If you’re like most people, you probably use iMessage to communicate with your friends and family. But what if you want to change the way your conversations are conducted? There are a few ways to do this, but the best way is to use the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad. Once you’ve logged in, open the Settings app and scroll down to the bottom of the screen. There, you’ll find a section called “Conversations.” In this section, you’ll find a list of all of your iMessage conversations. To change which conversation is used for a given message, just select one from the list and press “change.” But there’s more! If you want to have different conversation settings for different types of messages (like photos or videos), you can also set up these preferences in Settings on your computer. Open the Settings app on your computer and scroll down to “Conversations.” In this section, you’ll find a list of all of your iMessage conversations. Scroll down until you find “Photos” and then click on it. Under “Conversations,” under “Photos,” select “Other Conversations” and then click on the checkbox next to “Use Other Conversation for This Message.” This will add another conversation setting for photos that is different from any other conversation setting in Settings on your iPhone or iPad.
When you start a new iMessage conversation it might not originate from the phone number or Apple ID that you expect, causing confusion for the recipient. Here’s how to make sure new conversations use the correct phone number or email address.
This setting is one that has been part of iOS and macOS for years, but it’s one that might not be set up correctly by default. If you’d rather use your email address when starting a new iMessage conversation, then you will need to make sure all of your devices are configured correctly. If they’re not, you run the risk of message fragmentation at the receiving end, with people potentially having multiple conversations with the same person, but using two different numbers or email addresses.
It’s this potential for confusion that Apple has tried to prevent via multiple updates, and even though things are undoubtedly better now than they were just a couple of years ago, nothing is perfect.
Making sure that new iMessage conversations are started with a consistent number or email address is half the battle, so here’s how to make sure your devices are all on the same wavelength.
Changing the number or email address new conversations start from on iPhone and iPad
To begin, open the Settings app and tap “Messages.”
Next, scroll down and tap “Send & Receive.”
On the next screen, below “Start new conversations from,” you will see the available starting points for new iMessage conversations. You will most likely see your phone number and at least one email address, starting with your Apple ID. Tap the one that you want new conversations to start from.
Changing the number or email address new conversations start from on a Mac
Open the Messages app and click “Messages” in the Menu Bar, followed by “Preferences.”
Click the “iMessage” tab to see options associated with the messaging service.
Finally, click the drop-down box beneath “Start new conversations from” and select the number or email address you wish to use.
By making sure your new iMessage conversations are using the correct phone number or email address you can prevent any confusion for the recipient. If you’ve ever found yourself part of multiple conversations with the same person, this would be a good setting for both of you to check, too.
