Installing AirMessage is discouraging in about 12 different ways. There is not a single piece of tech in your house that wants you to use AirMessage. This is not standardized between routers; you will be delving into the AirMessage forums to figure out how to do it. Most IP addresses do change, because there are a finite number of possible IP addresses, so your router assigns your computer an IP address when you go online and then assigns that address to someone else when you go offline.
This is a fine system except if you are a psychopath who wants to use iMessage on your Pixel 3A. Setting up this part of AirMessage probably took me three solid hours of trial and error and emails with the creator of AirMessage, who was surprisingly prompt and courteous in his responses.
You also have to give AirMessage unfettered access to your Mac in order to work. To give AirMessage access to your messages, you basically have to give AirMessage carte blanche access to your entire computer.
This is, to be clear, a terrible idea. Obviously, I did it anyway. Also, this entire system only works if you are an Android user who happens to have a Mac computer that you can leave on 24 hours a day, forever. The whole thing is so duct-taped together that it falls apart fairly frequently, as it did in the airport a few weeks ago. My cleaning service once accidentally unplugged the router while I was on vacation.
I did not get any texts until I got home and restarted everything. If your computer automatically restarts to install an update? The text will thus end up spinning slowly in another dimension, officially delivered but inaccessible and unknown to you. You will not see this text; you will not even know it has been sent, unless you can restart your whole system or access some actual Apple product registered to you. There is, by default, a two-second delay in sending AirMessages, so rapid-fire chats suffer from rhythm issues.
Google Maps links, like a pin to a location, do not work. Whenever a friend tells me where they are, my phone shrugs. But overall, my AirMessage setup works probably 95 percent of the time. The AirMessage app functions basically like WhatsApp or any other messaging app. I appear blue to my friends. In practice, I talk about this stupid hack all the time, so everybody knows. AirMessage is, objectively speaking, not a good solution to the Android-iOS communication gap.
If you get an error, you don't have Java. If you don't see the error, you've got it. Make sure you've got the latest version by downloading it here. Next, download the weMessage program for your Mac. In the weMessage folder, double-click the run. Next up, you'll need to enable some Accessibility features of your Mac. Click the lock icon at the bottom left to unlock your settings.
If prompted, enter the password you use to log into your Mac. Double-click run. This will launch a Terminal window. Enter the email address you use with iMessage. Your password doesn't have to match your iMessage password, and maybe shouldn't, since your Apple ID is used for so many things.
Launch weMessage on your Android. Tap Continue. When Settings opens, tap the button next to Allow modifying system settings to give weMessage access. Tap the back arrow at the top to return to the app. Choose OKAY on the "help" prompt. Enter your Mac's IP address into the app so that it knows how to communicate with your computer.
Learn how to find your IP address if you're not sure how. Enter your iMessage email address and the password you chose during setup above. Assuming everything is configured correctly, you'll see a screen for all your conversations. Test that you can send iMessage texts from Android by texting an iPhone; you'll know it's working if the text bubbles are blue.
The instructions so far only work when your Android phone is on the same Wi-Fi network as your Mac. That's useful, but you want your Android to use iMessage no matter where you are.
To do that, you need to set up Port Forwarding. Port Forwarding configures your home Wi-Fi network to let in connections from the outside. That's how your Android device will connect back to the weMessage app on your Mac from anywhere. The way you set up Port Forwarding is different for pretty much every router or modem. Because of that, there's no single set of instructions that can be provided. The best way to learn to do this is by using the video and instructions on the weMessage website.
You can now switch from an Apple phone to an Android phone without losing those precious blue text bubbles! Not sure if you're ready to make the leap from Apple to Android? Our expert Tshaka Armstrong makes it easy for you in this video. Vivint Smart Home Security Review. By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Disclaimer : The information featured in this article is based on our best estimates of pricing, package details, contract stipulations, and service available at the time of writing.
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What is Home Security Monitoring? Internet Reviews. Verizon Fios Spectrum vs. Mobile Reviews. Verizon T-Mobile vs. What Carriers Use Verizon's Network? What Carriers Use Sprint's Network? Home » Mobile. By Easton Smith. Published on July 19, Share Article. But there are a few important differences: iMessages have end-to-end encryption built in automatically. You can read and send iMessages on your Apple computer, your Macbook, your iPad, and more by syncing your devices.
Do you want more data for sending videos, streaming music, and playing games? How to receive iMessages on an Android device.
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