Messages sent to other iMessage users will be blue. SMS messages will be green.
iMessages don’t count against your carrier’s messaging plan. iMessages will count against your mobile data unless you are on Wi-Fi.
You can create a free Apple ID at appleid. apple. com/account. You’ll need to enter a valid email address in order to verify the account.
Open the Settings app and select “Messages”. Toggle “iMessage” on and tap “Use your Apple ID for iMessage” (iPhone only). Enter your Apple ID and password. iMessage may take a moment to activate.
Open the Messages app. You can find this in your Dock or in your Applications folder. Click the “Messages” menu and select “Preferences”. Ensure that your Apple ID is selected. If you aren’t logged in with your Apple ID, click the + button and log in. Check the “Enable this account” option. You can now send and receive iMessages.
Open the Settings app on your device and select “Messages”. Tap “Send & Receive” and then tap an address to toggle it. You can also add another email address that you want to be able to be reached at. You can only have one Apple ID email address associated with a device at a time. Select the address or number that you want to send messages from.
iPads and iPods can only send messages to other iMessage users.
Tap the Camera button in the lower left corner of your conversation. Tap the Photo Library option to see all of the photos and videos on your device. Tap on a photo or video to add it to your message. Send the message. If you’re sending the message over a mobile data network, it will count against your plan.
Open a conversation in Messages. Press and hold the microphone button in the lower-right corner. Continue holding your finger and speak the message you want to record. Swipe up to send the recorded message.
Open the Maps app and find the location you want to share. Tap the Share button in the upper-right corner. Select “Message” from the list of options. Tap “Send” to send the location. When your recipient taps the map in their conversation, it will launch the Maps app.
Open the Settings app and select “Notifications”. Tap the “Messages” option and then scroll down to “Show Previews”. Toggle this off.
Open the Settings app and select “Messages”. Tap the “Keep Messages” option and select either “30 Days” or “1 Year”. You will be asked to if you want to delete any messages on your device that are older than the time limit you set.
Open the conversation that you want to leave. Tap the “Details” option in the upper-right corner. Scroll down and tap “Leave this Conversation”. If the option is grayed out, then at least one participant is not using iMessage on an iOS 8 or later device.
Open the Settings app and select “Messages”. Toggle “Send Read Receipts” on or off depending on your preferences.
You can check the status of the iMessage service at apple. com/support/systemstatus/.
Open the Settings app on your iOS device and select “Messages”. Ensure that “Send as SMS” is enabled. This will ensure that messages get sent as SMS texts if iMessage is unavailable. Tap the “Text Message Forwarding” option and disable all forwarding. Forwarding allows you to send and receive SMS on all of your iCloud devices, but has been known to cause problems.
Open the Settings app and tap “General”. Select “Date & Time” and then check that your location settings are correct.
Connect your iOS device to your computer and open iTunes. Select your iOS device from the top row of buttons. Click the Back Up Now button. This will create a backup of your iOS device on the computer. Click the Restore iPhone/iPad/iPod. . . button. Wait for your device to restore and reset. Select the backup you just created when setting up the device. Click here for more detailed instructions.
If you still have your iPhone, open the Settings app and select “Messages”. Toggle “iMessage” OFF. It may take a while for the iMessage servers to process the change. If you don’t have the iPhone anymore, visit selfsolve. apple. com/deregister-imessage and enter your phone number. You’ll receive an SMS on your new phone with the code. Enter the code into the second field on the site to turn off iMessage.
