Sending Images to an Android from iMac

[kathmat]

Does anyone have a fix or know why, and it's everyone I speak with, one cannot send images to someone with an Android from your desktop (iMac in my case)? I can send images from my iphone to the Android, but that means having to send the image from your computer to your phone before you can send them? That seems silly. Thank you. And please be kind if I have put this in the wrong section of this forum.

 

[MacInWin]

How are you trying to send this image? Are you saying email from your Mac to someone with an Android phone does not work?

 

[IWT]

@Jake,

I thought she meant that her iPhone Message app was linked to her iMac - that could send the Message from her iPhone directly, but not from the iMac.

Reading your reply makes me realise that there are different ways of interpreting her post. And I suspect you are correct; but it's not quite clear what the lady means.

Ian

 

[ferrarr]

Are you trying to "share" the images?

How to Transfer Files Between Mac and Android Using Bluetooth

Ditch your USB cables and follow this easy guide to use Bluetooth to transfer files from Android to Mac instead, or vice versa.

www.makeuseof.com

 

[kathmat]

How are you trying to send this image? Are you saying email from your Mac to someone with an Android phone does not work?

So sorry - I précis things sometimes in the hopes of combating my comsummate long-windedness... and there we have it! LOL
Problem: A. If I take a screenshot of something for example that I have seen online and try to send it to someone through messages on my iMac to someone with an Android, 100% of the time it won't send. I keep getting the "not delivered" message. (Everyone that I personally know with an iPhone tells me they have the same problem.)
B. If I try to do the same thing, send that screenshot through messages on my iPhone to an Android, 90% of the time it will send; not 100% of the time.
I have checked all my settings on my iMac that I know of, including MMS sending etc., but nothing works. Actually, even pictures from photos won't send on the iMac. So, bottom line, no images whatsoever are delivered to an Android from messages on my iMac to an Android.

 

[kathmat]

@Jake,

I thought she meant that her iPhone Message app was linked to her iMac - that could send the Message from her iPhone directly, but not from the iMac.

Reading your reply makes me realise that there are different ways of interpreting her post. And I suspect you are correct; but it's not quite clear what the lady means.

Ian

Correct - not a text message though, just images. Any text on it's own will send, (sans pictures) but if there is an image attachment, then I get the "not delivered" error message in red.

 

[MacInWin]

A. If I take a screenshot of something for example that I have seen online and try to send it to someone through messages on my iMac to someone with an Android, 100% of the time it won't send. I keep getting the "not delivered" message. (Everyone that I personally know with an iPhone tells me they have the same problem.)

That is correct. You cannot send an image from Mac to Android through Messages because it actually uses the Messages app on the iPhone. The two are not compatible.

B. If I try to do the same thing, send that screenshot through messages on my iPhone to an Android, 90% of the time it will send; not 100% of the time.

I'm surprised it ever works. As I said, the two are not compatible. My daughter has an Android and the only way I have found that works is to email her the images.

 

[kathmat]

You know I love Apple. Quite the Apple fanatic, but they can be a tad shall we say superior in their thinking and willingness to co-exist with other manufacturers and platforms. The way of the current world, indeed. Thank you for responding.

 

[IWT]

So sorry - I précis things sometimes in the hopes of combating my comsummate long-windedness... and there we have it! LOL
Problem: A. If I take a screenshot of something for example that I have seen online and try to send it to someone through messages on my iMac to someone with an Android, 100% of the time it won't send. I keep getting the "not delivered" message. (Everyone that I personally know with an iPhone tells me they have the same problem.)
B. If I try to do the same thing, send that screenshot through messages on my iPhone to an Android, 90% of the time it will send; not 100% of the time.
I have checked all my settings on my iMac that I know of, including MMS sending etc., but nothing works. Actually, even pictures from photos won't send on the iMac. So, bottom line, no images whatsoever are delivered to an Android from messages on my iMac to an Android.

