But you can set up your iPhone and Mac so that the latter can send/receive SMS messages. However, SMS messages may not sync across your devices. Plus, if you have more than one Apple device, you can get your messages on your Mac, iPad, and Apple Watch. IMessage also syncs with your iCloud account, so if you lose your iPhone or get a new one, you can take your messages with you. If you use WiFi, there’s no cost, but if you use your cellphone’s data, it’s deducted from your data plan. To send iMessages, you need a data plan, or you can send them over WiFi. You must have an Internet connection to use the service. IMessage is Apple’s own instant messaging service that sends messages over the Internet, using your data. This is different than iMessage (or Messages) on your iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch. With an MMS, you can send a message including pictures, video, or audio content to another device. MMS stands for Multimedia Messaging Service. However, an SMS message contains only text (no pictures or videos) and is limited to 160 characters. SMS is an abbreviation for Short Message Service. Did you know you can enable SMS and MSS correspondence on your Mac with Messages? You can.īut first, a little background.

How to send and receive sms on mac