Is iMessage for Mac a bad joke? [security]

[Jim Lahey]

Hi folks. What is the crack with iMessage for Mac? I don't use it because I find it messes with the integrity of my notifications, so I almost always stay signed out. But recently I noticed that I can open the app and get into my messages by skipping the password and just clicking 'not now' and 'next'. I then get access to my messages. And not only can I see new messages sent and received since I last signed out, but I can delete them. Even ones that were previously deleted on other devices. All while NOT signed in. Is this a bad joke or am I missing something?

I use iCloud messages on all my devices. The Mac is a late 2012 mini running macOS Catalina 10.15.7 because it's too old to accept Big Sur, but this doesn't seem a legitimate reason for what seems to me like a massive security flaw. I appreciate that I of course have to be signed in to the Mac but if this the only security credential necessary for using the messages app then why would there be a separate login for it?

Anyone care to comment? All input appreciated.

 

[Juicy Box]

I love iMessages for Mac, and use it much more than the iPhone. I like using a keyboard to type.

Although, I never sign in, with the exception of the first time. I love being able to jump on my Mac after getting a text message on my iPhone and respond using the Mac's keyboard.

I guess people can sign out to make it more secure, but if your Mac is secure, I personally just don't see the need to log out of messages.

Even ones that were previously deleted on other devices.

Do you mean you can see conversations on your Mac that were deleted from other devices? This has always been the case for me. Delete a message on my main iPhone, it is still on my iPads, other iPhones, Macs, etc.

As for seeing new messages, I am unsure about this, maybe it is a security flaw.

 

[Jim Lahey]

I log out of messages on the Mac because the notifications mess up what I see on my other devices. That’s a personal choice and may not affect other people, but my point is that I can access and delete messages while definitely not signed in. I can’t fathom it but there’s clearly something amiss. Or if this is how Apple intend it to work then they are inept.

As an aside the main thing I hate about messages on Mac is that there’s no ‘send’ button. Hitting return accidentally just instantly sends the message mid flow, which is ridiculous but also besides the point.

 

[Juicy Box]

As an aside the main thing I hate about messages on Mac is that there’s no ‘send’ button. Hitting return accidentally just instantly sends the message mid flow, which is ridiculous but also besides the point.

I actually like this as a feature, but can understand why it might not appeal to others. It enables to send messages really quickly, and just with my keyboard.

Pro-tip: If you want to start another paragraph when texting in Messages, press and hold shift and alt/option prior to pressing the Return key.

I can access and delete messages while definitely not signed in.

Yeah, this seems weird, and I have not experienced this. But again, I have never actually signed out of iMessage on my Macs.

The closest thing that I have had to this is going on a Mac that I haven't used in a while, my old messages that was sent while the Mac was not being used would sometimes load. Not all messages, but some, and at random times, not necessarily when first logging onto the Mac.

 

[Ritsuka]

If you can send messaged and read messages it means you are not signed out. Go to Messages preferences and sign out again.

 

[ApfelKuchen]

You're missing something.

When you're signed out of iMessage you are not connected to the iMessage servers - there's no communication with the outside world without a login. However, you ARE seeing the Mac's existing, locally-stored message archive. You can delete things from the locally-stored message archive, but you can't send messages or receive new incoming messages.

To test this, I signed out of iMessage on Mac (like you, I'm running Catalina 10.15.7). I then did as you did - I quit Messages, re-opened Messages, and bypassed the sign-in request. Newly-received messages that are on my iPhone do NOT appear on my Mac, and when I try to send from Mac I get a Not Delivered error. However, I can most certainly edit that which is currently stored on the Mac.

You also seem to think that the notifications on your Mac somehow affect the notifications you receive on your other devices. That's not how this works, either. Notifications do not sync between Mac and other devices signed into the same account. Notifications are sent by web-based Notification Servers to all devices that are signed into the same account. The notification will be displayed or not displayed independently on each device, depending on the the current conditions on each device. When you are actively using an app you do not receive a notification of incoming traffic on that app - it's redundant and annoying. However, on the device(s) you are not actively using, you may get notifications (based on the Notifications settings for that device), because you are not actively using the device. The system is not quite smart enough to know that you are actively messaging on the Mac so you don't need to receive notifications on the iPhone. (There is one exception to the rule - Apple Watch. Because Apple Watch is synced to a companion iPhone, a notification will appear either on the Watch or the iPhone, but not both - whichever device is currently unlocked and has your attention - and if you're actively engaged messaging on one, you won't get a Messages notification on the other.)

