Change iMessage preferences in Messages on Mac

Sign Out

Click to sign out.

Enable this account

Select to send and receive messages with iMessage.

For more details, see Set up to send texts.

Enable Messages in iCloud

If you use Messages on more than one device, select this to store your messages in iCloud so that you can see the same text messages on all devices.

For more details, see Use Messages in iCloud.

Sync Now

When Messages in iCloud is turned on, all your texts appear on all your devices automatically. However, if you want to make sure you’re seeing the most up-to-date messages on your Mac — for example, if you just switched to a new Mac — you can click Sync Now.

You can be reached for messages at

Select the tickboxes next to the email addresses and phone numbers that other people can use to send you messages. You can update this list on the Apple ID account website. See the Apple Support article Add or remove your phone number in Messages or FaceTime.

Send read receipts

If you enable read receipts, people who send you messages will see when you’ve read them.

You can also send read receipts for a conversation only. The per-conversation setting overrides the per-account setting.

Start new conversations from

If you have more than one email address or phone number listed under “You can be reached for messages at”, choose the email address or phone number that you want to use for starting new conversations. When you start a new conversation with someone, the person receives messages sent from the email address or phone number you choose.

When someone starts a conversation with you, you send messages using the email address or phone number the person used to start the conversation.

Blocked

Review addresses or phone numbers of people that are blocked. See Block texts for more information about how to add or remove addresses or phone numbers.