SMS relaying... how exactly does it work?

[k6578]

Official site says.. "With OS X Yosemite and an iPhone running iOS 8, you can send and receive SMS text messages right from your Mac. So when friends text you — regardless of what phone they have — you can respond from your Mac or your iPhone, whichever is closest. All the messages that appear on your iPhone now appear on your Mac, too, so your conversation is up to date on all your devices. You can also start an SMS or iMessage conversation on your Mac by clicking a phone number in Safari, Contacts, Calendar or Spotlight."

Honestly not a fan of the appearance/design of Yosemite. The new dock and those new icons look hideous. BUT, one Yosemite feature that I'm really interested in is.. being able to receive and send text messages with green bubble friends on my Mac!

I'm just wondering how this works exactly. Say for example, I have an iPhone with iOS 8.1 (Monday), a Macbook that I carry around, and a Mac desktop at home, with all my devices logged into the same iCloud account and set up with the same messages account... How are the SMS relayed across all devices? Via wifi or bluetooth? Is a copy of the green bubble conversations put on the iMessages/Apple server?

I'm asking because I'm curious to know how the conversations stay "up to date" and in sync. Is it the entire conversation, like every single message, or just when I have all three devices turned on and in use?

For example, if I go out to work with my iPhone and Macbook.. would my received and sent text messages also appear on the Mac at home while I'm gone?

 

[duffman9000]

I'm asking because I'm curious to know how the conversations stay "up to date" and in sync. Is it the entire conversation, like every single message, or just when I have all three devices turned on and in use?

For example, if I go out to work with my iPhone and Macbook.. would my received and sent text messages also appear on the Mac at home while I'm gone?

I only have 2 apple devices: a MBP and an iPhone. Sent or received texts will appear on both devices. If my MBP is closed during the day, when I wake my system my messages are imported "from somewhere". This doesn't use Wifi or bluteooth.

 

[airlied]

Official site says.. "With OS X Yosemite and an iPhone running iOS 8, you can send and receive SMS text messages right from your Mac. So when friends text you — regardless of what phone they have — you can respond from your Mac or your iPhone, whichever is closest. All the messages that appear on your iPhone now appear on your Mac, too, so your conversation is up to date on all your devices. You can also start an SMS or iMessage conversation on your Mac by clicking a phone number in Safari, Contacts, Calendar or Spotlight."



Honestly not a fan of the appearance/design of Yosemite. The new dock and those new icons look hideous. BUT, one Yosemite feature that I'm really interested in is.. being able to receive and send text messages with green bubble friends on my Mac!



I'm just wondering how this works exactly. Say for example, I have an iPhone with iOS 8.1 (Monday), a Macbook that I carry around, and a Mac desktop at home, with all my devices logged into the same iCloud account and set up with the same messages account... How are the SMS relayed across all devices? Via wifi or bluetooth? Is a copy of the green bubble conversations put on the iMessages/Apple server?



I'm asking because I'm curious to know how the conversations stay "up to date" and in sync. Is it the entire conversation, like every single message, or just when I have all three devices turned on and in use?



For example, if I go out to work with my iPhone and Macbook.. would my received and sent text messages also appear on the Mac at home while I'm gone?

Here is how it works.

When you receive a green old school message on your iPhone. The iCloud account will retrieve the messages and sync it to cloud, then push it to every other device with the same account. So it doesn't go via Bluetooth or wifi, which means you can get all your messages from all your devices seamlessly and all in synced. Even when you at home and left your phone at office. And when you send green bubbles to your friend from your Mac, icloud will "tell" your phone to do it so you don't need to do anything else. Just image all your devices are in the same "device packages" and one got SIM card, everything else are benefited.

But you do need Bluetooth or wifi to get Mac-phone worked.

 

[jrstirling8]

Does anyone know if this will bypass international SMS charges? For instance, if I send an SMS via handoff from the UK will it be charged as an international SMS for myself or the recipient?

 

[Yakibomb]

Does anyone know if this will bypass international SMS charges? For instance, if I send an SMS via handoff from the UK will it be charged as an international SMS for myself or the recipient?

I'm sure this would depend on where the iPhone is, if you left it in the US and took your mac to the UK then you'd be paying US SMS fees

 

[AJsAWiz]

How to send and receive SMS text messages in OS X Yosemite

Found this:
http://appleinsider.com/articles/14/10/20/how-to-send-and-receive-sms-text-messages-in-os-x-yosemite

Now the problem:
Cant' find the code that was sent to my Mac for verification. Therefore I was unable to complete the process.

Has anyone been successful in doing this? If so,where did you find the code on your Mac?

