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Turn on iMessage and tap “Use your Apple ID for iMessage.”
Note: iPhone screens shown. On an iPad and iPod touch, you won’t see the screen on the right, you’ll go straight to the Sign In screen below.
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Tap “Sign In.”
Any phone number and all email addresses associated with your Apple ID will be displayed.
Note: A phone number will be displayed only if you are setting up your iPhone, or if you are setting up another iOS device after you’ve set up your iPhone.
Tap Next.
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Choose which email addresses and phone numbers you want people to use to send you messages.
Under “Start new conversations from,” choose the email address or phone number you’d like to use to send outgoing messages.
If you’ve already set up other devices for Messages, they’ll alert you that a new device has been set up for Messages.
Note: iPhone screens shown. iPad and iPod touch screens have the same options shown but differ in appearance.
If you’re a texter, you’ll love Messages on iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. Now they all come with iMessage, a service that’s an even better kind of texting. Because it’s free for you and anyone texting over Wi-Fi using an iOS device or Mac with iMessage. And it’s unlimited.* So say as much as you want.
iMessage lets you send messages back and forth with anyone on iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, or a Mac running Mountain Lion or later. Send photos, videos, locations, and contacts, too. If you have more than one Apple device, iMessage keeps the conversation going across all of them. And you can text and send photos and videos via MMS to other mobile phones over cellular networks. Even ask Siri to text for you. Just say “Tell Peter I’m on my way” and Siri writes your message and fires it off.
Send a message to one person or to many friends at once — along with photos, videos, or links you like. When someone replies, everyone sees it. With more people you’ll get more texts, but remember, it’s iMessage, so every text is free over Wi-Fi.*
It’s reassuring to know your text was read — or even received. iMessage tells you if your text went through. If the recipient has read receipts enabled, you’ll see that your message was read, too. And since no one likes to be interrupted, iMessage shows you when someone’s in the middle of a reply.
On iPhone, when your text bubble is blue instead of green, you’ll know you’re using iMessage instead of SMS. You’ll know that you can get a quicker response. You’ll know that the text session is free. You’ll know it’s been sent to all your recipients’ Apple devices. And you’ll know they received the text. SMS texters will be green with envy.