When sending with StraightText, do you see text messages showing up as being sent from your email address instead of your phone number? Or maybe text messages to Android numbers are not being sent at all? If this is the case, you likely don’t have iMessage correctly setup to send from your phone number.

How to Make iMessage on Mac Send from Phone Number:

1. Open the Messages app on your Mac
2. Click Messages > Preferences in the menu at the top left of the screen
3. Click iMessage
4. Make sure Start new conversations from is set to your phone number, and You can be reached for messages at has your phone number checked too

Now all text messages sent from StraightText should show up as sent from your phone number instead of from your email address, and texts sent to Android numbers should work too. This should also be the case for texts sent from you Mac Messages App.

If you don’t see your phone number in the Start new conversations from dropdown, try these steps:

• Signout of iMessage and sign back in
• If signing out and back in didn’t work, your phone number might not be setup for iMessage/Messages App. Please follow these steps to get it set up: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201349

If you DO see your phone number listed but sending to Android numbers still doesn’t work:

• Make sure you enable Text Message Forwarding on your iPhone

Fix StraightText Messages: Send from Your Phone Number Instead of Email

Are you experiencing issues with StraightText where your text messages appear to be sent from your email address rather than your phone number? Or perhaps your messages to Android users aren’t going through at all? This common problem typically stems from incorrect iMessage configuration on your Mac.

Why This Happens

When iMessage isn’t properly configured to use your phone number as the primary sending address, your Mac defaults to using your Apple ID email address for outgoing messages. This creates several problems:

• Recipient confusion: People receive texts from your email instead of recognizing your phone number
• Android delivery failures: Messages to Android devices may fail to send entirely
• Inconsistent messaging: Some messages send as iMessages while others send as SMS, creating a fragmented conversation experience
• Professional appearance: Email addresses in text conversations can appear unprofessional or spam-like

How to Text from MacBook with Phone Number

To send text messages from your MacBook using your phone number (rather than email), you need to properly configure the Messages app. This setup allows you to send both iMessages and SMS texts directly from your MacBook while maintaining your phone number identity.

Prerequisites:

• Both your iPhone and MacBook must be signed into the same Apple ID
• Your iPhone needs cellular service and iMessage enabled
• Both devices should be connected to Wi-Fi

Quick Setup:

1. Open Messages app on your MacBook
2. Go to Messages > Preferences > iMessage
3. Set “Start new conversations from” to your phone number
4. Ensure your phone number is checked under “You can be reached for messages at”
5. Enable Text Message Forwarding on your iPhone (Settings > Messages > Text Message Forwarding)

Once configured, you can text anyone—iPhone or Android users—directly from your MacBook, and recipients will see your phone number as the sender.

Final Thoughts

Properly configuring iMessage on your Mac ensures that StraightText and other messaging applications send texts from your phone number rather than your email address. This simple configuration change resolves most delivery issues with Android devices and provides a more professional, consistent messaging experience.

The key is ensuring your phone number is selected as the primary sending address in your Mac’s Messages preferences and that Text Message Forwarding is enabled on your iPhone. With these settings properly configured, you’ll enjoy seamless text messaging across all platforms through StraightText.

Have questions? Just send us an email at support@straighttext.com.