How to Text Yourself on iMessage (iPhone, iPad and Mac)

To text yourself on iMessage, start a new conversation in the Messages app and enter your own phone number or Apple Account email in the To field. Messages doesn’t have a separate note-to-self feature, so this is the same as messaging anyone else. Type a note, paste a link or add a photo, then send it.

Below are the steps for iPhone, iPad and Mac, how to keep your notes in sync, a few ways to keep the conversation organized, and where it falls short if you use it as your notes app.

How to text yourself on iPhone

1. Open the Messages app.
2. In the conversation list, tap Compose at the bottom of the screen.
3. Tap the To field, then enter your own phone number or the email address of your Apple Account.
4. Tap the text field above the keyboard and type your note. You can also tap the Add button (to the left of the text field) to add photos, videos, audio messages and more.
5. Tap Send.

If a message can’t be sent, an alert appears. Tap it to try again.

To check which phone numbers and email addresses you use with iMessage, go to Settings > Apps > Messages > Send & Receive.

How to text yourself on iPad

1. Open the Messages app.
2. Tap Compose at the top of the screen.
3. Tap the To field, then enter your own phone number or the email address of your Apple Account.
4. Tap the text field above the keyboard and type your note.
5. Tap Send.

How to text yourself on Mac

1. Open the Messages app. If you aren’t signed in, enter your Apple Account email or phone number and password. Use the same Apple Account as on your iPhone and iPad.
2. Click Compose.
3. In the To field, enter your own phone number or the email address of your Apple Account.
4. Type your note in the field at the bottom of the window.
5. Press Return to send it.

To choose which phone numbers and email addresses you use on your Mac, choose Messages > Settings, click iMessage, then pick them under “You can be reached for messages at.”

Keep your notes in sync with Messages in iCloud

With Messages in iCloud, conversations sync on every device signed in to the same Apple Account that has it turned on. Your message history stays up to date, even when you set up a new device.

• On iPhone or iPad: Go to Settings > your name > iCloud. Tap Messages (or tap See All first if you don’t see it), then turn on Use on this iPhone.
• On Mac: In Messages, choose Messages > Settings, click iMessage, then select Enable Messages in iCloud.

When you first turn it on, it can take some time for all your messages to appear on each device. Messages in iCloud uses your iCloud storage.

How to forward or share something to yourself

Your conversation with yourself also works as a place to keep things other people send you.

On iPhone:

1. Open the conversation with the message you want to keep.
2. Touch and hold the message, then tap More.
3. Select one or more messages, then tap the Share button.
4. Enter your own phone number or Apple Account email, then tap Send.

On Mac: Control-click the message or attachment, then choose Forward.

From another app on iPhone: Select what you want to share, tap More > Share, then choose Messages.

Tips to organize your conversation with yourself

• Pin the conversation. On iPhone or iPad, touch and hold the conversation, then tap Pin. On Mac, drag it to the top of the sidebar, or Control-click it and choose Pin. Pinned conversations appear at the top of the conversation list.
• Pin a link inside the conversation. On iPhone, touch and hold a message with a link, then tap Pin. To find it, tap the icon at the top of the conversation, then tap a category such as Links. Pinned items appear at the top.
• Search your notes. On iPhone, tap the search field below the conversation list and enter a word or phrase. Type a name and tap Messages with or Messages in to search one conversation, or start with a term such as Photo or Link to filter by type. On Mac, click the search field at the top of the sidebar. There you can also search for text or objects inside an image.
• Schedule a note with Send Later. On iPhone or iPad, tap the Add button, tap Send Later, choose a time, then send. On Mac, click the Apps button to the left of the message field, click Send Later, choose a date and time, then press Return. You can schedule up to 14 days ahead. This needs iMessage on iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS 15 or later.
• Fix a typo. On iPhone, touch and hold the message and tap Edit. On Mac, Control-click it and choose Edit, or press Command-E. You can edit a message up to five times within 15 minutes of sending it, and unsend it with Undo Send for up to 2 minutes. This needs iOS 16, iPadOS 16.1, macOS 13 or later.
• React with a Tapback. On iPhone, double-tap or touch and hold a message, then choose a Tapback such as a heart, a thumbs-up or an emoji. On Mac, Control-click the message. You can add one Tapback per message and change or remove it later.
• Keep audio notes on Mac. An audio message you record on Mac disappears from the conversation 2 minutes after you send it. To keep it, click Keep.

Where iMessage falls short for notes

Texting yourself in Messages is quick because the app is already on your iPhone, iPad and Mac. It gets harder when it becomes your main place for notes and tasks.

