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Trying to send SMS to Android Phone. Instructions

I've been reading instructions to enable Messages to send SMS texts to Android phones. Every single one I've read starts out by telling me to do something to my iPhone in conjunction with what I do with my MacBookPro, but (A) I don't HAVE a bloody iPhone, and (B) the descriptions of the commands afforded by Messages>Preferences are not shown in my Messages preferances pane.

MacBook Pro (2021)

Posted on May 16, 2023 8:33 AM

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Posted on May 16, 2023 8:47 AM

If you do not have an iPhone, you cannot set up Text Message Forwarding. You wouldn't see anything in Messages>Preferences on your Mac as everything is set up from the iPhone.


You might check with your carrier to see if they offer a web or application option for sending SMS messages. My carrier, Verizon, has such an option (both web and application), called, I believe, Messages+. It doesn't require any specific type of phone.

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May 16, 2023 8:47 AM in response to Owen Daly1

If you do not have an iPhone, you cannot set up Text Message Forwarding. You wouldn't see anything in Messages>Preferences on your Mac as everything is set up from the iPhone.


You might check with your carrier to see if they offer a web or application option for sending SMS messages. My carrier, Verizon, has such an option (both web and application), called, I believe, Messages+. It doesn't require any specific type of phone.

May 16, 2023 8:58 AM in response to Owen Daly1

As IdrisSeabright says, sending text messages to non-Apple phones is performed by forwarding the message through the Apple-ID system, then sending the message through your physical iPhone. It only works if:


You have an iPhone.

that iPhone is using the SAME Apple-ID as your Mac

the iPhone is powered on

the iPhone has adequate cellular service.

May 16, 2023 11:47 AM in response to IdrisSeabright

That set did mention the iphone, but none of the others, nor did their (not legacy either) descriptions of the Messages app's preferances pane match mine. Some searching has failed to come up with any even remotely functional or targetted 3rd party apps that might give a simple interface to send SMS to any phone that's out there. Absurd. Sometimes it seems that the entire 'progress' of the technology is not the evolution of the new things you can do nearly as much as it is 'here are some more things you cannot do anymore.'


But again, thanks for making it so much more clear why the glib instructions online don't work!! I don't know what I would do without this forum. Without your help I would still be floundering about.

Trying to send SMS to Android Phone. Instructions

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