mac are:

1. Locate and open the Messages app on your Mac from the Dock. You can search for the same on the search bar as well.
2. Tap on the ‘Messages’ button from the menu bar on the top of the screen. A pop-up menu will appear.
3. Select ‘Preferences’ from the pop-up menu.
4. Tap on the account you want to disable on your Mac, and click on the ‘Sign Out’ button.
5. A confirmation dialog box will appear. Tap on the ‘Sign Out’ option again to confirm and disable the account.

Method 2 – Disable iMessage on your iPhone

The steps to disable iMessage on your iPhone are:

1. Go to the ‘Settings’ app on your iPhone.
2. Click on the ‘Messages’ option from the menu.
3. Open the ‘Send & Receive’ tab.
4. The contact number is enabled by default and the action cannot be reversed under the ‘You can be reached by iMessage at’ section. Therefore, you need to uncheck the checkbox for the Apple ID you’re using for iMessage.
5. This will disable the iMessage function on your Mac, and you’ll continue to be able to receive and send iMessage on your iPhone only

SOURCE:- How to Use iMessage on Your Mac