1. Jun 12, 2016  Messages uses an App called IMAgent to support it in Connections to the servers and starting certain functions. However if you do not use Messages check the System Preferences Mail, Contacts and Calendars pane. Make sure email accounts that might be considered Messages IDs are not active for the Messages app.
2. Jun 26, 2020 Though Messages app chat history can be very useful in providing you the comprehensive record of your conversations, it’s needed to be edited from time to time so that it doesn’t clutter your Mac for space. Let me take you through the simple process of cleaning up your Mac in the easiest possible manner. How to Delete iMessages Chat History on Mac.

We previously wrote an article titled “iMessage frequently asked questions“. In that article, we briefly explained the basics of iMessage. This article provides more detail. In this article, we explain what is iMessage, how it works and what you can do when it is not working.

What is an iMessage?

May 12, 2018  Signal is the popular encrypted messaging app that lets you send and receive encrypted messages across platforms, including Mac, Windows, Linux, Android, and iOS. This makes Signal an excellent choice if you’re a Mac user or iPhone user that also wants to instantly communicate in a secure manner with someone else on a Mac, PC, Android, iPad.

You can use iMessage to collaborate with others. iMessage is a free, secure encrypted messaging service for iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch. iMessage is Apple’s own messaging service. It was introduced in 2011.

iMessage can be called an “Over The Top” (OTT) service that does not require a cellular data connection. Your messages will be sent over Wi-Fi or cellular-data networks. If Wi-Fi is not available, your message will be sent over cellular data. If you use Wi-Fi to send or receive iMessages, there’s no cost. This means that iMessage may use your cellular data which will be deducted from your cellular data plan. And iMessage may use a lot of data especially if you are sending pictures or videos over iMessage. However, the iMessages you send over cellular don’t count toward your monthly text message allowance if your cellular data plan sets a limit.

Regular text messages (SMS or MMS) require a cellular data plan with text-message abilities. Wireless carriers usually have three types of text message plans:

1. Unlimited text plan. As the name suggests, you can send unlimited text messages.
2. Limited text plan. In this type of plan, you have a messaging allowance, usually monthly, which says you can send a number of text messages.
3. And pay per message. Your carrier charges you for each message you send or receive.

Regardless of your data plan, you can send unlimited iMessages.

How to send an iMessage

To be able to use iMessage, you need to have Apple’s Messages app on your device running iOS 5 or later, watchOS 1 or later or OS X Mountain Lion or later. You and your recipient will need a compatible iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac or Apple Watch to use iMessage.

Everything works automatically. Sending iMessages require a two-way, iMessaging-capable device. On your device, just open the Messages app and type and then send your message. Then Messages will check with Apple servers if your recipient is set up for iMessage. If yes, your message will automatically be sent as an iMessage. If no, your message will be sent as a regular text message (SMS/MMS).

iMessages will appear in blue bubbles and regular text messages will appear in green bubbles.

To turn on or off iMessage on your device:

• On your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch, go to Settings > Messages and iMessage.
• On your Mac, to turn off iMessage, open the Messages app and click Messages > Preferences, then click Accounts and select your iMessage account.

iMessage features

iMessage has a lot of cool features. You can send and receive text, pictures, videos, sound, location, money, heartbeats and more easily. Here are some features:

• You can create group iMessage chats. (see also: How To Exit A Group Message On Your iPhone)
• iMessage includes read receipts.
• You can send photos, videos or audio in Messages.
• You can send your location.
• You can use message effects.
• You can send a sketch, tap, or heartbeat using Digital Touch.
• You can send or receive money with Apple Pay.
• You can send GIFs using #images.
• You can use iMessage apps.
• You can use Messages in Cloud to keep your entire message history updated and available on all your devices.

