How to enable iMessage?

Want to use iMessage on your iPhone and don’t know how to enable it? Here you will learn to set up the iMessage app to send messages to your friends and family? See the step-by-step guide to how to enable iMessage on iPhone.

Messaging is the core means of communication in our world right now. Whether it be from one device to another or even multiple platforms. Can you believe you can send messages from your watch now! It is amazing how technology has transformed over the years. Our Mobile phones are already equipped with the SMS messaging system. We use this system to send short messages across devices using mobile networks without the use of the internet. Yet we tend to use internet-based messaging apps like Messenger and WhatsApp, why do you think that is?

Well, the answer is simple, because they let you send a more detailed amount of data and allow you to send multimedia files across devices. This set apart as an attractive feature of these apps which is why people use these apps more rather than the already present SMS system. Apple noticed this very soon in their development and with the release of iOS 5 they introduced their very own messaging app called iMessage for their iPhone.

iMessage was an instant hit and was one of the most unique selling points of the iPhone. Ever since then it has improved a lot with the help of updates and newer versions of iOS. It allows you to send encrypted data messages over the internet to your contacts with the inclusion of multimedia support. It is one of the core aspects of our iPhone that we love and adore. If you have bought a new iPhone then you will have to enable your iMessage app for it to function and give you all its amazing features. So, let us see the details.

What is iMessage?

iMessage is an in-built feature of the iPhone which allows you to send texts, documents, photos, videos, and other multimedia messages across other iOS or macOS devices by using the internet. iMessage uses the internet as a mainstream network and provides active data protection and privacy features that are unique to itself. With this Apple has made the claims of making the product encrypted and user friendly.

This is why Apple’s iMessage is a very secure and privacy-based messaging application unlike some of the other infamous apps like WhatsApp. With the use of iMessage can be used within the set parameters. In cases where your phone lacks internet and a message is sent by your phone, the iMessage is automatically sent as an SMS message to the contact.  In case you do not do this and the receiver does not have an active internet then the messages are held in the server until they are connected to the internet.

iMessage is available for all Apple products and supports multi-platform message sharing. iMessage is available for all iOS, macOS, watch OS, and iPad OS. It does not have compatibility with any other platform other than Apple devices, that is no other mobile or another platform has access to iMessage. You will not be able to send your iMessage to those who do not own an Apple product.

What is enabling iMessage in your iPhone?

iMessage app works simultaneously with the Messages app and SMS system. This means you can use both the messaging platforms at once from the same Messages app on the iPhone’s home screen. But before you access the iMessage and send or receive messages. You will be needed to set up or enable your iMessage app first. Without it, you will not be able to use the features of iMessage.

To activate your iMessage on your iPhone, you will be needed to connect the phone number of your device with the Apple ID or iCloud ID. Upon connecting you can very easily send multimedia messages and also receive them from your friends and family. Make sure you are connected to your Wi-Fi or cellular network while you do the steps that are needed to enable the iMessage because without it you will not be able to access iMessage.

Remember, that if your iMessage is not active on your device then the messages app will function simply as an SMS messaging app. You can identify the SMS messages from iCloud messages by looking at their colors. The iMessage messages will be in a message bubble of blue color and the SMS messages will be in a bubble of green color.

You can also rest assured that sending iMessage messages will not take or spend your daily SMS allowance or your daily SMS limit of messages that you can send from your device. Also, you can feel free to send as many messages as you want and enjoy talking to your contacts. You can also very easily send stickers and digital arts in the newer version of iPhones, which make your conversations even more interactive and fun.

How to enable iMessage on your iPhone?

So, now that you know what iMessage is and why it is important to enable it on your iOS device. You will be needed to manually activate it to use its amazing features. If you have set up your new iPhone by using an Apple ID then you don’t need to worry about enabling iMessage for your iPhone, it will already be set up and ready to use in Apple’s messages app. You will find that the iMessage is not sending messages properly. So, let us see the steps of how to activate iMessage on your iPhone:

Steps:

1. Go to the Settings of your iPhone from the home screen and open it.
2. Swipe downwards to find the “Messages” tab given in the list of settings. It should be a green-colored app with a white message bubble icon made on it. Open the app.
3. Inside the “Messages” menu, you will find a toggle named “iMessage” with a toggle switch off. Activate the switch and push the toggle green.
4. Go to your home screen and open the Messages app on your iPhone.
5. Make sure you have your internet connection on your device. Send a message to your contact with iPhone to see if the sent message is in a bubble of blue color, if yes the iMessage is sending messages properly.

