How do i sync my imessages from iphone to 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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iPhone is the necessary communication tool for most users. You can check messages on iPhone by opening the app.

However, when your iPhone is left at home or other places, how can you check your iPhone messages?

The answer is to sync iPhone messages to Mac.

How to sync messages on iPhone to Mac and check them easily on Mac?

That is what you will learn in this page, 3 easy ways to sync iPhone messages to Mac, including text messages and iMessages.

How do i sync my imessages from iphone to mac

  • Part 1. How to sync iPhone messages to Mac via iCloud
  • Part 2. Show to sync iPhone iMessages to Mac via Apple ID
  • Part 3. Best way to sync iPhone messages including old to Mac

Part 1. How to sync iPhone messages to Mac via iCloud

Though Apple uses close system on all its products like Mac, iPhone, etc. it open the door among the products. You can easily share and sync data between iPhone and Mac by setting some apps. Messages app is one of them.

Whether you use iCloud settings or Apple ID to sync messages from iPhone to Mac, you should enable Message app on Mac first.

Enable Messages app on Mac

Step 1. Go to the Applications folder, find the Message app and double-click to open it. Or you can open the Message app from your desktop dock directly.

Step 2. Enter your Apple ID and password to corresponding boxes on the popup window, and hit the "Sign in" button to start setting up Message on Mac. If you have enabled two-step verification or two-factor authentication, you will be prompted to enter your verification code.

How do i sync my imessages from iphone to mac

Step 3. After sign-in, unfold the "Message" menu on top of the application and select the "Preference" option. Go to the "Account" tab, tick the checkbox in front of "Enable this account", type in your phone number in the box of "Start new conversations from", and then click "Add Email" button to add email addresses that you want to catch up with.

Now, the Message service is set up on Mac successfully. If it is the first time to use your Apple ID to set up Message, you have to wait for up to 24 hours to activate this service. iMessages not working on Mac?

How do i sync my imessages from iphone to mac

Step 4. When activation is done, access the Message app, and you can see the new synced messages sent by other iOS device to your iPhone.

How do i sync my imessages from iphone to mac

When you enable Message app on Mac, you can easily sync contacts to Mac automatically by following similar settings on Contacts app on Mac.

Sync messages from iPhone to Mac via iCloud

Step 1. On Mac, open the Message application and go to "Message" > "Preferences" > "Account". Check the box of "Enable Messages on iCloud" and click the "Sync Now" button.

Step 2. Next, turn to your iPhone, head to "Settings" > [your Apple ID]-> "iCloud" and put the switch of "Message" to "ON" position.

Then locate to "Settings" > "Message" and choose "Sync Now".

Step 3. Connect both your iPhone and Mac computer to a Wi-Fi network, connecting iPhone messages to Mac will start through iCloud. (Wi-Fi not working on iPhone? Get solutions here.)

How do i sync my imessages from iphone to mac

Part 2. Show to sync iPhone iMessages to Mac via Apple ID

Follow the steps above to enable Message app on Mac, and then get the following steps to sync iMessages from iPhone to Mac.

Step 1. Unlock your iPhone, go to "Settings" > [your name] > "Message" > "Send & Receive", and make sure you have signed in the same Apple ID that you have used to set up Message on Mac. (Apple ID forgot? Reset it.)

How do i sync my imessages from iphone to mac

Step 2. Check your phone number and email address under "You Can Be Reached By iMessage At" and "Start New Conversations From", and make sure they match the ones you input on Mac.

Now the iMessage sent on iPhone should be synced to Message app on Mac. (iMessages not syncing to Mac?)

How do i sync my imessages from iphone to mac

Step 1. Unlock your iPhone, go to "Settings" > [your name] > "Message" > "Send & Receive", and make sure you have signed in the same Apple ID that you have used to set up Message on Mac.

How do i sync my imessages from iphone to mac

Step 2. Check your phone number and email address under "You Can Be Reached By iMessage At" and "Start New Conversations From", and make sure they match the ones you input on Mac.

Now the iMessage sent on iPhone should be synced to Message app on Mac.

How do i sync my imessages from iphone to mac

Part 3. Best way to sync iPhone messages including old to Mac

This way is to sync messages on your iPhone to Mac directly with iPhone Transfer, including those old iMessages and text messages. This software works well on Mac, including macOS Big Sur.

How do i sync my imessages from iphone to mac

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Sync iPhone all messages including old to Mac directly and selectively.

Transfer iPhone text messages and iMessages to Mac.

Sync iPhone messages on Mac as CSV or HTML to read directly.

Work for iPhone XS/XR/X/8/7/6/5/4, MacBook Air/Pro, etc.

Step 1. Install the best iPhone transfer to computer

Download and install iPhone Transfer for Mac to your computer. There is a dedicated version for Windows PC. Connect your iPhone to your Mac computer using the original Lightning cord. Start the iPhone message transfer, it will recognize your device automatically.

How do i sync my imessages from iphone to mac

Step 2. Preview iPhone messages before transfer

Click the name of your iPhone at upper left corner, and then select "Messages" and "Message Attachments" to display all messages on your iPhone in detailed window. Here you can preview the iPhone messages and tick the checkbox in front of each one you'd like to sync to Mac.

How do i sync my imessages from iphone to mac

Step 3. Transfer selective message from iPhone to Mac

After selected, go to the "Export to" menu on top ribbon and select "Export to Mac" to start transferring desired messages from iPhone to your Mac computer instantly. The iOS transfer also allows you to transfer content to iTunes Library from iPhone.

Conclusion

In this tutorial, we have showed you how to sync iPhone messages to Mac computer. You can sync iPhone messages to Mac via your Apple ID or iCloud. Plus, we also shared the best way to transfer iPhone messages including old ones to Mac, iPhone Transfer directly. Decide the best one as you like to sync messages from iPhone to Mac right now.

Why is my iMessage on Mac not syncing with iPhone?

Here are the main iMessage not syncing on Mac fix methods: See if the user details between your Apple devices match and then sign out and then back in. Force Restart both your Mac and your iPhone/iPad. Restart the iMessage app on your Mac and your other Apple device.

How do I get all my Messages from my iPhone to my Mac?

In the Messages app on your Mac, choose Messages > Settings, then click iMessage. Click Settings, then select Enable Messages in iCloud. The messages from your other devices that use the same Apple ID appear on your Mac. Note: Depending on how many messages you have, it may take a while for all of them to appear.

How do you sync all your Imessages on Mac?

Choose Messages > Settings, click iMessage, click Settings, then select any of the following options: Enable Messages in iCloud: Select this option if you want to store your messages in iCloud. See Access your messages on all your Apple devices.