Android number to Mac iMessage

The only suggestion I have is for your workmates to use GroupMe. An app on both platforms and it works great for group chat. Can even get it on the web so you can chat from your computer. Also Discord is great. Your question was a long time ago, but this may help!

Hi,

This bit:-

I get the messages without a problem (just that they're all over the place, but I can piece them together), ...

Are you getting the messages on the Andriod at this point ?

I.e. they are actually sending SMS to you which probably means they are all sending as SMS and not iMessages.

The App is Messages. The account is iMessages.

The iPhone version can send SMS "automatically" if the Contact is not an iMessages user. (I have not tried this in Groups chats myself but it does work this way for 1-1 contacts at least).

If you are already in a SMS groups chat I am not sure why you are unable to respond to the group.

As to the Macbook Pro

It can be set up to do SMS but this needs an iPhone.

Set up the iPhone to do iMessages/SMS (It decides which to send)

Set up the Mac with and Apple ID

Add the Apple ID to the iPhone (links the Number and the Apple ID to "Sync" as Apple Calls it.

On the iPhone make sure it joins your LAN

IN the Messages settings Enable Text Forwarding - which prompts a code number to appear on the Mac - which in turn needs to be entered back on the iPhone to "pair" them

Until this is done the Mac cannot receive SMS items linked to the iPhone Number.

Basically the iPhone gets the SMS on it's carrier service and sends it on to the Mac via the WiFi link to the LAN and therefore the Mac.

In the United States and on certain Carriers the AIM service will let you send SMS from within Messages (with an AIM account).

See the Drop down (the + icon listed lines) https://help.aol.com/articles/aim-mobile-im-forwarding

Basically once you have an AIM Account set up in Messages it can send SMS by entering the phone number as a Buddy.

Obviously you an go a step further and add the phone number to a Contacts details as the AIM Name.

To state again. It only works with +1 Country Code services on certain Carriers.

I have not seen it used fro group chats either.

9:07 pm Monday; January 25, 2016

Hi,

I will re-state for the sake of clarity.

The Messages App on the Mac can have an iMessages account Active and this can send iMessages just from the Apple ID if you don't have an iPhone.

An iPhone has an app also called Messages and if you activate it it will register the iPhone Number with the iMessages Server.

The App can also enable SMS/MMS messaging and it will decide how to send a "text" based on where the recipient is registered with. (i.e. iPhones that are registered and Apple ID will get iMessages but non Apple phones will get SMS).

Later versions of the iOS version of Messages can Forward as it is called the SMS/MMS messages to the Mac over the same LAN.

This enables the Mac to Send and Receive SMS.

Posts here are not really clear about whether Messages on the iPhone can send mixed SMS/iMessages out to a mixed group of iPhone and non iPhones (presuming Numbers only).

It is not something I have tried myself.

This article suggests how it can be done http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/how-to/mobile-phone/how-send-group-texts-from-android -iphone-3472964/

So to be clear:-

The App is Messages and the Account/Service/actual text is called iMessage.

Text (SMS) chatting is not something I did before iMessages came along for text chats on an iPhone.

I was much more into using a Mac and iChat.

In Messages, for an AIM chat, you should be able to add a number of people/Numbers to the "To" spot to create a group.

I happen to have used a spoof number as the second and the AIM Auto error message account as the other.

You get this double circle in the Side bar to indicate there are more than one contact involved.

There are specific SMS apps out there for computers and some are Mac ones.

However that seems a bit like buying the iPhone just to make something that seems possible work by using something else.

9:06 pm Tuesday; January 26, 2016

if you want to send and receive android text messages on your mac, you can use sms for ichat/imessage app for that.

Yep, as stated in the one Apple recommended.

Also an Apple Issued ID (@mac.com etc) can be used as a Valid AIM Screen Name and IF the person is on certain US Carrier services you can SMS direct in an AIM conversation.

See https://help.aol.com/articles/aim-for-mobile-receiving-aim-messages-as-texts-on- your-mobile and open IM Forwarding then the Carrier bit.

You enter the US phone Number as if it were a Buddy's ID/Screen Name.

However that does not get around the mixed group issue in the original question.

9:46 pm Tuesday; November 1, 2016