By Following these you can very easily enable the iMessage on your iOS device and use it to send messages to your friends and family.

How to use iMessage on multiple devices?

As you already know that iMessage works on all Apple products and supports cross-platform message sending. This means you can send a message on your iPhone and the same message will appear on all the devices that have the same Apple Id and are connected to the Apple Ecosystem. This allows you to use different devices to receive or send messages that you are using.

For example, if you are on a jog and you have your iPhone in your pocket. If you receive an iMessage from your friend, you might not want to stop your exercise. What could you do? Well, you can reply to the same message from your Apple watch and it will reflect on your iPhone as well. Amazing isn’t it. But before you use this cross-platform feature you will be needed to activate iMessage on the multiple Apple devices you own. Let us see how you can continue one conversation on multiple devices using iPhone and see the steps of how you can use iMessage on multiple devices:

Steps:

1. Go to the settings of your Apple device. This is the same for all Apple devices like iPhones, iPad, or iPods that have iMessage in them.
2. Find the “Messages” tab and open it.
3. In the “Messages” menu, find the “Send and Receive” tab and open it.
4. Make sure both the phone number and Apple ID are selected. Connect the device you want to share with the same Apple ID.
5. When you connect multiple devices to the same apple id you will find a button in the “Messages” menu called “Text Message Forwarding”.
6. Make sure you select which devices can use the iMessage of your iPhone and can send or receive texts. Enable the devices you want to have this feature.

This is how following these simple steps you can have your iMessage set up on multiple Apple devices and can be used to send or receive messages across different platforms. Make sure your devices are connected to the internet and the same messages will be reflected across all the devices that you have allowed the iMessage to.

How to save iMessage in iCloud?

Now that you know how to use and send or receive messages on your Apple devices you can use this to send iMessage across various platforms. But what if you want to save some space while sending high data messages to your friends or family. Maybe you want to save the storage on all the devices and want to keep your favorite messages safe as a backup somewhere. Well, you can just do that by using Apple’s iCloud. You can use this to store and backup the messages on your iCloud account and can use them on any Apple device connected to the same Apple Id.

Don’t worry your messages are end-to-end encrypted and not stored or used by apple. They are only utilized by you and the devices that have a connection to the Apple ID in which it has been stored. You can use the stored iCloud Messages in all Apple products that support iMessage, namely iPhones, iPad, Macs, and all iPods with iMessage. Let us see the steps of how you can save Messages on iCloud:

For iPhone, iPad, or iPod with iMessage:

Steps:

1. Go to the Settings of your iPhone.
2. In the Settings menu, click on your profile with your profile picture and Apple account details.
3. Inside your Profile Menu, open the “iCloud” tab given under Subscriptions.
4. Scroll down to find the “Messages” toggle that will be turned off by default. Turn that on.

This will help you to activate messages on your iCloud of your iPhone, iPad, or iPod.

For Mac:

Steps:

1. Open Messages from your Mac.
2. Find Messages in the menu bar and open it.
3. Click on the Preferences tab in the “Message” menu.
4. Select iMessage in the “Preferences” menu.
5. Enable the Messages for iCloud by checking the check box.

With this, you can successfully be able to upload your Messages on the iCloud of your Mac.

Conclusion:

With this article, I hope you understood how you can enable the iMessage feature on your iPhone and use it on multiple devices. Make sure that you are connected to the internet and are using iMessage with your devices. You can also update your messages to your iCloud by using your Apple Id and keep your data safe and secure.

If you have any more issues with the matter of iMessages on iPhone, feel free to check out the Frequently asked questions that are given below to find solutions to them.

FAQ: