iMessage under El Capitan 10.11.6

[James]

i am having a problem with iMessage on my desktop. I have a niece in California that likes to text back and forth a lot, i can send and receive them fine on my iPhone7, but when i try and use iMessage on my desk top i can neither receive or send text messages to her.

According to some articles i have read iMessage should be able to send and receive from her even though she isn't using an iPhone and i have followed the "How to" step by step instructions that should make it work, but it does not. Matter of fact using my desktop i can't even send or receive a text message from my own iPhone7...

I can text to about 5 local people and one in California who all have iPhones from the desktop, but can't get it to work like it should. Any ideas ? would sure like to be able to use the desktop as my big old fat fingers just don't work very good on the iPhone. Thanks for any help you can give.

 

[chscag]

If your niece is not using an iPhone the text message does not go out as an iMessage but rather as SMS. As for using your desktop to send receive iMessages or SMS messages, you would need to have that option turned on in iCloud under System Preferences. I routinely use my iMac to send and receive both iMessages and SMS type messages and have never had a problem with it.

Also make sure that all your devices are listed properly under your Apple ID and that you are signed into iCloud.

 

[James]

I do have iCloud turned on, problem being Messages is not listed on the programs it shows on it's list and i see no way to add it to the list. I can't send a text to my iPhone, but if i send a text to my friend in Calif from the desktop it shows on the iPhone. Driving me crazy....Ok short drive...I have the iPhone set to send SMS messages, but i don't see any thing in iMessage on the Mac to do that in preferences.

 

[chscag]

OK, try this:

On your iPhone... go to "Messages". Make sure you have "Send as SMS" turned on (green). Also select MMS Messaging (green).

Now go on down to "Send & Receive". What addresses do you have setup there? You should be showing your iPhone number, email address, and if you have an iCloud address, that should also be showing.

And most important! Look at "Text Message Forwarding". You should be showing your Mac and any other devices you wish to use. For example: I show my iMac and iPad Pro.

Let me know if all that is understandable and solves the problem.

 

[James]

All above settings were correct, but it still does not work. Can't send to or receive from my own iPhone nor my niece.

 

[chscag]

Don't know what else I can suggest James? According to Apple it should work if you have all your settings as I noted above especially the setting "Text Message Forwarding". Perhaps someone else may have a better suggestion that can help.

 

[IWT]

It's extremely unlikely that I have a better suggestion, but I do have an idea:Blushing:

When in Settings > Messages > Send and Receive - in addition to what our Admin chscag advised (especially about "Text Message Forwarding"!!) - -

Look at "Start New Conversations From" and your iPhone number should be shown and ticked.

Your iCloud email address should be shown (and in my case my @me.com address), and these should also be ticked.

I'm not optimistic about this solving your problem but...........

Ian

 

[James]

I give up !! Every setting looks like it is correct yet it will not send a message from my desktop to my iPhone nor will it send a message to my niece who has an android phone... On top of that i just checked my Macbook Pro that is running Sierra and it does the same thing. Thanks any way...

 

[chscag]

James:

Both Ian and myself have given you all the correct suggestions and instructions to get things working. You need to look at what else might be holding things up. What other software are you using that could be interfering? Antivirus software installed? Firewall? Sometimes it's something remote or that has been forgotten which can cause the problem. You need to do some detective work.

 

[ferrarr]

Try setting up a new user account? Then log i to that user account with your Apple ID, to test if it will work. If it does work, you know there is a setting somewhere, If it doesn't work, there is something else happening.

 

[pm-r]

I do have iCloud turned on, problem being Messages is not listed on the programs it shows on it's list

FWIW: I'm using Mavericks, and Messages is not listed in my iCloud System Prefs either, but it does normally work.

And BTW: I didn't think one could send a Message to oneself.

And are you using the recipients name or their phone number when attempting to send a message?? Try the alternative method.


EDIT:
Maybe give this a read:
How to set up Mac OS X Messages to send SMS texts
https://www.appleworld.today/blog/2015/8/6/how-to-set-up-mac-os-x-messages-to-send-sms-texts


And I guess you've already been here???:
Use Messages with your Mac
https://support.apple.com/en-ca/HT202549





- Patrick
======

 

[James]

Ok i am done. I appreciate all the effort you guys have given, it has all been good and it should have worked. There is evidently something wrong some where but i am getting sick and tired of fighting the darn thing as it will take someone who knows a **** of a lot more than me about this stuff to get it going, if ever. Things have gone from yuck to disaster in the last week and i am just tired of fighting it.

To give you an example about what i am talking about here we go.

I have been talking to 6 different people on my desktop using iMessage for quite a while now. Now all of a sudden when i go to click on their name to send a message their name shows up in red and of course then it doesn't send the message even though it looks like it did. Just Yesterday all six worked.

Item #2 Yesterday in iPhone Settings messages there was an item " Test Message Forwarding" that showed my 3 devices, MacPro Desktop, MacbookPro, iPad with all 3 sliders green...Today that particular setting no longer shows in the iPhone messages section.

Item #3 I have always been able to take a picture using the camera in the iPhone, then send the picture to another iPhone, or send it to email, today it doesn't work.

I am at the point that unless Santa Clause comes over and fixes stuff i will just hit the reset button and start over from scratch in hopes of maybe getting it right next time. Thanks for trying to help fellows i really appreciate it.

 

[ferrarr]

In my opinion, the only way to fix it, if it is fixable, would be to log out of iCloud on all your devices. Then restart all devices. Then log back in, one device at a time, confirming it works, before moving on to the next device. You need to have you iPhone phone number and iCloud email address in the settings for all devices