How to Find and Customize Messages in ICloud on the Just Released MacOS 10.13.5
With the public launch of iOS 11.4 earlier this week, Messages to iCloud is finally ready to hit prime time — and no sooner than before. If you’ve ever linked your phone number to Messages on multiple devices at the same time, you’ll have to delete the same texts on each device over and over again. Now that all the messaging apps on your devices are linked through iCloud, what you do on one device syncs with the others. Saving time; disappointment diminished.
However, the new message sync feature is not turned on by default in the latest version of macOS, and Apple has buried this setting a bit. You will definitely want to fix this, especially if you are wondering why what you delete on your iPhone or Mac seems to reappear on another.
Set up iCloud messages on an iOS device
To make sure we have everything we need, here’s how to make sure Messages sync with iCloud on your iPhone and iPad:
- Click on Settings
- Click on your name (or on the big icon of your face)
- Click on iCloud
- Make sure the little message slider is on and not off.
- Consider paying Apple $ 1 a month for 50GB of iCloud storage, as syncing messages to the cloud along with your photos, phone backup, and other data will likely push you beyond your free 5GB.
- Email Tim Cook asking for additional storage space.
Set up messages in iCloud on Mac
Since you went to the iCloud settings on your iOS device to set up the new Message sync feature, it makes sense that you would just go into your Mac’s iCloud settings in System Preferences to do the same, right?
Nope! Try this and you will find little checkboxes to turn iCloud sync on and off for other apps, but not messages. Sigh.
Before we start, make sure you have the latest macOS version – 10.13.5. It just launched today , so fire up the App Store and download the system update.
After that, you will want to do this:
- Raise posts. Grumble at all incoming messages that you previously deleted on your iPhone or iPad.
- Click Messages in the menu bar and then click Settings.
- Click on Accounts
- Click Enable Messages in iCloud for any accounts you want to sync to the cloud.
- Click Sync Now.
- Wait
- Admire a fresh, new message box that should now perfectly match your iOS devices in the future.