As to the whole Send button thing... Different strokes for different folks. I'm a touch typist. If I had to remove my hand from the keyboard and mouse-over to a Send button (or execute a keyboard shortcut) in a text messaging app, I'd go bonkers. Messaging apps are designed for short messages (goes back to the old 160-character SMS message limit). You're just not expected to need more than one paragraph per message. Unlike my message board posts (which like this one tend to be overly long), no "novels" before you send a text message. (And this isn't 1980, before typewriter users got accustomed to word processors and computers with word-wrap - if you're still in the habit of hitting the return key at the end of every line of text, you have some serious issues with "learned behavior.")

 

[Jim Lahey]

I am definitely signed out and definitely able to read and delete, but not send. The notifications are an issue for me because they often pop up on my Mac when I’m not using it and the notifications then don’t appear on other devices so I miss messages. Not saying that’s a universal experience for everyone else but it‘s a problem for me, otherwise I wouldn’t have stopped using it.

Thanks for your help anyway guys.

 

[lostom]

I actually like this as a feature, but can understand why it might not appeal to others. It enables to send messages really quickly, and just with my keyboard.

Pro-tip: If you want to start another paragraph when texting in Messages, press and hold shift and alt/option prior to pressing the Return key.


Yeah, this seems weird, and I have not experienced this. But again, I have never actually signed out of iMessage on my Macs.

The closest thing that I have had to this is going on a Mac that I haven't used in a while, my old messages that was sent while the Mac was not being used would sometimes load. Not all messages, but some, and at random times, not necessarily when first logging onto the Mac.

Only need to press option button to go to next line + return obviously.

 

[TinHead88]

It's just option return to make paragraphs.
I too love the ability to message people from my Mac.

 

[Jim Lahey]

You're missing something.

When you're signed out of iMessage you are not connected to the iMessage servers - there's no communication with the outside world without a login. However, you ARE seeing the Mac's existing, locally-stored message archive. You can delete things from the locally-stored message archive, but you can't send messages or receive new incoming messages.

To test this, I signed out of iMessage on Mac (like you, I'm running Catalina 10.15.7). I then did as you did - I quit Messages, re-opened Messages, and bypassed the sign-in request. Newly-received messages that are on my iPhone do NOT appear on my Mac, and when I try to send from Mac I get a Not Delivered error. However, I can most certainly edit that which is currently stored on the Mac.

You also seem to think that the notifications on your Mac somehow affect the notifications you receive on your other devices. That's not how this works, either. Notifications do not sync between Mac and other devices signed into the same account. Notifications are sent by web-based Notification Servers to all devices that are signed into the same account. The notification will be displayed or not displayed independently on each device, depending on the the current conditions on each device. When you are actively using an app you do not receive a notification of incoming traffic on that app - it's redundant and annoying. However, on the device(s) you are not actively using, you may get notifications (based on the Notifications settings for that device), because you are not actively using the device. The system is not quite smart enough to know that you are actively messaging on the Mac so you don't need to receive notifications on the iPhone. (There is one exception to the rule - Apple Watch. Because Apple Watch is synced to a companion iPhone, a notification will appear either on the Watch or the iPhone, but not both - whichever device is currently unlocked and has your attention - and if you're actively engaged messaging on one, you won't get a Messages notification on the other.)

As to the whole Send button thing... Different strokes for different folks. I'm a touch typist. If I had to remove my hand from the keyboard and mouse-over to a Send button (or execute a keyboard shortcut) in a text messaging app, I'd go bonkers. Messaging apps are designed for short messages (goes back to the old 160-character SMS message limit). You're just not expected to need more than one paragraph per message. Unlike my message board posts (which like this one tend to be overly long), no "novels" before you send a text message. (And this isn't 1980, before typewriter users got accustomed to word processors and computers with word-wrap - if you're still in the habit of hitting the return key at the end of every line of text, you have some serious issues with "learned beha

On reading through your post again I can see that you're right and I have misunderstood what's happening. I suppose I just think it's a bit weird that you can bypass the login and start reading and deleting messages.

 

[adrianlondon]

It's similar to Mail.

If you're offline, or log out of your email accounts, in the Mail app you can still read and delete emails. When you sign back in (or go back online) those deletions will push to the relevant server (assuming IMAP).

With iMessage, if you delete messages while logged out but have "Enable Messages in the Cloud" enabled then when you log back in those deletions should get pushed to all your other devices. I say should, as sometimes the sync happens the other way and the messages you deleted whilst offline will get sent back to the Mac.

 

[Jim Lahey]

Thanks for your help, folks. I think I have learned a lot about how it works. I still hate the return key sending a message mid flow, but mainly because I suck at typing. The notifications will continue to irk me but I suppose the solution is to open the messages app on my iPhone or iPad directly after using the Mac so that the system then knows for sure I've moved to another device.

Will see how it goes. Thanks again for your help and setting me straight 👍

 

[adrianlondon]

I still hate the return key sending a message mid flow

You're not the only one!

ð stop messages macos return send â Google Search

www.google.com