We’ve known this was coming… And on Tues, May 29, Apple did in fact release the iOS 11.4 software update for iOS devices (iPad, iPhone, iPod). This update does in fact provide mobile device users with the opportunity to use iCloud to synchronize their text messages with their other devices… for the most part (see The Hiccup below…). In the past, you could use any mobile device, and even a Mac computer to sign into the Messages app and receive text messages from your iPhone. But this was only for receiving messages, it didn’t truly synchronize. If it did truly sync, then when you delete a message here, it should delete over there, just like email does (should).
Messages couldn’t truly sync because it didn’t use the cloud, which is what enables synchronizing. Now in the latest update to iOS 11.4 for mobile devices, the option is now present. I expected that after running the update to iOS 11.4, that something would appear on the screen asking me if I’d like to enable this feature, but nothing like that happened. I discovered that Apple quietly placed the On switch for this feature in the iCloud settings page. If you’d like to see it, you can find it after you’ve done the update in your Settings app. From there, tap your name at the top, then tap iCloud. Glide up and you’ll see what wasn’t there before, a new item in the list; Messages.
Now, before you flip the switch to enable Messages in the cloud, there is something you need to know. This feature requires two factor authentication (2FA). I’ve got a more in depth article on 2FA that you can read by clicking here, but for now, 2FA is a security feature that makes it harder for criminals access your Apple account, which protects your iCloud data. 2FA also makes it harder for YOU to access your own Apple account, and for that reason, some people prefer to disable 2FA. The choice to use 2FA or not is your choice, but if you want to use Messages in the cloud, you must also use 2FA. I thought I might try to be clever and just disable 2FA after setting up Messages in the cloud. Well, it didn’t work… Messages in the cloud was automatically disabled when I disabled 2FA. No other features of iCloud require 2FA, but Messages do. This is probably because Messages may contain data that could be more sensitive than say, a list of contacts, or a bunch of vacation photos.
So, understanding that 2FA comes with Messages in the cloud, if you still like the idea of having your text messages sync across all your devices, tap that On switch in the iCloud settings screen so that it appears green. Make sure that the same switch you’ve enabled on your iPhone is also enabled on your iPad, or this won’t work the way it’s supposed to. It may take a little time to get all your messages uploaded to the cloud, but it should begin syncing relatively quickly.
So, who should use this feature? I think most people will benefit from this feature. Not only can your messages be kept in sync across all your devices, but it also frees up space on your device because the content of your Messages app is leaving the device and migrating to the cloud. This is really a pretty good feature that many have been waiting a long time to see.
So, who should not use this feature? I don’t think too many… maybe people who don’t like change, or people who don’t want to pay Apple .99/month for upgraded iCloud storage. You can’t increase the storage space on your device, but you can increase your storage space in the cloud. It’s nice to have the option to send more data to the cloud, which in effect, frees up more of the valuable space on your device.
The Hiccup – We’re still missing a small piece of this puzzle. In order for messages to truly sync with all our Apple devices, we need this feature to appear on our Mac computers. It’s not there as of May 29, but it is expected to arrive in the next MacOS update (any day now). When Apple releases a new feature, they usually release updates for both Mac and iOS at the same time, so that users can get the full benefit of the new feature on both computers and mobile devices. Not so this time. So right now, you can at the very least, get your messages uploaded to the cloud by enabling the switches on your iPhones/iPads, but your Mac computer can’t sync yet until Apple releases MacOS 10.13.5.
What about Windows computer users? The Messages app is only made for Apple devices, so syncing messages between your iPhone and iPad is as good as it gets (which is still pretty good). Mac users on the other hand, will soon have the ability to sync messages to all three devices (iPhone, iPad, and Mac). It’s coming soon, so check back here on this blog for more information. I’ll keep you posted :O)
[Update]
Apple released the MacOS 10.13.5 update on Friday, June 1. This update adds the expected Messages in the Cloud feature that was previously released for iOS. Unfortunately, it’s difficult to find the switch to enable the feature on the Mac.
[Sidenote]
Dear Apple, it would’ve been nice to have found the switch for Messages in the Cloud in the iCloud settings screen on the Mac, just like it appears on the iPhone or iPad. If you could make that a little more consistent, that’d be great. Sincerely, Gregg
OK then, if you’ve already enabled Messages in the Cloud for your iPhone and/or iPad, here’s how to enable the feature on your Mac after it’s been updated to 10.13.5. Open the Messages application, which looks like blue and white speech bubbles. Once open, in the menu bar across the top, click Messages, then click Preferences. In the window that pops up, click the Accounts button. In this window, click the small box next to, ‘Enable Messages in iCloud.’ That’s it, you can now close all the windows we just opened. That should begin the syncing process. Soon, you should see the same text messages on all your Apple devices.
This means that you can now receive and respond to text messages on whatever device is closest to you when a text message arrives. Don’t forget that now, unlike before, when you delete a text message on one device, it deletes on your other devices! I’ve been using the feature now for a few days and am enjoying the convenience of having my text messages synchronize between all my devices. Hope you enjoy it as well. Cheers!