Should I set iMessage for phone number or email?

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I am setting up I message on my Iphone 5s and Ipad mini. The only question I have is what do I check in "Start New Conversations From" on both devices? The choice is either email or phone number. Everything else I figured out.
 

Tartarus

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I'd select phone number because most people will have your phone number in their contacts but not your email.
At least that's how it is with my friends, not all of them have my email stored.
 

pkcable

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Re:

I'd select phone number because most people will have your phone number in their contacts but not your email.
At least that's how it is with my friends, not all of them have my email stored.

Use email on the iPad. It has no phone.

Best of both world! This is exactly what I do also! :) Phone on Phone, and email on the other devices. :)
 

BreakingKayfabe

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I just set up both my iPhone and iPad with my phone number. This way all my iMessages come to all my devices since I can be on any given device at a certain point during the day. I turn the email send & receive address off since it might create a lot of confusion and multiple threads on the other person's device.

Edit: In case you're not aware, once you set up your phone with your phone number it'll also be an option on your iPad.
 

Hendri Hendri

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Let say ... If we have macbook, ipad wifi only, iphone 5 and iphone 6s plus, all these 4 devices has 3 options : 2 email address (icloud and apple id) and 2 phone number (from ip5 and ip6s+)

Now .. for ipad wifi only, iMessages is set up to appleID, macbook is set up to icloud, and both iphone set up with their own phone number

Question is, if someone iMessages us (either to our appleID, icloud address, or one of the phone number), will all our devices received the messages as well ?

*confused*
 

Quis89

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Let say ... If we have macbook, ipad wifi only, iphone 5 and iphone 6s plus, all these 4 devices has 3 options : 2 email address (icloud and apple id) and 2 phone number (from ip5 and ip6s+)

Now .. for ipad wifi only, iMessages is set up to appleID, macbook is set up to icloud, and both iphone set up with their own phone number

Question is, if someone iMessages us (either to our appleID, icloud address, or one of the phone number), will all our devices received the messages as well ?

*confused*

You can have multiple reached by options. For example, I enable ALL my options for where people can reach me. I can be reached via my phone number, and both Apple IDs. But I only have my phone number selected for "Start new conversations from". That way when someone sends me a message it goes to all my devices. But if I initiate a conversation it's only happening from my phone number.

That option works best for me. It minimizes confusion and I've never had an issue with people receiving multiple threads from me. It also allows me to not miss a message depending on if the person knows my phone number or my email.
 

Hendri Hendri

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Ok, it's clear that all our devices will received the messages if we checked all account at "you can be reached by iMessage at"

And our friends will only received our iMessages depends on which account we checked "start new conversation from"

If, we received the iMessages from our friends at every devices, will it automatically "mark as read" if we read the iMessages from 1 of our devices ?

(I can't imagine all our devices will received sound notification at the same time when someone iMessages us )

Also, what is "text message forwading" for ?

It stated "allow your iPhone text messages to be also sent and received on other devices signed into your iMessages account"

Does it mean that if our iPhone received sms (not necessary iMessage), then our phone will forward the sms to all our devices ? With sms carrier charge or wifi/data charge ?
 

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