Messages is a robust app, with plenty of hidden features. We go into detail about Messages in iCloud and how to activate it on your Mac here. That also means if you opted to have conversations only stored for 90 days, then your iCloud backup of Messages will follow suit. Keep in mind, if you delete a conversation from one device, it will be deleted from all of your devices. The short version of instructions is this: Open Settings > tap on your name > iCloud and make sure the toggle next to Messages is turned on. Apple uses iCloud to back up and sync your Messages conversations (that includes text messages, too). Having a constant backup of your iMessage conversations that syncs across all of your Apple devices is another one of my favorite benefits of Apple's messaging platform.

Messages in iCloud keeps everything in sync and backed up. If you're new to iMessage and are unsure how to turn it on, skip to the bottom of the post. Take a few minutes, go through each option, and decide how you want Messages to behave. The rest of the settings determine things like if read receipts are for on every iMessage conversation, whether or not you want text messages (those green bubbles) forwarded to your other Apple devices or kept on your iPhone, how long you want to keep messages on your device, and so on. I have a thorough walkthrough of that process here. Or if you don't have an iPhone, but use iMessage on a Mac and iPad, then make sure your Send & Receive settings look identical.

Luckily, it's an easy fix: Don't use your email address(es), use only your phone number in the Send & Receive section of Message's Settings. I can't tell you how many times I've been asked why some messages are showing up on a Mac or iPad, but not an iPhone - or the other way around.

Mac imessage not sending to non iphone