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    Mac Guides
    Beginner
    3 min read 5 stepsApril 19, 2026Verified April 2026

    How to Send and Receive Text Messages on Your Mac

    Your Mac can send and receive iMessages and regular text messages (SMS) from your iPhone — so you can text without picking up your phone while working.

    At a Glance

    Category
    Mac Guides
    Difficulty
    Beginner
    Read Time
    3 min read
    Steps
    5
    Topics covered
    imessage
    mac
    text messages
    sms
    messages app
    continuity

    In this guide (5 steps):

    1. 1.Open Messages on your Mac
    2. 2.Sign in if prompted
    3. 3.Enable SMS text forwarding from your iPhone
    4. 4.Send a message from your Mac
    5. 5.Reply to incoming messages
    1

    Open Messages on your Mac

    ~15s
    Click the green Messages icon in your Dock (the speech bubble icon). If you are already signed into your Apple ID on your Mac, your iMessage conversations should appear right away. Scroll through conversations on the left panel.
    2

    Sign in if prompted

    ~15s
    If Messages asks you to sign in, click "Sign In" and enter your Apple ID and password. Make sure it is the same Apple ID you use on your iPhone. Once signed in, your iMessage conversations sync across both devices.
    3

    Enable SMS text forwarding from your iPhone

    ~27s
    On your iPhone: SettingsMessages → "Text Message Forwarding." You should see your Mac listed here. Toggle your Mac's name ON. A code may appear on your Mac — enter it on your iPhone to confirm. After this, regular text messages (green bubbles) will also appear on your Mac.

    Quick Tip

    Quick Tip: If your Mac does not appear in Text Message Forwarding, make sure both devices are signed into the same Apple ID and on the same Wi-Fi network.

    4

    Send a message from your Mac

    ~16s
    In Messages, click the compose button (pencil and paper icon in the top left). Type the person's name, phone number, or email address. Click their contact from the suggestions. Type your message in the text box at the bottom and press Return to send.
    5

    Reply to incoming messages

    ~22s
    When you receive a text, a notification pops up in the top right of your Mac screen. You can click "Reply" directly from the notification to type a response without opening the Messages app. Or click the notification to open the full conversation.

    Quick Tip

    You can also have Messages notify you with a sound when new messages arrive — go to MessagesSettingsNotifications to customize.

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    The Messages app on Mac lets you send and receive both iMessages (the blue bubble type) and regular SMS text messages (the green bubble type, forwarded from your iPhone). This means you can have full text message conversations on your Mac keyboard without ever picking up your phone.

    This is great when you are working at a computer and do not want to constantly switch between your Mac and your phone. It is also faster for longer messages since you have a full keyboard.

    To receive SMS text messages on your Mac (not just iMessages), you need to enable "Text Message Forwarding" on your iPhone. This routes your phone's regular text messages through the Messages app on your Mac.

    iMessages work automatically if you are signed into the same Apple ID on both devices — no special setup needed.

    You can also send photos, voice messages, and emoji from Messages on Mac. And you can use group chats.

    Requirements: Mac with macOS Yosemite or later, iPhone with iOS 8 or later, both signed into the same Apple ID. For SMS forwarding, iPhone and Mac must be on the same Wi-Fi network (or Bluetooth).

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    imessage
    mac
    text messages
    sms
    messages app
    continuity

    Official Resources

    Apple SupportHow-To Geek — MacApple Support YouTube

    Sources used to create and verify this guide. View all sources →

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