Other iMessage Syncing on Two iPhones signed into the same iCloud account

[pcd213]

I’m considering buying a smaller iPhone (SE or SE2) as a second iPhone for when I may want to carry a lighter device (inside and outside). I understand that I would need to swap the SIM card for LTE when outdoors but my question is about iMessages and iCloud syncing. If the smaller iPhone is signed into the same iCloud account as the main iPhone, will the smaller device show all of the text messages that are occurring on my main phone (when connected to wifi or LTE)? And will my main phone show all of the text messages that are sent from the smaller device? I basically want to keep all of my iMessages in sync at all times across the two devices.

Also, though it’s less important, what about calls and call history?

 

[mystery hill]

I’m considering buying a smaller iPhone (SE or SE2) as a second iPhone for when I may want to carry a lighter device (inside and outside).

Have you considered an Apple Watch with cellular?

 

[pcd213]

Have you considered an Apple Watch with cellular?

I have one albeit without cellular. Need something that has a screen large enough for messaging and safari, but small enough to manage one handed. Newborn has me down to one hand . But I don’t want to fully replace my 11 Pro because it has great battery life. I just need a secondary device when I know I’ll be one handed.

 

[now i see it]

The answer to your question is yes. You also don't have to have iMessage sync in icloud. If two iPhones are set up with the same Apple ID, both will get all the iMessages. But remember that if you delete the message from one iPhone it will still show up on the other. Messages have to be deleted separately on each device. Deleting an iMessage on an iPhone doesn't delete it from the cue in iClloud at least for quite a while.
Also if the non SIM iPhone is tethered for a short while to the other iPhone, it will get all the messages too.

 

[pcd213]

The answer to your question is yes. You also don't have to have iMessage sync in icloud. If two iPhones are set up with the same Apple ID, both will get all the iMessages. But remember that if you delete the message from one iPhone it will still show up on the other. Messages have to be deleted separately on each device.
Also if the non SIM iPhone is tethered for a short while to the other iPhone, it will get all the messages too.

Thanks! What did you mean by your last sentence?

 

[mystery hill]

I understand that I would need to swap the SIM card for LTE when outdoors

If your carrier supports ‘Wi-Fi Calling on supported iCloud-connected devices’ then you don’t need to swap the SIM card. You could just use another card that has cellular data on the smaller phone. Calls and text will work on the second phone even if you aren’t connected to the same WiFi network.

Wireless carrier support and features for iPhone in the United States and Canada

 

[pcd213]

If your carrier supports ‘Wi-Fi Calling on supported iCloud-connected devices’ then you don’t need to swap the SIM card. You could just use another card that has cellular data on the smaller phone. Calls and text will work on the second phone even if you aren’t connected to the same WiFi network.

Wireless carrier support and features for iPhone in the United States and Canada

Ah I understand. But that second phone would need to be added as a new line on the account, right?

 

[macsound1]

Ah I understand. But that second phone would need to be added as a new line on the account, right?

Just logging into iCloud. You don't have to tell your carrier.
It's just like how you can talk on the phone using your iPad or Mac using the phone number from your iPhone.

 

[hwojtek]

The answer to your question is yes. You also don't have to have iMessage sync in icloud. If two iPhones are set up with the same Apple ID, both will get all the iMessages.

Even if the iMessage is sent to a different phone number?

 

[now i see it]

Even if the iMessage is sent to a different phone number?

The scenario from the OP is two iPhones but one SIM card. So that means one phone number. The phone number is linked to the SIM card not the phone.
iMessage can be linked to an email address and a phone number.

Thanks! What did you mean by your last sentence?

If iPhone 1 without a SIM is tethered to iPhone 2 that has the SIM installed, iPhone 1 will then be connected to the Internet and iCloud while its tethered and any txt messages that were sent to iPhone 2 will soon show up on iPhone 1 once it syncs with iCloud servers — that's assuming both iPhones have the same IDs entered in Messages settings

 

[hwojtek]

The scenario from the OP is two iPhones but one SIM card. So that means one phone number. The phone number is linked to the SIM card not the phone.
iMessage can be linked to an email address and a phone number.

Sure, the iCloud account is linked to a phone number, though. Alas, this scenario is bordering on cumbersome and swapping sim cards would be the last think I've ever thought of. This will work, however as you described.

 

[vartanarsen]

sorry all for bumping a post from April but i ran into similar issue as op. i too have an iphone 12 pro max which is huge, and also have a small secondary iphone 12 mini both in sane apple id . for the life of me i cannot get the small one when in Wifi to send SMS. i immediately get an error. tried everything , reboot, reset, sign in and out, toggle on and off, everything. the mini receives SMS sent to max , but refuses to send SMS

 

[now i see it]

Probably because it doesn't have a SIM card in it and active cellular account. Afaik, SMS needs to go through the phone company (but I may be wrong about that )

 

[vartanarsen]

Probably because it doesn't have a SIM card in it and active cellular account. Afaik, SMS needs to go through the phone company (but I may be wrong about that )

but then how does it all magically work on ipad and ipod without sim? what’s funny is a $200 ipod in this sense has more function than a 1k iphone