How to troubleshoot iMessage problems

If you are experiencing issues with iMessage, please see the tips below:

• Make sure that your device has the latest version of iOS, iPadOS, macOS or watchOS.
  • Update your Mac.
  • Update your iPad or iPhone.
• Turn off iMessage (see the section above to turn on/off iMessage), then restart your device and then turn on iMessage.
• Sign out and sign in:
  • On your Mac: Open Messages, choose Messages > Preferences, then click Accounts and select your iMessage account. Click Sign Out. Then restart your Mac and sign in.
  • On your iPad, iPhone or iPod touch: Settings > Messages > Send & Receive. Tap your Apple ID, then tap Sign Out. Then restart your device and sign in.
• Make sure that your device is connected to the Internet (a cellular data or Wi-Fi network).
  • iPhone no cellular data.
  • iPhone Wi-Fi problems.
  • iPad Wi-Fi problems.
  • Mac Wi-Fi problems.
• Make sure that your time zone is set correctly:
  • macOS: Choose Apple menu > System Preferences, then click Date & Time. Also, you may want to check the ”Set date and time automatically” box.
  • iOS or iPadOS: Settings > General > Date & Time. You may also want to turn on the “Set Automatically” option.
• Check the Apple System Status page. Maybe Apple is having iMessage outages.
• See this article if you see the “Phone Number Is Not Registered With iMessage” message.
• See this article if your messages are out of order.
• See this article if iMessage won’t send photos.
• See this article if Messages won’t open on your Mac.
• See this article if macOS Messages Freezes or Crashes.
• See this article if you see the “Number Changed to Primary” Notification.
• See this article if you see the “Your Carrier May Charge For SMS Messages Used To Activate iMessage” message.

What Is Macos Messages Used For Kids

Optimized Storage in macOS Sierra and later* can save space by storing your content in iCloud and making it available on demand. When storage space is needed, files, photos, movies, email attachments, and other files that you seldom use are stored in iCloud automatically. Each file stays right where you last saved it, and downloads when you open it. Files that you’ve used recently remain on your Mac, along with optimized versions of your photos.

* If you haven't yet upgraded to macOS Sierra or later, learn about other ways to free up storage space.

Find out how much storage is available on your Mac

Choose Apple menu  > About This Mac, then click Storage. Each segment of the bar is an estimate of the storage space used by a category of files. Move your pointer over each segment for more detail.

Click the Manage button to open the Storage Management window, pictured below. This button is available only in macOS Sierra or later.

Manage storage on your Mac

The Storage Management window offers recommendations for optimizing your storage. If some recommendations are already turned on, you will see fewer recommendations.

Store in iCloud

Click the Store in iCloud button, then choose from these options:

• Desktop and Documents. Store all files from these two locations in iCloud Drive. When storage space is needed, only the files you recently opened are kept on your Mac, so that you can easily work offline. Files stored only in iCloud show a download icon , which you can double-click to download the original file. Learn more about this feature.
  
• Photos. Store all original, full-resolution photos and videos in iCloud Photos. When storage space is needed, only space-saving (optimized) versions of photos are kept on your Mac. To download the original photo or video, just open it.
  
• Messages. Store all messages and attachments in iCloud. When storage space is needed, only the messages and attachments you recently opened are kept on your Mac. Learn more about Messages in iCloud.

Storing files in iCloud uses the storage space in your iCloud storage plan. If you reach or exceed your iCloud storage limit, you can either buy more iCloud storage or make more iCloud storage available. iCloud storage starts at 50GB for $0.99 (USD) a month, and you can purchase additional storage directly from your Apple device. Learn more about prices in your region.

Optimize Storage

Click the Optimize button, then choose from these options.

• Automatically remove watched movies and TV shows. When storage space is needed, movies or TV shows that you purchased from the iTunes Store and already watched are removed from your Mac. Click the download icon next to a movie or TV show to download it again.
  
• Download only recent attachments. Mail automatically downloads only the attachments that you recently received. You can manually download any attachments at any time by opening the email or attachment, or saving the attachment to your Mac.
  
• Don't automatically download attachments. Mail downloads an attachment only when you open the email or attachment, or save the attachment to your Mac.

