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   Use Your iPhone's Number with Messages in OS X 10.8.2 Mountain Lion

   Glenn Fleishman

   The Messages app in Mountain Lion can now send and receive iMessages
   using an iPhone's number as the identifier with a combination of iOS 6
   and today's OS X 10.8.2 update. But I found it a puzzler that when I
   went to my updated Mac's Messages preferences, clicked Accounts, and
   selected iMessage, I didn't see a phone number in place.

   When your Mac starts up after upgrading to Mac OS X 10.8.2, you may
   receive a series of messages (as I did) alerting you to all the
   addresses associated with the Apple ID with which you use iMessage in
   the Messages program. That's a nice change: the iMessage account now
   shows all associated emails, instead of requiring you enter them. But
   the phone number of my iPhone did not show up here.

   [1][tn_Messages-List-of-Apple-ID-addrs.jpg]

   I logged out and back in using the same Apple ID on my Mac, and still
   no luck. The trick is to log out and back in on your iPhone instead.
   Some people have not had to do that, but based on Twitter responses,
   others are in the same boat. Tap Settings > Messages > Send & Receive,
   and then tap Apple ID. Now tap Sign Out. Tap Use Your Apple ID for
   iMessage, and log back in, then tap Next.

   On my Mac, as soon as I did that, I received an alert that my phone
   number was available to use in Messages, and the iMessage account in
   Messages showed a checkbox next to my phone number. Click Yes on the
   alert to check that box, or you may select the box in preferences as
   well. I also received an alert dialog from Messages containing the
   email addresses associated with my Apple ID that my phone was using.

   [2][tn_Messages-add-iPhone-number.jpg]

   The iMessage system is designed to let you receive messages at any
   Apple ID-associated email address and now also any iPhone phone number.
   You can pick an address or a phone number to use whenever you write a
   new message or reply. We explain that process in depth in '[3]Caller ID
   in Messages Helps to Direct iMessages,' 7 August 2012.

   In practice before now, we and others have found this spotty. Perhaps
   the operating system updates bring improvements in iMessage
   consistency? We'll have to wait and see.

References

   1. http://tidbits.com/resources/2012-09/Messages-List-of-Apple-ID-addrs.jpg
   2. http://tidbits.com/resources/2012-09/Messages-add-iPhone-number.jpg
   3. http://tidbits.com/article/13186

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