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. iPhone owners can use it for SMS and MMS messages, too.
To send a text via email, use the 10-digit phone number of the person you are texting as the address and the carrier he uses as the domain. For example: (phone number)@.com. After you write your text message, click Send. Using Google Voice to Send a Text. If you do not already have one, register for a Google account to sign up for Google Voice.
The sign-up process requires either a phone number to complete, or a Facebook or Google account authorization. Textfree keeps a number assigned to you for 30 days before releasing it.
Set up iMessage
Messages in iCloud keeps your messages in sync between your Mac and your iOS devices, and also lets you download your messages when you set up a brand new device. Open Messages. Click Messages in the Menu bar. Go to Messages > Text Message Forwarding, and enable the device(s) you would like to forward messages to. Your Mac, iPad, or iPod touch will display a code. Enter this code on your iPhone to verify the SMS feature. How to set up Messages on the Mac. Launch Messages from your desktop, dock, or Applications folder. Select the phone number and email addresses at which you would like to be reached. Choose which phone number or email address people will see when you start a new conversation.
iMessage is the Apple messaging service you get automatically with your Apple ID.If it's not already set up, you're asked to sign in when you first open the Messages app. Sign in with same Apple ID that you use with Messages on your iPhone and other devices. It's usually the same Apple ID that you use for iCloud, the iTunes Store, the App Store, and the account you created when you first set up your Mac.
Have a conversation
Click at the top of the Messages window.
Address your message by typing the recipient's name, email address, or phone number. Or click and choose a recipient. If they're in your Contacts app, Messages finds them as you type. To start a group conversation, just add more recipients.
Type your message in the field at the bottom of the window, then press Return to send it.
To include emoji, click.
To include an image or other file, just drag or paste it into the message field. Or use Continuity Camera to capture a photo or scan directly from your iPhone or iPad camera.
To include an audio recording, clickand record your message.
After starting a conversation, click Details in the corner of the window to take other actions, including:
Choose not to be disturbed by notifications about this conversation.
Use FaceTime to start an audio call or video call .
Share a screen .
See the recipient's location—if they're sharing their location with you.
Review all of the photos and files that were exchanged in the conversation.
Add a group name, add members to a group, or leave a group. If the group has four or more members, you can remove members: Control-click the member's name, then choose Remove from Conversation.
With macOS Sierra or later, you can also use Siri to send, read, and reply to Messages:
”Send a message to Susan and Johnny saying I'll be late' or ”Tell Johnny Appleseed the show is about to start” or ”Text a message to 408 555 1212.”
”Read the last message from Brian Park” or ”Read my new messages.”
”Reply that's great news” or ”Tell him I'll be there in 10 minutes.”
Add a Tapback to a message
macOS Sierra introduces Tapback to the Mac. A Tapback is a quick response that expresses what you think about a message, such as that you like it or think it's funny. In the image above, the heart next to ”See you then!' is a Tapback. Here's how to do it:
Control-click a message bubble to open a shortcut menu.
Choose Tapback from the menu.
Click a Tapback to add it to the message bubble.
How to compile and run java in sublime text for mac. Your Tapback is visible to everyone in the conversation who is using iMessage with macOS Sierra or later or iOS 10 or later. Other iMessage users see 'Liked' or 'Laughed at' or 'Emphasized,' for example, followed by the text of that message.
iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch also have Tapback, as well as other message effects available only on those devices. Most such affects look the same on your Mac when you receive them. Others appear as a description of the effect, such as ”(sent with Loud Effect).”
Send text messages to anyone from your Mac
If you have an iPhone with a text messaging plan, learn how to set up text message forwarding so you can send and receive SMS and MMS messages from your Mac.
Delete a message or conversation
When you permanently delete a message or conversation, you can't get it back. So make sure that you save important information from your messages.
To delete a message:
Open a message conversation.
Control-click the blank area of a message bubble that you want to delete.
Choose Delete.
Click Delete.
To delete a conversation:
Control-click a conversation.
Choose Delete Conversation.
Click Delete.
Learn more
What Keys Mac For Text Designs
To learn more about Messages, choose Messages Help from the Help menu in Messages.
If you get an error when trying to sign in to iMessage, learn what to do.
FaceTime is not available in all countries or regions.
Active4 years, 10 months ago
I am need ing to know how I can use my cell phone number to send and recieve messages instead of my email address.
When I go to my settings to change it my number is in grey and my email address is in black and I am needing to know how I can fix that?
closed as unclear what you're asking by bmike♦Nov 4 '14 at 15:12
Please clarify your specific problem or add additional details to highlight exactly what you need. As it's currently written, it’s hard to tell exactly what you're asking. See the How to Ask page for help clarifying this question. If this question can be reworded to fit the rules in the help center, please edit the question.
3 Answers
Even though the line is greyed out, the checkbox next to your phone number in Settings > Messages indicates it is being used for sending and receiving messages. The email address(es) listed indicate that iMessage also looks for iMessages sent to those address(es), and will deliver them as if they were sent to your phone number (so long as each one has a checkmark next to it as well).
Your iPhone uses the Messages app to send messages to other devices. However, it works a bit differently depending on what device the person you are messaging is using.
When you send a Message, the iPhone looks on Apple servers to see if the recipient owns an Apple Device. Remember when you had to register your device with an Apple ID? This was putting your 'email' in the Apple server. It also put your telephone number in the Apple server.
If the server finds your recipient in the Apple servers, it automatcially sends a message via the Apple network, therefore not using the SMS network, which might incur charges (depending on your SMS or text message limits).
If the Apple server does not find your recipient, then it sends the message via SMS or text messaging, over the carriers system. So, if you send a message to a friend who has an Android phone, the Apple server won't find that device in its database, and will then send the message via regular text messaging service, so the Android phone can receive it.
This systems allows you to message anyone, and Apple simply figures out the best way to send the message, whether its via Apple's system, which does not incur SMS fees, or via the carrier's system, which might incur fees. (most users in the USA have unlimited text messaging plans these days, so this is less than a concern. If you have a limit of 100 messages, you can appreciate how this is a good thing.)
OK, now to your question: your email: Messages is NOT sending a message via email. It is simply using the email (which is likely your Apple ID), as an identifier of your device. This lets other Apple users send you a message to either your phone number or email address. This is useful on iPads, iPod Touch, and Macs, who can not send to phone numbers, because they do not have phone service. So, with Messages on your iPhone, someone on their Mac can send you a message, and you can message back!
Set Up Messages On Mac For Text Message Phone Number