Use Messages on your Mac

Use the Letters app to send unlimited messages to any Mac, iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch using iMessage, Apple'southward secure-messaging service. If you lot take an iPhone, you can also gear up text bulletin forwarding to send SMS and MMS letters.

Transport a bulletin

  1. Open Messages. Yous might be asked to sign in with your Apple ID. Tin't sign in?
  2. Click the New Bulletin button at the top of the Letters window.
  3. Type the proper name, email address, or phone number of 1 or more recipients. Or click the Add together button and cull from your contacts.
  4. Press Tab or click the message field at the bottom of the window, and so blazon your message.
    • To include emoji, click the Emoji Picker push.
    • To include an image or other file, drag or paste information technology into the message field.
    • To include an sound recording, click the Record Audio button and record your message.
    • To include other items, such as Memoji stickers, GIFs, and message furnishings such every bit balloons or confetti, click the Apps button. This feature is available in macOS Large Sur or later.
    • To assistance bring your message to the attending of a recipient, include @ before their proper name, like @John. Or click their proper name after you type it. Their proper name is and so highlighted in the message, and they volition receive a notification letting them know that they have been mentioned. This feature is available in macOS Big Sur or later.
  5. Press Render to send the message.

Messages window after clicking the apps button

Add a Tapback or inline reply

A Tapback is a quick response that expresses what you think virtually a bulletin, such as that you like it or recollect information technology'south funny. Your Tapback is visible to everyone in the conversation who is using iMessage.

  • Command-click a message chimera to open up a shortcut carte du jour, and so choose a Tapback from the menu.
  • Or click a message bubble and press Command-T.

Messages window showing Tapback options

In macOS Big Sur or afterwards, you can create an inline reply to make it clear which specific message you're replying to in a conversation.

  • Control-click the message to open a shortcut menu, then choose Reply.
  • Or click a message bubble to select it, then press Command-R.

Find photos and other attachments from conversations

To encounter all of the photos, links, and other attachments that were exchanged in a conversation, select the conversation in the sidebar, and so click the Details push in the upper-right corner of the window, or printing Command-I.

In macOS Monterey, you tin also see these items in the Shared with Y'all section of the respective app. For example, photos and videos you receive automatically appear in the Shared with You section of the Photos app, and links to websites appear in the Shared with You section of the Start Folio in Safari.

Pivot of import conversations

In macOS Large Sur or later, yous can pin a conversation to the top of the conversation list in the sidebar and so that you tin can quickly get to it.

  • Command-click the chat to open a shortcut menu, then choose Pin.
  • Or drag the conversation to the top of the sidebar.

Pin attachments

In macOS Monterey, you can pivot links and other content that you receive, such as podcasts and Telly shows. Control-click the item, and so choose Pin from the shortcut menu. The detail is and then elevated in the Shared with Yous section of the corresponding app, in Messages search, and in the Details view of the conversation.

Mute conversations

If you lot don't want to be disturbed by notifications related to a conversation:

  1. Select the conversation in the sidebar.
  2. Click the Details button in the upper-right corner of the window.
  3. Select Hibernate Alerts.

If a recipient is using Focus to silence notifications, their condition appears automatically in Messages, so others know not to interrupt. To set Focus for yourself, choose Apple menu  > Arrangement Preferences, click Notifications & Focus, then click the Focus tab. This feature is available in macOS Monterey.

Message window showing the Focus status message below the chat bubble

Start a FaceTime telephone call from Messages

Share your screen or location

Select the conversation in the sidebar, then click the Details button  in the upper-right corner of the window.

  • Click the screen sharing button to share your screen.
  • Click Share My Location to share your location temporarily or indefinitely. Or click Send My Current Location to send your current location at this moment. You can also see the recipient's location—if they're sharing their location with you.

Customize your info or the group

Settings for changing your own proper noun and photograph are bachelor by choosing Messages > Preferences from the menu bar. You tin click your photograph to edit it, and choose whether to share your name and photo with others.

To customize the grouping, select the group conversation in the sidebar, so click the Details push in the upper-right corner of the window. Yous can then accept these actions:

  • Click Change Group Name and Photo.
  • Control-click a name, then cull Remove from Conversation. This is available for groups of iv or more members.
  • Click Go out this Conversation to remove yourself from the group conversation.
  • Click Add Member to add a new person to the conversation.

Messages window showing what you see when clicking the Info button

Set text bulletin forwarding

Use Siri to send messages

You can use Siri to send, read, and reply to Messages. Examples:

  • "Send a message to Susan and Johnny saying I'll be tardily" or "Tell Johnny Appleseed the bear witness is about to showtime" or "Text a message to 408 555 1212."
  • "Read the terminal message from Brian Park" or "Read my new letters."
  • "Reply that's cracking news" or "Tell him I'll exist at that place in 10 minutes."

Delete a bulletin or chat

When you delete a message or chat, it'southward permanent: You can't get information technology back.

  • To delete a message, Control-click the message chimera, then cull Delete from the shortcut menu. Or select the message and choose Edit > Delete from the menu bar.
  • To delete a conversation, Control-click the chat in the sidebar, and then cull Delete Conversation from the shortcut menu. Click Delete to confirm.

FaceTime is not available in all countries or regions.

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