 

[simonsi]

Found this:
http://appleinsider.com/articles/14/10/20/how-to-send-and-receive-sms-text-messages-in-os-x-yosemite

Now the problem:
Cant' find the code that was sent to my Mac for verification. Therefore I was unable to complete the process.

Has anyone been successful in doing this? If so,where did you find the code on your Mac?

It popped up a window for me. Interestingly it then goes to "awaiting verification", I entered the code on the iPhone and the window closed then reopened with the same code....force quit Messages and reopened the app and all working fine....

 

[x34]

Here is how it works.

When you receive a green old school message on your iPhone. The iCloud account will retrieve the messages and sync it to cloud, then push it to every other device with the same account. So it doesn't go via Bluetooth or wifi, which means you can get all your messages from all your devices seamlessly and all in synced. Even when you at home and left your phone at office. And when you send green bubbles to your friend from your Mac, icloud will "tell" your phone to do it so you don't need to do anything else. Just image all your devices are in the same "device packages" and one got SIM card, everything else are benefited.

But you do need Bluetooth or wifi to get Mac-phone worked.

wrong.

sms relay does NOT need icloud or bluetooth.

 

[Merkyworks]

wrong.

sms relay does NOT need icloud or bluetooth.

then how does the mac talk with the iphone? I thought BT was needed for SMS

 

[simonsi]

wrong.

sms relay does NOT need icloud or bluetooth.

Cool, can you enlighten us how it does work? Certainly seem as iCloud is involved from the appearance and setup process....

 

[x34]

since i have no icloud and bluetooth is off i come to that conclusion.

i guess it's forwarded to the mac through imessage and your apple id.

 

[CanPhantom]

since i have no icloud and bluetooth is off i come to that conclusion.

i guess it's forwarded to the mac through imessage and your apple id.

Yeah, so, iCloud...

 

[x34]

Yeah, so, iCloud...

so you mean i'm using icloud without using icloud? well duh...

 

[simonsi]

so you mean i'm using icloud without using icloud? well duh...

Pretty much any Apple service that syncs anything between devices use some form of the Apple iCloud, not necessarily just the iCo
Loud Drive....

iMessage definitely does,mas SMS sync involves iMessage then that is certainly involved. Some parts of Handoff also rely on BT as well.

 

[x34]

Pretty much any Apple service that syncs anything between devices use some form of the Apple iCloud, not necessarily just the iCo
Loud Drive....

iMessage definitely does,mas SMS sync involves iMessage then that is certainly involved. Some parts of Handoff also rely on BT as well.

then the difference is handoff needs an "active user icloud account" and sms relay does not?

 

[simonsi]

then the difference is handoff needs an "active user icloud account" and sms relay does not?

Handoff requires the document to be in the iCloud storage area so it is available to the other device(s).

SMS relay involves syncing via (I think), the iMessage mechanism which although it uses the Apple Cloud, it isn't necessarily the same system as the iCloud Drive.

 

[x34]

SMS relay involves syncing via (I think), the iMessage mechanism which although it uses the Apple Cloud, it isn't necessarily the same system as the iCloud Drive.

yes, that sounds valid.

 

[johnmacward]

Only 3G needed...

wrong.

sms relay does NOT need icloud or bluetooth.

I think I agree here partially.

Firstly Wifi or Bluetooth are not required, but iCloud must be or its used as backup.

I sent a message from my iPad to my Dad (very much a green bubble user) and my phone was 300 metres away in the car where the ONLY connectivity it had was to 3G - no WiFi or Bluetooth at that distance. This text made it to my dad as he responded seconds later and it appeared on the iPad. So this is basically passing through iCloud in my opinion.

To prove this test I'll disable Wifi and Bluetooth on my iPhone and iPad (both have 4G connections so will remain connected ) and start sending messages to green bubble friends and report back.

 

[simonsi]

I think I agree here partially.

Firstly Wifi or Bluetooth are not required, but iCloud must be or its used as backup.

I sent a message from my iPad to my Dad (very much a green bubble user) and my phone was 300 metres away in the car where the ONLY connectivity it had was to 3G - no WiFi or Bluetooth at that distance. This text made it to my dad as he responded seconds later and it appeared on the iPad. So this is basically passing through iCloud in my opinion.

To prove this test I'll disable Wifi and Bluetooth on my iPhone and iPad (both have 4G connections so will remain connected ) and start sending messages to green bubble friends and report back.

Your Mac and the iPhone need a data connection for SMS relay to work, just as does iMessage. That can be cable or WiFi on the Mac(s), and 3G or WiFi on the iPhone. BT not required.

 

[x34]

Your Mac and the iPhone need a data connection for SMS relay to work, just as does iMessage. That can be cable or WiFi on the Mac(s), and 3G or WiFi on the iPhone. BT not required.

an active icloud account is also not required, but the imessage mechanism as stated above.