Can you use iMessage on a Windows PC or Android phone?.
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Do you want iMessage for Android or Windows? Unfortunately, you are out of luck. The Apple Messages app only works on Apple devices like Macs, iPhones, and iPads. No third-party apps can connect to iMessage. However, some good alternatives have similar functionality.
Apple also doesn’t offer Messages on the web. It’s a shame, it could be part of the like iCloud Drive, Notes and Find My iPhone.
Solutions that don’t work (stay away from iPadian)
Search for “iMessage on PC” or something similar on the web, and you will discover many websites offering a handful of bad solutions to run iMessage on Windows PC. Here’s why they don’t work.
Some websites recommend that you use or another remote desktop tool. Yes, if you have a Mac, you can leave it running, access it remotely from a PC, and use the Messages app (or any other Mac app) through the remote desktop connection. If you have a spare Mac lying around, this will work, but it probably won’t. This is a dumb solution for almost everyone.
The same websites recommend that you download something called “iPadian,” which is an “iOS and iPad simulator.” At first glance, it looks like a way to run the iPad’s iOS operating system on your desktop. But that is misleading. It’s not an emulator, it’s a “simulator” that can’t actually run real iOS apps. You can’t run Messages or any other app. You can run some fake apps designed to look like an iPad. For this, the company behind iPadian charges money.
Stay away from iPadian. It doesn’t work at all and it’s a waste of money. Unfortunately, there is no way to run iMessage on a PC.
How to use iMessage on Android (with a Mac)
If you have a Mac and an Android phone, here is a solution you can look for. It promises “iMessage for Android” and it delivers. It’s a bit tricky, though, and involves recruiting a Mac you own to work as a server.
Here’s how it works: You need a Mac, where you will install the AirMessage server. That Mac must remain turned on and connected to the Internet at all times. Then, install the AirMessage app on your Android phone. You can access iMessage through AirMessage on Android; your Mac does the heavy lifting; the AirMessage app communicates with it. As a device that is actually connected to iMessage, your Mac only sends messages back and forth.
For Mac owners with Android phones, AirMessage might be tempting. But you’ll want an always-on Mac with a stable internet connection. It is an ordeal.
This is not an ideal solution, but it is the best you can do. It won’t be worth it for most people.
How to send text messages from a PC with an Android phone
If you have an Android phone and a Windows PC, you can send text messages from your PC with the Your Phone app built into Windows 10. That’s one of the great attractions of Apple’s Messages app: If you have an iPhone, you can send text messages with your Mac. Well, if you have an Android phone, you can send text messages from your Windows 10 PC.
You can even text from your PC with people using Apple’s Messages app, assuming they have an iPhone. You’ll just be one of those “green bubble” people and won’t have access to iMessage features like group iMessages and screen effects.
If you’re not using Windows 10, you can use another app like PushBullet to send text messages from your PC. This is web-based, so it works on Windows 7 devices, Chromebooks, Linux systems, and even Macs.
Try other text messaging apps
While iMessage doesn’t work on Android or a Windows PC, many other text messaging apps do. You could try getting your friends who use iMessage to switch to something like , , , or any of the many other chat apps out there.
That can be a tall order if everyone else is using iMessage, but, in a mixed group of friends with some iPhone users and some Android users, it makes sense to agree on a solution that everyone can use.
What about FaceTime?
There’s also no way to use FaceTime on a Windows PC or Android phone. That’s a shame because to make FaceTime “an open industry standard” back in 2010, when it was announced. Apple hasn’t and hasn’t said anything about the promise since.
