How to send SMS messages on iPad and Mac

Everyone knows that you can send iMessages from any iOS or MacOS device that you own. However, did you know that you can actually send standard SMS messages too?

This rings true for both the iPad and Mac, and today we’re going to walk you through the steps. The process of getting everything set up is pretty straightforward and simple.

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A pre-requisite needed before setting any of these services up is that your Mac and iPad must be logged into the same iCloud account. This is so that the forwarding process works as necessary as your iPhone is essentially “handing off” or “forwarding” the messages to your other devices.

Send SMS Messages on iPad

The process for being able to send and receive SMS messages on your iPad is pretty simple. However, before getting started, you’ll need to set up something called SMS Relay on your iPhone. 

In order to do so, here are the steps:

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone
2. Select Messages
3. Select Text Message Forwarding
4. Toggle On the option to forward to your iPad
5. Wait for the authorization code to appear on your iPad
6. Enter the code on your iPhone

Once completed, you will be able to use your iPad to send green bubble messages. Of course, you will need to be connected to the internet via Wi-Fi or built-in cell service in order to send these messages. 

Send SMS Messages from Mac

As is the case with the iPad, you’ll need your iPhone before being able to send messages from your Mac instead of your other iOS devices. Here are the steps you’ll need to take:

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone
2. Select Messages
3. Select Text Message Forwarding
4. Toggle On the option to forward to your Mac
5. Wait for the authorization code to appear on your Mac
6. Enter the code on your iPhone

Now, you can start sending the messages to your non-iOS friends and family members from the comfort of your Mac. This is extremely useful and comes in handy so you can keep your eyes on your computer, versus reaching for your phone or missing a message. 

Conclusion

After you have completed the steps above, you will be able to receive and reply to SMS messages from everywhere. You will even be able to compose and create new messages without worrying to have your iPhone attached to your hip. We just recommend that you sync your Contacts list across your devices so you can start conversations with ease. 

It’s really great to see Apple make life easier for those entrenched in the iOS and MacOS ecosystem. From here, the company can only continue to improve the circle of the Apple life. 

If you have run into any issues, please feel free to let us know in the comments below. We’ll be more than happy to help with any problems that may arise during the process. 

Andrew Myrick

Andrew is a freelance writer based on the East Coast of the US.

He has written for a variety of sites over the years, including iMore, Android Central, Phandroid, and a few others. Now, he spends his days working for an HVAC company, while moonlighting as a freelance writer at night.