Change General settings in Messages on Mac
In the Messages app on your Mac, use General settings to change general options for using Messages.
To change these settings, choose Messages > Settings, then click General.
Option | Description | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Set Up Name and Photo Sharing | Set up name and photo sharing to share your name and photo with the people you choose. | ||||||||||
Name | Update your first and last name (only available after you set up name and photo sharing). | ||||||||||
Share Name and Photo | Share your name and photo in the messages you send. Deselect the option to stop sharing your name and photo (only available after you set up name and photo sharing). | ||||||||||
Share Automatically | Share your name and photo with only your contacts or have Messages prompt you before your name and photo are shared in a new conversation (only available after you set up name and photo sharing). | ||||||||||
Keep messages | Choose how long to keep message conversations in your account. For example, if you choose 30 Days, your conversations (and all attachments) are available in Messages for 30 days. After that period, they’re automatically removed. See Delete messages and conversations. Note: You can also set this option in iCloud settings. See Change iCloud settings. | ||||||||||
Notify me about messages from unknown contacts | Receive a notification whenever anyone contacts you. If you don’t select this option, you get a notification only if you’re contacted by someone who is listed in Contacts or is someone you previously received messages from. See Manage notifications. | ||||||||||
Notify me when my name is mentioned | Receive a notification whenever anyone mentions you in a conversation. | ||||||||||
Auto-play message effects | Play full-screen effects automatically when received. See Add full-screen and bubble effects. | ||||||||||
Play sound effects | Play the default sound effect when any event occurs. For more details, see Play sound effects. | ||||||||||
Message received sound | Choose the sound that plays when a message is received. | ||||||||||
Text size | Adjust the size of text in Messages. | ||||||||||