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What's new in macOS 10.13.5: Messages in iCloud

A few days after the iOS 11.4 update, macOS 10.13.5 has finally been unleashed for the Mac. While primarily focused on bug fixes, there are at least a couple things of note here in Apple's latest update.

We installed the latest build and scoured through for any noticeable changes. As often is the case, Apple outlined the biggest change right in the release notes.

Messages in iCloud, which arrives to iPhone's and iPads with iOS 11.4 is now available with this update. It can be quickly enabled by going to the Messages app, Preferences > Accounts > then tick the box that reads Enable Messages in iCloud.

Otherwise, no major changes were found, other than a very slight frame rate increase in games with using an eGPU.

macOS 10.13.5 was in public testing just over 8 weeks and saw 5 beta releases. Earlier this week, Apple also debuted the first beta of 10.13.6.

The release of macOS 10.13.5 follows the releases earlier this week of iOS 11.4, tvOS 11.4, watchOS 4.3.1, and HomePod firmware 11.4. It also precedes WWDC, where Apple is expected to release the first beta of macOS 10.14, as well as betas of their other software platforms.



34 Comments

dougd 12 Years · 292 comments

Why do you need messages in iCloud?

ascii 19 Years · 5930 comments

You got this up quick!

I just set it up myself. You enable Messages in iCloud in iCloud settings on your phone but in the Messages app on the Mac which is inconsistent. There is a "Sync Now" button in Messages on the Mac too, but it wasn't needed when I initially set it up, a bunch of messages which were only in the cloud (having been uploaded from my phone yesterday) came down to the Mac automatically. So what is that button for going forward I wonder? Is there the potential for it to get out of sync in some scenarios? 

MacPro 18 Years · 19845 comments

dougd said:
Why do you need messages in iCloud?

I think it syncs better across devices.

charles1 10 Years · 91 comments

Is this ALL that's in this update? Yeah I saw one obscure bugfix, but this has to be the most minor 00.1 update ever.