By the way, this is for 10.7 and up. (Snow) Leopard users can't use this program.
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Apple Releases Public Beta of New Messages App for OS X
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Does it need to be active, though?
Great stuff...I was waiting for this to happen. However, from the few minutes I spent on it, it looks like the app needs to be running for you to get notified that an iMessage/text has come in, is that right? I was hoping it was going to be more of the FaceTime approach, where you can get a FaceTime call whether or not your FaceTime app is active on the Mac...or am I missing something?
Also, just to be clear - on the OSX version I would only get the messages if folks sent an iMessage to my Apple ID, right? If they've been using my phone number it would just go to the phone, correct?
Great stuff...I was waiting for this to happen. However, from the few minutes I spent on it, it looks like the app needs to be running for you to get notified that an iMessage/text has come in, is that right? I was hoping it was going to be more of the FaceTime approach, where you can get a FaceTime call whether or not your FaceTime app is active on the Mac...or am I missing something?
Also, just to be clear - on the OSX version I would only get the messages if folks sent an iMessage to my Apple ID, right? If they've been using my phone number it would just go to the phone, correct?
If another iMessage user texts me from their iPhone and sends it to my phone number will it come to iMessage on my my Mac? Or do they have to send their text to my email address?
(never mind... just saw that it only works if messaged to your email.)
Yeah, that makes no sense to me. Seems useless.
So, if Mac OS is getting 1 app to handle all of this, then why on earth are iOS users still stuck with separate apps for Facetime and Messages? Right now all their messaging solutions are a complete mess. It's no wonder people just use something like Skype instead which works cross-platform can do text and video and phone calls in one app.
iMessage is useless if it doesn't connect with my phone number
This is spot on. What is going on? Messages doesn't seem to be capable of showing me iMessage messages sent to my iPhone phone number. It only shows me messages sent to my Apple ID email address. If a message can be sent to my phone number and shown on iMessage on my iPhone, why can't it display in Messages?
This seems very odd. I've double-checked that my Apple ID includes my iPhone phone number, but nothing seems to change this odd setup. I don't get it -- it seems useless otherwise. Almost everyone texts me (through iMessage) at my phone number, not my email.
This is spot on. What is going on? Messages doesn't seem to be capable of showing me iMessage messages sent to my iPhone phone number. It only shows me messages sent to my Apple ID email address. If a message can be sent to my phone number and shown on iMessage on my iPhone, why can't it display in Messages?
This seems very odd. I've double-checked that my Apple ID includes my iPhone phone number, but nothing seems to change this odd setup. I don't get it -- it seems useless otherwise. Almost everyone texts me (through iMessage) at my phone number, not my email.
I'm guessing they'll have it figured out for the final version. This must be a beta version bug. If enough people complain i'm sure they'll look into it.
Message and Skype
What are the chances that someone out there on the internet could make this new Messages App, plug into Skype...????
I'm so tired of Skype's pony UI and ridiculous Users list...
So disappoint with Skype these days. #Fail.
What are the chances that someone out there on the internet could make this new Messages App, plug into Skype...????
I'm so tired of Skype's pony UI and ridiculous Users list...
So disappoint with Skype these days. #Fail.
They haven't done it for iMessages on the iPad yet. I don't have high hopes for it making to Mac.
i thought this is the point? if you are on the mac you dont want all the text to show up on the iPhone too and if u send something to the iphone you dont want it to get lost on the mac.
i have an iPad and an iPhone and i only use the number on the iPhone and the email only on the iPad because i dont want the iMessages to get lost on the iPad while i'm actually on my iPhone. does that make any sense? lol
True, but too many apps, too much junk to load. These take additional resources too. One app for all seems much better, plus it reflects uniformity between platforms too.
Let's wait and see what Apple decides to do next.. heheh. Maybe in iOS 5.1?
Why do you say that? This problem has existed ever since the iPad was given Messenger.
How do you configure your accounts?
I can't figure out how to configure chat accounts in Messages. It's telling me "No accounts configured" but the Preferences option in the application menu is greyed out?!
I'm signed in to iCloud and have configured my GMail account in System Preferences, but Messages can't seem to see those. Trying to enable chat alongside the GMail account in system preferences gives an error.
The Preferences menu in Messages is greyed out.
How did you guys get this to work? I must be missing something obvious ....?
I can't figure out how to configure chat accounts in Messages. It's telling me "No accounts configured" but the Preferences option in the application menu is greyed out?!
I'm signed in to iCloud and have configured my GMail account in System Preferences, but Messages can't seem to see those. Trying to enable chat alongside the GMail account in system preferences gives an error.
The Preferences menu in Messages is greyed out.
How did you guys get this to work? I must be missing something obvious ....?
it's not actually stand-alone... with any iOS device that has iMessage (iOS5 only), it is actually integrated into the Messages (TEXT) app, so on an iPhone your texts are green and your iMessages are blue, but within the same app. So what this does is enable you to "text" (and more) from your Mac anyone that has iMessage capability, on another Mac or iOS device. Pretty cool if you ask me.
And, maybe, eventually it will be available for Windows users as well.
I posted this previously in the thread, but in The Verge preview Apple has acknowledged this limitation, so they're probably working on it. You can sort of get by it by changing your caller ID to your email on your iPhone, but unless they are replies texts still won't appear on your Mac.
Hmm, I've got some odd behaviour with Messages.
Sent a test message to my wife's iPhone (selecting her phone number, not e-mail address). She received it - but it appeared to be from herself She replied, and when I received the reply, it appeared to be from me
I checked the Message Settings on her iPhone and found that it had my e-mail address set up (which is also my Apple ID) so I added hers, deleted mine, and re-tested. Now it was working correctly.
Now she's received an e-mail at her e-mail address asking me (i.e. the greeting in the e-mail is to me) asking to verify that her e-mail address is the new e-mail address for my Apple ID
If I click on the Verify link, will that change my Apple ID to her e-mail address from mine? I don't want to do this.
We only have one Apple ID, so does this mean that she will need her own Apple ID in order to use Messages on my Mac?
Sent a test message to my wife's iPhone (selecting her phone number, not e-mail address). She received it - but it appeared to be from herself
She replied, and when I received the reply, it appeared to be from me I checked the Message Settings on her iPhone and found that it had my e-mail address set up (which is also my Apple ID) so I added hers, deleted mine, and re-tested. Now it was working correctly.
Now she's received an e-mail at her e-mail address asking me (i.e. the greeting in the e-mail is to me) asking to verify that her e-mail address is the new e-mail address for my Apple ID
If I click on the Verify link, will that change my Apple ID to her e-mail address from mine? I don't want to do this.
We only have one Apple ID, so does this mean that she will need her own Apple ID in order to use Messages on my Mac?
