iCloud Moving to Messages In The Cloud

[mattspace]

I'm investigating moving to the Messages In The Cloud option for iMessage, which would involve subscribing to iCloud+ to get the 50gb sever space etc, which is all fine and good.

With the non-cloud version, your devices sync messages directly between each other over BT/WiFi. If one has been offline during sending and receiving on one of the others, once they're both online they work it out between themselves directly (I assume via Handoff or somesuch). So Messages In The Cloud just eliminates that peer to peer sync, as everything is over iCloud.

My question is what happens with SMS messages?

Currently, if I'm setting up a new machine, and want my full message history, it involves digging in to ~/Library/Messages and copying the contents of that folder to the new machine (assuming not using migration assistant). Theoretically Messages In The Cloud eliminates that, but again, what about SMS messages?

My impression is that SMS messages aren't synced via the iCloud / Messages In The Cloud, so how do you get you old SMS history (which will be on your iPhone) on a new Mac? Does the Text Message Forwarding feature on the iPhone push all the historical SMS conversations over when the new machine is added to the settings on the iPhone?

 

[iStorm]

SMS messages are synced to iCloud too. After all, it's called "Messages in iCloud"...not "iMessages in iCloud". On a new Mac, just enable Messages in iCloud and all your messages will download. It's very similar to iCloud Photos or syncing Notes to iCloud, if you're familiar with those.

 

[mattspace]

SMS messages are synced to iCloud too. After all, it's called "Messages in iCloud"...not "iMessages in iCloud". On a new Mac, just enable Messages in iCloud and all your messages will download. It's very similar to iCloud Photos or syncing Notes to iCloud, if you're familiar with those.

Oh that's good to hear - I'd read some reports suggesting it was iMessage messages only handled via iCloud (and presumed the SMS stuff was handled by the (legacy) direct device-to-device thing.

So the process would be:

1. subscribe to iCloud+ (I have just over the free tier worth of iMessage history and attachments)
2. enable it on the iPhone, it then uploads everything to iCloud
3. enable it on the Mac and it syncs stuff down

What happens when switching an existing Mac from messages on device to messages in the cloud? I assume it handles the pass off from local store to iCloud, and deals with duplication possibilities etc?

 

[iStorm]

Oh that's good to hear - I'd read some reports suggesting it was iMessage messages only handled via iCloud (and presumed the SMS stuff was handled by the (legacy) direct device-to-device thing.

So the process would be:

1. subscribe to iCloud+ (I have just over the free tier worth of iMessage history and attachments)
2. enable it on the iPhone, it then uploads everything to iCloud
3. enable it on the Mac and it syncs stuff down

What happens when switching an existing Mac from messages on device to messages in the cloud? I assume it handles the pass off from local store to iCloud, and deals with duplication possibilities etc?

Correct, it shouldn't duplicate anything. Also, any messages on the Mac that's not on your phone will likely get synced to your phone, and vice versa. It'll essentially merge all messages together.

 

[mattspace]

Correct, it shouldn't duplicate anything. Also, any messages on the Mac that's not on your phone will likely get synced to your phone, and vice versa. It'll essentially merge all messages together.

Thanks.

If I could trouble you for one other followup - if you want to exit Messages In The Cloud, does switching it off then result in a complete archive of the iCloud stored messages being broken off and kept on the local device, nd then the behaviour reverts to direct device-to-device wifi/bluetooth syncing?

 

[iStorm]

Thanks.

If I could trouble you for one other followup - if you want to exit Messages In The Cloud, does switching it off then result in a complete archive of the iCloud stored messages being broken off and kept on the local device, nd then the behaviour reverts to direct device-to-device wifi/bluetooth syncing?

Yes, messages are downloaded locally if you turn it off.

I’m not certain on this, but I’m pretty sure the peer-to-peer syncing still works even with Messages in iCloud enabled…at least I haven’t noticed anything different in that regard.