As the manager editor of Macworld, I’d wish to suppose I’m fairly up-to-date with iPhone and Mac suggestions, tips, and options. However when utilizing my Mac final week, I discovered one thing new that I ought to’ve recognized years in the past. Actually, I used to be so embarrassed that I didn’t understand it, I made a decision to show it right into a recurring column. Welcome to the primary installment of At present I Discovered (TIL).

Okay onto the tip. It’s really a characteristic from iOS 8.1, which arrived greater than seven years in the past. That’s older than the iPhone X, AirPods, Apple Music and–properly, you get the concept. So what is that this revelatory new characteristic that I ought to have been utilizing since 2014? Textual content Message Forwarding.

After all, I’ve lengthy recognized about sending iMessages on my Mac, however I found the green-bubble characteristic by accident. As an alternative of selecting up my iPhone like I usually do to ship an SMS message to one in all my non-iPhone-using associates, I absent-mindedly tried to ship the textual content utilizing the Messages app on my Mac and obtained a pop-up message suggesting that I activate Textual content Message Forwarding on my iPhone. 

Foundry

Wait, what? This isn’t the primary time I by accident tried to textual content on my Mac however it’s the first time I received a message telling me that there was one other manner. I don’t know why I received a message this time somewhat than the standard “Not Delivered” stamp, however for sure, I’m glad it did. The message instructed me to go to the Messages settings on my iPhone and activate Textual content Message Forwarding for my MacBook, which I did.

The trick is that your iPhone must be close by for it to work because you’re technically forwarding messages instantaneously out of your iPhone to your Mac. However since most individuals usually have their iPhone proper subsequent to their Mac anyway, all of it simply works.

And no longer solely can ship and obtain green-bubble messages on my Mac, however I may also get one-time passwords for logins with out reaching for my iPhone, copying it, and counting on Common Clipboard. 

At present I Discovered is a Macworld column that spotlights lesser-known however helpful suggestions and tips for Apple customers. When you have any concepts for future columns, ship an e mail to michael_simon@idg.com.