How to enable SMS text messaging through Continuity on iPad and Mac
Apple first introduced iMessage to the iPhone and iPad with iOS 5, and now with iOS 8.1 and OS X Yosemite, SMS messages from any phone can be managed across all your connected devices.
Since OS X Mountain Lion, Mac users have been able to send and respond to iMessages from other iOS devices, but those pesky green text bubbles from phones other than iOS were relegated to your iPhone. Now with Continuity, any message from any device, SMS or iMessage, will appear on iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch and Mac and can be responded to in kind.
To enable SMS relay across your devices, you need to have an iPhone with iOS 8.1 and an active carrier plan. Any iPads running iOS 8.1 and any Mac that supports Yosemite will be able to receive and respond to SMS messages through Continuity.
To begin, make sure you are signed in using the same Apple ID across all devices. On iPhone go to Settings > Messages > Send & Receive to check which Apple ID is being used. Make sure both your phone number and Apple ID email address are checked.
On iPad, also go to Settings > Messages > Send & Receive to be sure the same Apple ID is being used and your phone number and Apple ID email are checked.
On your Mac, open the Messages Application and navigate in the menu bar to Messages > Preferences.
Under the Accounts section, double check that the same Apple ID across devices is being used here. Under You can be reached for messages at: be sure the same phone number and email address are checked. Also, from the Start new conversations from: dropdown box, choose your phone number.
Return to your iPhone and go to Settings > Messages > Text Message Forwarding.
Here you will see a list of devices using the same Apple ID. To enable a device for SMS relay, tap the slider to ON (green position).
Each time you enable a device, a four digit code will appear on that device's screen. You'll be asked to enter that code on your iPhone to verify.
Once the device has been added successfully, you will see a confirmation message on your iPhone's screen.
Enable all the devices you want to receive SMS and MMS messages here and you're done! SMS relay doesn't require Wi-Fi or bluetooth to be enabled, but if you experience problems during setup or use, try enabling them temporarily.
Since OS X Mountain Lion, Mac users have been able to send and respond to iMessages from other iOS devices, but those pesky green text bubbles from phones other than iOS were relegated to your iPhone. Now with Continuity, any message from any device, SMS or iMessage, will appear on iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch and Mac and can be responded to in kind.
To enable SMS relay across your devices, you need to have an iPhone with iOS 8.1 and an active carrier plan. Any iPads running iOS 8.1 and any Mac that supports Yosemite will be able to receive and respond to SMS messages through Continuity.
To begin, make sure you are signed in using the same Apple ID across all devices. On iPhone go to Settings > Messages > Send & Receive to check which Apple ID is being used. Make sure both your phone number and Apple ID email address are checked.
On iPad, also go to Settings > Messages > Send & Receive to be sure the same Apple ID is being used and your phone number and Apple ID email are checked.
On your Mac, open the Messages Application and navigate in the menu bar to Messages > Preferences.
Under the Accounts section, double check that the same Apple ID across devices is being used here. Under You can be reached for messages at: be sure the same phone number and email address are checked. Also, from the Start new conversations from: dropdown box, choose your phone number.
Return to your iPhone and go to Settings > Messages > Text Message Forwarding.
Here you will see a list of devices using the same Apple ID. To enable a device for SMS relay, tap the slider to ON (green position).
Each time you enable a device, a four digit code will appear on that device's screen. You'll be asked to enter that code on your iPhone to verify.
Once the device has been added successfully, you will see a confirmation message on your iPhone's screen.
Enable all the devices you want to receive SMS and MMS messages here and you're done! SMS relay doesn't require Wi-Fi or bluetooth to be enabled, but if you experience problems during setup or use, try enabling them temporarily.
Comments
This entire process is absurdly complicated. A user should be able to instruct Siri to set this up, then confirm the changes with Touch ID. This is like trying to build a spaceship using rocks and sticks.
Or at least one click!
Or maybe not even Siri. If you sign into iCloud it should just pop up with a dialogue box stating that you've done so on multiple devices that support the feature, would you like to receive these notifications on them all with a yes or no. It's very un-Apple to have to dive into buried settings on multiple devices in a certain order to make them work.
I just upgraded to an iPhone 6 from a 4s and had to go through this entire process twice, once to get it working, then again after it got disabled from an iTunes crash in the middle of a sync.
I dunno...I suppose it could be more streamlined or automated - and it'll probably evolve,
but this seems to respect the needs for both security and control.
It just doesn't seem that complicated to me, and I'm not much of a techie.
I vaguely remember that when McDonald's started providing wi-fi at their stores, they'd hand out a little pamphlet
explaining how to connect - three panels, two sides. One or two panels were devoted to pointing out
how wonderful McDonald's was for doing this, three and a half panels were to explain it for Windows users,
and about three column inches were for Mac users...
So, this isn't quite "there's no step three" simple, but it still isn't that bad.
I'm on 8.3 now but I'm pretty sure 8.2 worked the same.
You need to press and hold on the message you want to delete / forward and then choose More... from the popup men. This gives you options to Delete All / Cancel at the top, a toggle by each message for selection (the message you press / held on should be already selected) and then delete / forward options at the bottom for the toggled messages...
They saved my life three times already, and helped my buddy and his wife conceive.
I hear that in the next OS X, it'll install right on to your bagel. It's that simple.
LOL! What?!
Apple is toast.
I'm on 8.3 now but I'm pretty sure 8.2 worked the same.
You need to press and hold on the message you want to delete / forward and then choose More... from the popup men. This gives you options to Delete All / Cancel at the top, a toggle by each message for selection (the message you press / held on should be already selected) and then delete / forward options at the bottom for the toggled messages...
+1
That method works perfectly for me.
This is the same method I use to delete individual photo and/or video attachments sent through iMessages but one can also delete any of those attachments in a conversation by tapping "Details" on the top right of the conversation screen, then scroll down to see all the attachments in that conversation. Then just do what you said above for some or all of those attachments you want to delete.
But it doesn't support whole wheat bread?
Apple is toast.
Love Continuity/Handoff features.
They saved my life three times already, and helped my buddy and his wife conceive.
I hear that in the next OS X, it'll install right on to your bagel. It's that simple.
LOL! What?!
Yes - I think we really do need to hear the whole story. Can't leave something like that to the imagination.
Yes - I think we really do need to hear the whole story. Can't leave something like that to the imagination.
I was just being silly.
Nothing spectacular or interesting.
I'm like Windows Phone today.
Wow. That is a really great idea!
I like Continuity but it's been hit and miss for me unfortunately. One thing I find extremely annoying is if I start using my iMac or MacBook after it's been in sleep mode, I get notifications for every text message that I have received previously. I can understand receiving a notification at the same time if my Mac's were awake, but I don't get why you would receive notifications for text messages you've received hours ago. Another odd thing is I can't receive phone calls on either Mac when my internet connection is via ethernet cable but I can when both are using Wifi. The ethernet connection is the same as the wifi network.
So, what if I don't have an iPhone? No SMS, no two factor auth. No nothing. Right?
If you don't have an iPhone, why are you commenting? Do you have an iPad instead?