how can I sync my iMessage so that the messages on my phone are the same as on my laptop?

Hi,

The steps are:-

1) Enable Message app on the iPhone (it can then send iMessages to Apple IDs and to iPhone Numbers and SMS to non Apple phones)

2) Add and Apple ID to the Mac version of Messages from the iMessages account. (this can then send to Apple IDs and to iPhone Numbers.

3) Add the Apple ID to the iPhone > Settings > Messages > Send and Receive.

3a) on the Mac (System Preferences > Internet Accounts or iCloud) set the Contacts app to sync.

3b) Repeat this on the iPhone. As hinted this can be the iCloud ID but in fact it can be any service that keeps your Contacts so that you can access them from multiple devices.

A Pop up will appear on the Mac to say what the iPhone is using.

4) Accept the Pop up.

On the Mac the Messages App > Preferences > Accounts > iMessages account will list the iPhone Number in the Receive At list (and a drop down is created for "Start Conversation From...)

The two devices will now sync the iMessages that are sent to either the iPhone Number or the Apple ID.

It will only be from the time the link is made and will not "download" the history of one of the devices if it has been doing iMessages longer.

The next step after that is having Yosemite and iOS on the respective devices and then you can have the iPhone on the same LAN as the Mac and enable Text Forwarding on the iPhone which then passes on the SMS messages to and from the Mac.

If you have a suitable Mac and iPhone you can also set up Handoff and Continuity which iMessages can do. (Several other apps can also make use of this feature).

8:42 p.m. Friday; September 11, 2015