Optimizing storage for movies, TV shows, and email attachments doesn't require iCloud storage space.

Empty Trash Automatically

Empty Trash Automatically permanently deletes files that have been in the Trash for more than 30 days.

Reduce Clutter

Reduce Clutter helps you to identify large files and files you might no longer need. Click the Review Files button, then choose any of the file categories in the sidebar, such as Applications, Documents, Music Creation, or Trash.

You can delete the files in some categories directly from this window. Other categories show the total storage space used by the files in each app. You can then open the app and decide whether to delete files from within it.

What Is Messages On Mac

Learn how to redownload apps, music, movies, TV shows, and books.

Where to find the settings for each feature

The button for each recommendation in the Storage Management window affects one or more settings in other apps. You can also control those settings directly within each app.

• If you're using macOS Catalina, choose Apple menu  > System Preferences, click Apple ID, then select iCloud in the sidebar: Store in iCloud turns on the Optimize Mac Storage setting on the right. Then click Options next to iCloud Drive: Store in iCloud turns on the Desktop & Documents Folders setting. To turn off iCloud Drive entirely, deselect iCloud Drive.
  In macOS Mojave or earlier, choose Apple menu > System Preferences, click iCloud, then click Options next to iCloud Drive. Store in iCloud turns on the Desktop & Documents Folders and Optimize Mac Storage settings.
• In Photos, choose Photos > Preferences, then click iCloud. Store in iCloud selects iCloud Photos and Optimize Mac Storage.
• In Messages, choose Messages > Preferences, then click iMessage. Store in iCloud selects Enable Messages in iCloud.

• If you're using macOS Catalina, open the Apple TV app, choose TV > Preferences from the menu bar, then click Files. Optimize Storage selects “Automatically delete watched movies and TV shows.”
  In macOS Mojave or earlier, open iTunes, choose iTunes > Preferences from the menu bar, then click Advanced. Optimize Storage selects “Automatically delete watched movies and TV shows.”
• In Mail, choose Mail > Preferences from the menu bar, then click Accounts. In the Account Information section on the right, Optimize Storage sets the Download Attachments menu to either Recent or None.

Empty Trash Automatically: From the Finder, choose Finder > Preferences, then click Advanced. Empty Trash Automatically selects “Remove items from the Trash after 30 days.”

Other ways that macOS helps automatically save space

With macOS Sierra or later, your Mac automatically takes these additional steps to save storage space:

• Detects duplicate downloads in Safari, keeping only the most recent version of the download
• Reminds you to delete used app installers
• Removes old fonts, languages, and dictionaries that aren't being used
• Clears caches, logs, and other unnecessary data when storage space is needed

How to free up storage space manually

Even without using the Optimized Storage features of Sierra or later, you can take other steps to make more storage space available:

• Music, movies, and other media can use a lot of storage space. Learn how to delete music, movies, and TV shows from your device.
• Delete other files that you no longer need by moving them to the Trash, then emptying the Trash. The Downloads folder is good place to look for files that you might no longer need.
• Move files to an external storage device.
• Compress files.
• Delete unneeded email: In the Mail app, choose Mailbox > Erase Junk Mail. If you no longer need the email in your Trash mailbox, choose Mailbox > Erase Deleted Items.

Learn more

What Is Macos Messages Used For Windows

• The Storage pane of About This Mac is the best way to determine the amount of storage space available on your Mac. Disk Utility and other apps might show storage categories such as Not Mounted, VM, Recovery, Other Volumes, Free, or Purgeable. Don't rely on these categories to understand how to free up storage space or how much storage space is available for your data.
• When you duplicate a file on an APFS-formatted volume, that file doesn't use additional storage space on the volume. Deleting a duplicate file frees up only the space required by any data you might have added to the duplicate. If you no longer need any copies of the file, you can recover all of the storage space by deleting both the duplicate and the original file.
• If you're using a pro app and Optimize Mac Storage, learn how to make sure that your projects are always on your Mac and able to access their files.