How to enable MMS messaging for Messages on MacBook Air

MMS has stopped working on my Mac mini (Sonoma 14). It works fine on my MacBook Pro (Sonoma 14.3) and iPhone (17.3) which tells me there's something unique to my Mac Mini that's gone haywire.

Done restarts on the Mini but I can receive but not send.

Any clues?

Anyone?...

Macs do not have the ability to use SMS or MMS. However, the way that works is you use text message forwarding from your phone to your Mac. In settings in your iPhone you'll need to go to messages and click on text message forwarding, and make sure your MacBook Air is turned on there. Then you need to make sure MMS and send as SMS it turned on right under that section under messages.

Forward SMS/MMS text messages from your iPhone to your Mac or iPad - Apple Support

Hi. When I go to messages on my phone, I don't find a text forwarding option. I only have the ability to toggle MMS on or off. What am I missing? Thanks.

There is no "Text Message Forwarding" button to press.

This situation happened to me after updating my icloud password. I then tried to send an MMS from my Mac and it didn't work. On my iPhone, even though forwarding to my Mac was enabled as mentioned in the earlier solutions, I had to turn it off and then back on and it immediately worked after that.

Lots of people run into issues like this. It is eminently fixable but there are specific steps to follow in the proper order. Here they are, and note that for this, one must have an iPhone and the iPhone as well as the Macs or other devices that the user wants to do MMS with have to all be signed in to the same Apple ID:

iMessage checklist

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 => Settings => 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. If the phone number does not show up properly on the Mac here, sign out of iMessage on the Mac, then sign back in using the same Apple ID as you use on your phone.

* 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 other devices - Apple Support

Just so you are aware, Apple devices work with two types of "text" messaging systems:

1. iMessages: This is an Apple propriety text messaging system that works between Apple devices only. These are typically denoted by a "blue bubble" message.
2. SMS/MMS Text Messages: These are part of your cellular provider's texting plan for your phone. These are denoted as "green bubbles."

Same here. There is no text forwarding option.

Thank you! Having hard time using iMessage from Macbook to send message since update with Sonoma. I'm not happy about updating now.... but your instruction was a great help. Thank you!

Libby101a has already provided the OP with a link on how to set up text message forwarding. This is for iPhones only.

If you do have an iPhone, and are having issues with getting this to work, I suggest you start a new post so that it gets the attention it deserves.

Thank you so much . . that makes total sense

you have to do it from your phone. turn off iMessage from your phone and then turn it back on. I went back and it allowed me to send the message. My parents don't have iphones so annoying so every once in a while I have issues sending them things.