How come i can't send an imessage on my macbook through my phone number but can through my email? and when i go through to change it on preferences the option is grayed out, i even went into settings to make sure my phone number was added in and it was. im at a complete loss.
MacBook Air 13″, macOS 12.1
For Messages to work the way you want, you need to coordinate the settings on your iPhone and your Mac. In fact, most of the settings are on the iPhone, so you need to make sure those are correct especially, but all of them have to be right. (And without an iPhone sharing the same Apple ID, you cannot send Messages from the Mac through your phone number.)
Follow the following steps, each one has to be correct, for this to work:
iPhone and Mac both logged in to same Apple ID. Try logging off and logging on if necessary.
iPhone Settings => Messages shows iMessage as "on" (sometimes toggling this off and then on fixes some things)
iPhone Settings => Messages shows Send & Receive showing both phone number and email (Apple ID)
iPhone Settings => Messages shows Text Message Forwarding and your Mac is listed and shown as "on" there.
iPhone Settings => Messages shows Send as SMS "on" and MMS Messaging and Group Messaging both "on"
On the Mac: Messages => Preferences => iMessage tab shows same and correct Apple ID and "You can be reached for messages at" indicates both phone number and Apple ID (email), and "start new conversations from" indicates the phone number.
* Don't see the Text Message Forwarding setting on your iPhone? Go to Settings > Messages, turn off iMessage, turn it back on, tap Send & Receive, tap Use Your Apple ID for iMessage, then sign in with the same Apple ID used on your other devices.
Forward SMS/MMS text messages from your iPhone to your Mac or iPad - Apple Support
For Messages to work the way you want, you need to coordinate the settings on your iPhone and your Mac. In fact, most of the settings are on the iPhone, so you need to make sure those are correct especially, but all of them have to be right. (And without an iPhone sharing the same Apple ID, you cannot send Messages from the Mac through your phone number.)
Follow the following steps, each one has to be correct, for this to work:
iPhone and Mac both logged in to same Apple ID. Try logging off and logging on if necessary.
iPhone Settings => Messages shows iMessage as "on" (sometimes toggling this off and then on fixes some things)
iPhone Settings => Messages shows Send & Receive showing both phone number and email (Apple ID)
iPhone Settings => Messages shows Text Message Forwarding and your Mac is listed and shown as "on" there.
iPhone Settings => Messages shows Send as SMS "on" and MMS Messaging and Group Messaging both "on"
On the Mac: Messages => Preferences => iMessage tab shows same and correct Apple ID and "You can be reached for messages at" indicates both phone number and Apple ID (email), and "start new conversations from" indicates the phone number.
* Don't see the Text Message Forwarding setting on your iPhone? Go to Settings > Messages, turn off iMessage, turn it back on, tap Send & Receive, tap Use Your Apple ID for iMessage, then sign in with the same Apple ID used on your other devices.
Forward SMS/MMS text messages from your iPhone to your Mac or iPad - Apple Support
Can you make sure you are logged into the same Apple ID on both devices?
Has the User recently changed cellphone numbers with your Mobile Provider or moved to a New Mobile Provider with a New number?
Is iMessages using the Old Mobile cellphone Number ?
Imessages
