Messages in iCloud Arrives on the Desktop With macOS 10.13.5

Messages in iCloud, Apple’s hotly anticipated cloud-syncing feature for the Messages app, has arrived on macOS a few days after debuting on iPhone and iPad in iOS 11.4. Messages in iCloud is an aptly named new iCloud feature that allows iMessages and regular SMS messages to live in iCloud rather than be stored locally per-device.

On iPhone, Messages in iCloud is available in iCloud Settings as another small toggle switch and requires two-factor authentication to be active before it can be enabled. Enabling Messages in iCloud can free up space on your device, streamline the process of deleting messages across all your Apple devices, and make it easy to sync your text message history to a new iPhone, iPad, or Mac. However, you may need to upgrade your iCloud storage plan if you like to keep a large amount of old messages and attachments, since iCloud’s 5 GB free tier may not be sufficient for heavy users.

The macOS High Sierra 10.13.5 update brings these new features to the Mac as well as the usual round of security updates. However, rather than being located in the iCloud section of System Preferences, the setting for Messages for iCloud on Mac is located in the Messages app settings pane. Refer to Apple’s official support page for instructions on enabling Messages in iCloud for both Mac and iPhone.