May I, in this age of political correctness, say that the pictures you posted are really lovely? Charming is the word.

Ian

 

[Lifeisabeach]

I can send photos from my Macs or iPhone to Android users just fine. There is a file size limit with MMS though. It could be your images exceed that. Or perhaps your carrier doesn’t support MMS (unlikely, I think).

One thing to do is make sure you have set your iPhone to forward SMS/MMS messages to your Mac.

Set up iPhone to get SMS, MMS, and RCS messages on Mac

Get SMS, MMS, or RCS text messages on your Mac when you turn on Text Message Forwarding and sign in to your Apple Account.

support.apple.com

 

[kathmat]

May I, in this age of political correctness, say that the pictures you posted are really lovely? Charming is the word.

Ian

LOL - Ta ever so much Ian. (Yes my dad was a Geordie and my grandmother hailed from Edinburgh) It was the only thing I could grab that had the error message next to it. I had deleted all others. We are all so wary of being labeled as "weirdos" these days that people are afraid to compliment anyone anymore. 'Tis a sad world we live in, though I do understand why people are suspicious about everything and everyone. That being said... Thank you.

 

[Rod]

No one has mentioned any of the social media apps so just in case its been overlooked, you can send images via macOS WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger to any platform device.
If you don't trust those apps you can use Signal, a fully encrypted messaging service but it requires the recipient to subscribe to Signal as well.

 

[kathmat]

That is what I have resorted to and how I have indeed been sending those pictures to friends with Androids via FB and What's App, but sometimes for example, I am out looking for something for my son and snap a pic which I just want to send quickly to him. With anyone else on an iphone it's simple. Take the picture, > share > messages > person - done! The problem with the SM platforms is that not everyone is on FB or uses What's App. My daughter hates FB and won't go near it with a 10' pole. My son likewise and does not use What's App either.

 

[Lifeisabeach]

That is what I have resorted to and how I have indeed been sending those pictures to friends with Androids via FB and What's App, but sometimes for example, I am out looking for something for my son and snap a pic which I just want to send quickly to him. With anyone else on an iphone it's simple. Take the picture, > share > messages > person - done! The problem with the SM platforms is that not everyone is on FB or uses What's App. My daughter hates FB and won't go near it with a 10' pole. My son likewise and does not use What's App either.

Totally understandable. But here's the thing... if they/you want something more reliable for sharing, then you all need to get on board with a different messaging platform. Just to be very clear about something... what you are experiencing with failed messages is NOT an iOS/Android compatibility thing. It's a problem with SMS/MMS, which is the de facto standard supported by all devices and the carriers. If Android users send to another Android user via SMS/MMS, then guess what? They will have the SAME message send failures you are having when sending to an Android user. SMS/MMS simply is a very ancient messaging technology unsuitable for today's needs. It's just that simple. iPhone users are a bit spoiled because Apple did such an amazing job of integrating iMessage (which is THEIR messaging platform, akin to FB Messenger, WhatsApp, etc) directly into the Messages app that also does the "standard" SMS/MMS messaging. As far as I know, neither Google nor anyone else has done a comparable job for Android phones. In an ideal world, Apple would make iMessage an open standard, but it's not that simple. Apple hosts the messaging service and opening up could make it less secure (it's encrypted). They could "just" release an app for Android and Windows I suppose, but it wouldn't be integrated into the standard texting apps like it is on iPhone and there may be other issues in doing so. But that's all wishful thinking... it's not an option now so solves nothing.

 

[kathmat]

I seriously love when I get a good explanation to my problems. I have a better understanding now of the problem and so will just have to accept the fact that as you said - it's just not happening. I will have to get ye olde son to sign up for What's App, but you know what they say... you can take a horse to the water but you can't make it drink. The males of the species can be ever so slightly stubborn. No offense. PS - Re location... I would have chosen Europa myself but Hal warned us against that.

 

[kathmat]