Messages (El Capitan): Get and send SMS messages

Get and send SMS messages

Your Mac can now receive and send SMS and MMS text messages through your iPhone when you set up text message forwarding. For example, if a friend sends you a text message from a phone other than iPhone, the message appears on your Mac and iPhone in Messages.

SMS messages are green. iMessage messages are blue.

Set up text message forwarding

To receive and send SMS and MMS messages on your Mac, your iPhone needs iOS 8.1 or later, and must be signed into iMessage with the same Apple ID as your Mac.

  1. On your iPhone, tap Settings > Messages.

  2. Tap Text Message Forwarding.

  3. Enable your Mac in the list of devices.

  4. On your Mac, open Messages.

    A six-digit activation code appears.

  5. Enter this code on your iPhone, then tap Allow.

You can now send and receive SMS and MMS messages on your Mac.

Send an SMS or MMS message

To send an SMS or MMS message, enter a contact or a person’s phone number, enter your text, then press Return.

Your SMS and MMS messages appear on your Mac automatically.

Last Modified: Sep 30, 2015
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