• Your notes sit among your conversations. The conversation with yourself is in the same list as your conversations with other people. Pinning keeps it near the top, but it is still one conversation among the rest.
• No folders or tags. Apple’s Messages guides cover pinning, filters for unread messages and unknown senders, and search. They don’t describe folders or tags for sorting messages inside a conversation.
• No to-dos or reminders. The guides don’t describe checklists or to-do lists. Send Later schedules a message. Apple doesn’t describe it as a reminder.
• Edits have a time limit. You can edit a message only within 15 minutes of sending it, so you can’t go back and update an older note.
• Old notes can be deleted automatically. If Keep Messages is set to anything other than Forever, conversations and their attachments are removed after that time. With Messages in iCloud, deleting a message on one device deletes it on your other devices too.
• No export. Apple’s guides describe forwarding messages and sharing attachments, not exporting a conversation. Nothing reaches Apple Notes, Obsidian, Notion or wherever you keep the rest of your notes.

If you keep moving notes out of Messages by hand, or you never look at them again, an app built for notes can keep the same habit and fix the rest.

Alternatives: Better way to send yourself apps that feel like texting yourself

Texting yourself on iMessage is an easy way to send yourself something. If you also use it for notes, you can make it better. These apps keep the same open, type, send habit and add what a notes app needs: separate spaces, to-dos and reminders, with no other conversations pulling you away.

tetrify: Text Yourself Notes

tetrify looks like a messaging app, but every chat is yours. Notes, tasks and journal entries each get their own Space, so they don’t run together the way they do in one Messages conversation with yourself.

• Separate chat Spaces for notes, tasks and a journal
• Turns a text into a task with a time-based notification
• Export to other productivity apps, plus the Share Sheet

Platforms: iPhone, iPad, Mac.

Strflow: Text Yourself Notes

Strflow is a chat-style timeline for notes and to-dos. You type and send, then add structure when you need it.

• Tags that turn into topic timelines
• Checklists collect in a to-do timeline, and scheduled notes show up as reminders
• Share Sheet and Shortcuts on iOS, and a shortcut key on Mac
• Stored on your device, with optional encrypted iCloud sync and Markdown export

Platforms: iPhone, iPad, Mac.

Quick Capture & Notes - Qept

Qept presents itself as a replacement for messaging yourself. You write notes like texts, then come back later to refine them or tick them off.

• Notes that look and feel like texts
• Group notes by topic
• Checkboxes for to-do lists
• A Safari extension

Platforms: iPhone, iPad.

For more options, see the best note to self apps for iPhone.

Many people use both. Messages stays the place for conversations with other people, and a send yourself app takes the notes you write for yourself.

FAQ

Can I text myself on iMessage?

Messages doesn't have a separate note-to-self feature. To text yourself, start a new conversation the usual way and enter your own phone number or Apple Account email in the To field, then type your note and send it.

How do I message myself in the Messages app on Mac?

Open Messages, click the Compose button, then enter your own phone number or Apple Account email in the To field. Type your note and press Return to send it.

Where do I find my conversation with myself?

Messages groups messages by conversation in the conversation list, so it sits there with your other conversations. To keep it at the top, pin it. To find a note later, use the search field in Messages.

Do messages to myself show up on my iPhone, iPad and Mac?

Turn on Messages in iCloud on each device and sign in to the same Apple Account on all of them. Your conversations then sync across those devices, and your message history stays up to date, even when you set up a new device.

Why don't messages to myself show up on my Mac or iPad?

Apple says that if you're not signed in to your Apple Account on a device, or Messages in iCloud is turned off there, your messages won't be kept up to date on that device. Check that you're signed in to the same Apple Account everywhere, that Messages in iCloud is on, and that your devices are up to date.

Can I edit or unsend a message I sent myself?

With iMessage, you can edit a sent message up to five times within 15 minutes of sending it, and unsend a message for up to 2 minutes. This needs iOS 16, iPadOS 16.1, macOS 13 or later. After that, you can delete a message, and it stays in Recently Deleted for up to 30 days.

Can I set reminders or to-dos in my conversation with myself?

Apple's Messages guides don't describe checklists or to-do lists. You can use Send Later to schedule an iMessage up to 14 days ahead (iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS 15 or later). Apple describes this as scheduling a message, not as a reminder.

Can I move messages to myself into Notion, Obsidian or another notes app?

Apple's Messages guides don't describe a way to export a conversation. You can forward selected messages, and copy, save or print an attachment from the Share button. If you want notes to land in a notes app as you write them, a send yourself app built for notes does that.