iOS 11.4 is out[1], along with macOS 10.13.5, and these updates bring with them a feature that was first promised to us in iOS 11.3 designed to help streamline messaging between devices.
Called Messages in iCloud, it syncs messages you receive through the Messages app across your devices, whether that be your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or even a Mac (sorry Apple Watch owners, you don't get this feature, and will most likely have to wait for watchOS 5).
See also: What would Steve Jobs think of today's Apple?[2]
First off, to make Messages in iCloud work you need to download and install iOS 11.4 onto your iOS devices, and macOS 10.13.5 onto your Macs[3].
After that, you need to activate Messages in iCloud on your iOS devices. And this is where it gets problematic because if you're not the sort of person who reads the release notes for updates, you won't know where to look for it.
To turn on Messages in iCloud, you need to:
- Click on Settings
- At the top of the Settings app, click on the space showing your name
- Next click on iCloud
- Finally, flip the toggle switch next to Messages under the Apps Using iCloud section
Do this for all your iOS devices.
How to enable Messages in iCloud
You also need to activate this feature on your Macs (you will first need to download and install the macOS 10.13.5 update[4]):
- Open Messages
- In the menu bar, click Messages > Preferences
- Click Accounts
- Click the checkbox next to Enable Messages