iMessage

How to screen share Yosemite screens using iMessage

Mike Hudson

OS X has included the ability to remotely screen share using a VNC style server for some time now. However, a new feature ‘hidden’ in Yosemite iMessage application is the ability to request a screen share via an iMessage conversation! If you initiate an iMessage conversation with another Yosemite user who is also using iMessage, you can use a built it request facility to view to recipients screen. The ability to share your screen originally appeared within iChat, though required an AIM, Gmail, Jabber or Yahoo account.

Once your recipient has responded to your iMessage request, click on the details link in the top right hand corner of the chat window. This will expand a second box, with the option to FaceTime, Video Call or screen share. Clicking on the Screen Share option will then pop up an additional menu offering to send a request to screen share. The recipient will then receive a popup “Allow [your name] to control my screen”. Should the recipient accept your request the screen share should commence.

iMessage Screen Share

 

This does come with some caveats:

  1. Both users must be using Yosemite or above.
  2. Both users must have an Apple ID
  3. Both users must be signed into Apple ID in the iCloud preferences pain in System Preferences

 

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Add Facebook chat to OS X Messages

Mike Hudson Leave a comment
Facebook chat settings

3D men chattingThe built-in OS X Messages app really is a powerful communication tool, handy for staying in touch with friends and family across a range of chat type technologies.

By default the application supports connecting to:

  1. AIM
  2. Google Talk
  3. Jabber
  4. Yahoo Chat

A lesser known fact is that Facebook chat is actually based on the Jabber platform, which means you can connect to and use the service using nothing but the OS X Messages app.

To add your Facebook chat account to the Messages app:

  1. launch it from your applications folder or spotlight,
  2. Click on the ‘Messages’ menu bar option and then click preferences or CMD and , on your keyboard
  3. Click on the ‘Accounts’ tab, and then click the + symbol at the bottom of the screen
  4. Enter the details as per the screenshot below, replacing the stars with your Facebook profile name and your Facebook account password.
    Facebook chat settings
  5. Then click the Create button.

You should now find you will have an extra list of ‘friends’ showing on your screen. This window is actually named ‘Buddies’ and has lists of contacts from networks outside of the iMessage network.

To start a chat with someone on the Jabber network, simply double-click on their name, or type it in as you would a normal iMessage.

The Messages app comes bundled with OS X Snow Leopard and isn’t available in older versions of OS X.

 

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Send an iMessage with an AppleScript

Mike Hudson 9 Comments

I don’t like waiting around for long processes to finish on my Mac, so I was recently hunting for a way of sending push notifications to my iPhone/iPad.. I gave up after a while, realising that nothing seemed reliable enough.. So then I changed tact, and that’s when I came up with this AppleScript. This uses OS X’s built in message’s app to send an iMessage to my mobile!

tell application "Messages"
	set intid to get id of first service
	set myRecipient to myRecipient "+44123456789" of service id intid
	send "Your full machine backup has now completed" to myRecipient
end tell
tell application "Messages"
	quit
end tell

This could quite easily be built into Automator Workflows etc.

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Add your mobile number to iMessage

Mike Hudson Leave a comment

If you have ever used iMessage on your Mac to send a message to an iPhone the recipient will tell you just how frustrating it is flicking between two message streams.. When you send from your mac, by default it will send from your Apple ID (email address) and not your phone number. Which means the recipient may end up with two separate conversation threads.

Not anymore.. All you need to do is ensure your iPhone is running iOS 6, and your Mac is running OS X 10.8.2.

Launch iMessage on your Mac, navigate to iMessage preferences and then over to the Accounts tab. Now click to add an email address. In the box provided enter your mobile number minus the first 0, now press the tab key on your keyboard. You should see a message pop up suggesting iMessage is going to send an email to the number you have enter. Click to accept the message. Now on your iPhone goto Settings > Messages, and slide iMessage off. Now exit the settings menu. Return to Settings > Messages iPhone and slick iMessage back on. Exit the settings menu and now restart iMessage on your Mac. You should now be greeted with a message explaining your number will now be used to receive iMessages.

Now if you want, you can also set iMessage to also send from your email address, back in preferences under the accounts tab, select your number from the drop down at the bottom of the settings form.

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Hands On: Apple Messages 6.1 (BETA)

Mike Hudson 1 Comment

With the release of iOS 5 came the long awaited ‘iMessage’ system. Enabling iOS devices to send and receive messages using data rather then the normal SMS network. This soon became a big challenger to the ever popular BBM.

Now Apple have taken it one step further, and released Apple Messages for OS X. Apple Messages is soon going to replace OS X’s chat client iChat. Not only is it capable of sending messages to iMessage capable devices, but I can also connect to AIM, Google Chat, Jabber, FaceTime and Bonjour.

What’s more, you can start an iMessage conversation on your Mac, and then take it mobile simply by continuing it on your iOS device.. Any messages sent in Messages for Mac show up in the iMessage app on your device and vice versa. Providing the perfect solution for those who want to stay in touch with their mobile contacts, but perhaps don’t want to have to keep picking up their device.

To get started with Messages for OS X you will need to download the client from Apple’s website or use this link. Once downloaded sign in with your Apple ID, Now on your iOS device, goto Settings > Messages and configure your device to also deliver to your Apple ID, and that’s it. The next message you send an receive will display on both your Mac and your iOS device.

Messages for Mac has a nice simple interface, on the left hand side of the window is a list of all of your current conversations, sorted by most recent first. With your contacts picture and a snippet of the last message sent. On the right hand side is your current conversation, featuring all iMessages sent and received on either your iOS device or your Mac:


Much like iChat the Apple Messages app features customisation options to truly personalise the look and feel, not only can you configure the balloon’s in the chat window, you can switch them from balloons to squares or compact chat windows.

However, it may be worth noting – that once OS X Mountain Lion is released, the BETA version will stop working and the only way to continue using Messages will be to upgrade to Mountain Lion. So those of you who don’t like living life on the bleeding edge, you may find yourself growing to love Messages to then loose it again in summer this year!

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