Previewed at WWDC, launching in the fall.
Apple Releases Public Beta of New Messages App for OS X
Alongside today's OS X Mountain Lion news, Apple released a public beta version of its new Messages app for OS X for existing users. Set to replace iChat in OS X Mountain Lion, the new Messages app integrates features of iChat and FaceTime and adds compatibility with the iMessages service introduced for iOS last year.
Update: Apple's servers appear to be overwhelmed at the moment, with the download button for the Messages beta showing an error message. The app is, however, still available via direct download (63.8 MB).
Update 2: The Messages download button is now operating properly.
Download Messages Beta and get a taste of what’s coming in OS X Mountain Lion. When you install Messages, it replaces iChat. But iChat services will continue to work. And Messages brings iMessage to the Mac — just like on iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch running iOS 5. Here are the features you can expect with Messages:
- Send unlimited iMessages to any Mac, iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch.
- Start an iMessage conversation on your Mac and continue it on your iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch.
- Send photos, videos, attachments, contacts, locations, and more.
- Launch a FaceTime video call and bring the conversation face-to-face.
- Messages supports iMessage, AIM, Yahoo!, Google Talk, and Jabber accounts.
Update: Apple's servers appear to be overwhelmed at the moment, with the download button for the Messages beta showing an error message. The app is, however, still available via direct download (63.8 MB).
Update 2: The Messages download button is now operating properly.
[ 348 comments ]
Top Rated Comments
(View all)
85 months ago
WOW!!! AWESOME!!! :cool::cool::cool::cool::cool:
Direct link:
http://appldnld.apple.com/MessagesBeta/041-4274.20120216.z5km/MessagesBeta.dmg
Direct link:
http://appldnld.apple.com/MessagesBeta/041-4274.20120216.z5km/MessagesBeta.dmg
85 months ago
Does anybody else HATE this about iMessage?
When a friend iMessages me, the iMessage my phone number, NOT my Apple ID.
With Messages for Mac, you don't have a choice but to send from your Apple ID, creating two separate conversations or threads in Messages on iOS.
If you're iMessaging somebody on a Mac from your iPhone, and you lose your 3G or WiFi data connection (every so often you'll see that message that says "Sent as text message") you're screwed. Without a data connection, you can't reply to somebody using Messages for Mac, because it goes through the iMessage protocol.
Apple should find a way to integrate your phone number in iMessage for Mac (and iPad and iPod touch provided the user has an iPhone) so there are no double-conversations in the iOS version of Messages.
When a friend iMessages me, the iMessage my phone number, NOT my Apple ID.
With Messages for Mac, you don't have a choice but to send from your Apple ID, creating two separate conversations or threads in Messages on iOS.
If you're iMessaging somebody on a Mac from your iPhone, and you lose your 3G or WiFi data connection (every so often you'll see that message that says "Sent as text message") you're screwed. Without a data connection, you can't reply to somebody using Messages for Mac, because it goes through the iMessage protocol.
Apple should find a way to integrate your phone number in iMessage for Mac (and iPad and iPod touch provided the user has an iPhone) so there are no double-conversations in the iOS version of Messages.
85 months ago
It doesnt work from mac to send to non iphone users... they must be iphone users with imessage...
I just tried to send to friend and doesnt have iphone and I got an error message
What did you expect?
85 months ago
One thing that remains very frustrating is how every device you have iMessage enabled on lights up and bleeps/vibrates when you receive a message.
The Mac version needs to have a status you can select that enabled only the Computer to bleep and notify, while the others receive in the background.
Would be great to save lots of battery life on my iPhone through the day while I'm at home, but that won't happen if it's lighting up and bleeping every time.
The Mac version needs to have a status you can select that enabled only the Computer to bleep and notify, while the others receive in the background.
Would be great to save lots of battery life on my iPhone through the day while I'm at home, but that won't happen if it's lighting up and bleeping every time.
85 months ago
Just got an email from dropbox; my public folder just got suspended due to "excess traffic." Ha! Good luck to all those who haven't gotten it yet.
85 months ago
I'm so excited for this!!! (which makes me kinda sad to think about it.. )
85 months ago
I posted this in the Mac OS X board but it's relevant here...
Unfortunately, in my field of work I'm forced to use a PC in the office. By making Messages a standalone app, I won't be able to iMessage with my friends and colleagues on my computer and will still have to use my iPhone.
It would have been awesome if Apple included iMessage as part of their iCloud web interface (even if they also created the standalone app for Macs). This would have allowed people using any computer in the world (even as a guest) to interact with their iMessage contacts. I thought this was the route Apple was going to take so I'm a little disappointed with the news this morning.
Unfortunately, in my field of work I'm forced to use a PC in the office. By making Messages a standalone app, I won't be able to iMessage with my friends and colleagues on my computer and will still have to use my iPhone.
It would have been awesome if Apple included iMessage as part of their iCloud web interface (even if they also created the standalone app for Macs). This would have allowed people using any computer in the world (even as a guest) to interact with their iMessage contacts. I thought this was the route Apple was going to take so I'm a little disappointed with the news this morning.
[ Read All Comments ]
Facebook is contesting a demand from the U.S. government that it break the encryption of its popular Messenger app so that law enforcement can listen in to a suspect's conversations as part of an...
Child actress Brooklynn Prince has been cast in the lead role of Apple's upcoming drama series that's based on the life of young journalist Hilde Lysiak, reports Deadline.
Eight-year-old...
Netflix is testing a new feature that adds video promos in between episodes of TV shows, Netflix confirmed to TechCrunch this afternoon.
The promos Netflix is showing to some users include...
Logitech often works with Apple to introduce new accessories for Apple devices, and in early August, Logitech announced its latest product designed in collaboration with Apple, the new POWERED...
For this week's giveaway, we've teamed up with Choetech to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win a 7.5W Wireless Car Charging Mount that can be used to charge an iPhone X, iPhone 8, or...
The developers of the Transit app this week announced the expansion of real-time crowdsourced data for buses, trains, streetcars, ferries, and so forth to 175 cities across the United States, Canada,...
In a new interview today with The Los Angeles Times, Beats 1 host Zane Lowe discussed a few topics related to Apple Music's daily streaming radio show, including the company's rivals. Without...
Sony Legacy announced over the summer that it had obtained the rights to release the "bulk" of Prince's back catalog, namely the albums he debuted after he left Warner Bros. in the...
