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Guide

How to send and read Android text messages on a Mac

Install Synqed on your Mac and your Android phone, pair them on the same network, and allow Synqed's SMS permissions on the phone. Your text message threads then appear in the Messages section of the Mac app, new messages arrive as they land, and replies you type on the Mac are sent by the phone as ordinary SMS.

Before you start

  • A Mac running macOS 14 Sonoma or later · Apple silicon and Intel.
  • An Android phone running Android 13 or later.
  • Both on the same local network: the same Wi-Fi, or the Mac joined to the phone's hotspot. Synqed has no relay server, so it does not work across the internet.

Steps

  1. Pair the phone and the Mac. Open Synqed on both devices, compare the numeric code on the two screens and confirm.
  2. Allow SMS access on the phone. Synqed asks for permission to read and send SMS when you turn messages on. Synqed does not need to be your default SMS app.
  3. Open Messages on the Mac. Your threads sync to the Messages section, with contact names from the phone. New messages, including ones you send from the phone itself, appear as they arrive.
  4. Reply, or start a new thread. Type a reply in any thread, or compose a new message to any number. Long messages are split into parts the way the phone would split them.
  5. Pick a SIM if you have two. When the phone reports more than one SIM, a picker lets you choose which one sends.

First time? Install the Mac app and the Android app, open both, and confirm that the numeric code matches on the two screens. That pairs them, and they reconnect on their own after that. If they can't find each other, see support.

What it does not do

  • Plain text only from the Mac. Attaching pictures or other media from the Mac is not supported.
  • SMS only. Chats in apps such as WhatsApp or Telegram are not shown as threads, though their notifications can be mirrored and replied to inline.
  • "Sent" means the phone's radio accepted the message, not that it was delivered.

Questions

Do I have to make Synqed my default SMS app?

No. Android lets an app with SMS permission send messages and records them in the phone's normal message history, so your usual messaging app keeps working as before.

Are my messages uploaded anywhere?

No. They go directly from the phone to the Mac over your local network, encrypted. Synqed has no server.

Cost

The Mac app is free. The Android app has a 7-day free trial, then Synqed Pro is $20 once, plus tax. No account. Details on Synqed Pro.

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