I was surprised when I first heard that I could use iMessage on my Windows PC with the help of Google Chrome web browsers. Chrome is something that I use every day and it provides me with lots of features for free. I was glad to hear about the remote desktop extension. The remote desktop tool will mirror everything that is running on Mac and this way you can get iMessage on your PC too. Yes, you need to have Mac computer for this to work. This means that you are not going to install iMessage on your Windows computer. You are simply accessing iMessage on a Mac computer remotely using a Chrome extension.
WITH THE HELP OF CHROME REMOTE DESKTOP APPLICATION
So, what you need is both Mac and Windows computer. It is also important to make sure that the Mac computer is ON when you are using iMessage on your PC using Chrome.
Lets get started! Here are the steps:
- The first thing you need to do is to make sure you have Google Chrome browser on both the computers
- Once you have installed Chrome, you need to install the Remote Desktop extension on both using the link https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/chrome-remote-desktop/gbchcmhmhahfdphkhkmpfmihenigjmpp?hl=en
- Once that’s done you need to run the extension by clicking on ‘Launch App’
- Make sure that you have also installed what is called Chrome Remote Desktop Host Installer on your Mac computer. This will make sure your Mac is treated like a host
- Now you need to run Chrome Remote Desktop tool on your Mac on which you will be running iMessage
- You will see a code appearing in a pop-up. This is the code you will need to provide the client from which you will be accessing the Mac computer remotely. You may write the code down somewhere or copy it
- Now when you are on your Windows PC, run Chrome browser and then launch Remote Desktop Extension
- Simply enter the code you were provided from Mac.
- Once the code is entered you will be able to share Mac computer screen remotely
This means you have access to all the apps and files that are stored on your Mac computer. This also means you can access iMessage through Chrome on your Windows desktop.
The one thing to remember is that both Mac and Windows have to be ON at the time of remote access. Also, both the computers need to connected to internet (Wi-Fi preferred). But, they don’t have to be connected to the same internet network. After all, it is about remote access.
Another thing to remember is that there is a difference between direct access and remote access. You may not experience the same performance capabilities over the internet.
If you don’t like Chrome remote desktop application then you can use other remote access apps such as TeamViewer. However, Chrome is absolutely free while other apps charge a fee. Chrome isn’t as good as TeamViewer for remote access but if it is just iMessage you wish to use then it is good enough.
IPADIAN METHOD
The other way to use iMessage on Windows is to use the iOS emulator called iPadian. This tool gives you restricted access to iOS ecosystem on your Windows PC. But, it is not a full-fledged application and you may experience some performance issues as well.
You can install iPadian from https://ipadian.en.softonic.com/download#
It is not a foolproof application and is prone to crashing and malfunctioning. But, it is worth a try.
Just install this app and run it. You will need to create an Apple ID and Password as if it is your new iOS device.
Conclusion
iMessage is an incredibly popular instant messaging application among those who use iOS devices such as iPhone and iPad. It also works on Mac. Now you can get it working on Windows with the help of our iMessage guide above. Enjoy!
| About the Guest Author:
Amish Tripathi – Blogger/SEO Expert
