What Devices Do I Need?
Want to get iMessage up and running with CRM? You're in the right place! To make sure your messages sync perfectly without any hiccups, your Apple devices need to meet a few basic requirements.
Here is a friendly, simple guide to the iPhones and Macs that work best with GoGHL.
To make the magic happen, you need both an iPhone and a Mac. Your Mac acts as the bridge that connects your iPhone's iMessage directly into CRM.
π± iPhone Requirementsβ
The Minimum iOSβ
iOS Version: Your iPhone needs to be running at least iOS 12.0.
We highly recommend using iOS 14.0 or newer. It gives you the best performance, the latest security updates, and ensures everything runs smoothly.
Which iPhones Work Best?β
Here is a quick breakdown of how different iPhone models handle the GoGHL iMessage integration:
β Fully Supported & Recommendedβ
These are your best bets for a flawless experience.
| iPhone Model | Minimum iOS | How well does it work? |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone 15 (All models) | iOS 17 | β Excellent |
| iPhone 14 (All models) | iOS 16 | β Excellent |
| iPhone 13 (All models) | iOS 15 | β Excellent |
| iPhone 12 (All models) | iOS 14 | β Excellent |
| iPhone 11 (All models) | iOS 13 | β Very Good |
| iPhone XS / XS Max / XR | iOS 12 | β Very Good |
| iPhone X | iOS 11 | β Good |
| iPhone 8 / 8 Plus | iOS 11 | β Good |
| iPhone 7 / 7 Plus | iOS 10 | β Good |
| iPhone SE (2nd Gen or newer) | iOS 13 | β Very Good |
| iPhone SE (3rd Gen) | iOS 15 | β Excellent |
β οΈ Older Devices (Limited Support)β
These will work, but the hardware is getting a bit old, so they might be slower.
| iPhone Model | Maximum iOS | Status |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone 6s / 6s Plus | iOS 15 | β οΈ Minimum β Works, but it's an older device |
| iPhone SE (1st Gen) | iOS 15 | β οΈ Minimum β Works, but it's an older device |
β Not Recommendedβ
Please avoid using these devices for your setup.
| iPhone Model | Maximum iOS | Status |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone 6 / 6 Plus | iOS 12.5.7 | β Not recommended β Too slow |
| iPhone 5s or older | Below iOS 12 | β Not supported |
Even though the iPhone 6 can technically run iOS 12 (which is our minimum requirement), we really don't recommend it. It's quite slow, lacks modern security updates, and simply doesn't have enough memory to sync messages reliably.
A Few Extra iPhone Detailsβ
Text Message Forwarding: Make sure your iPhone supports SMS Text Message Forwarding to your Mac. Some really old models struggle with this.
Your Cellular Plan: You'll need an active cell plan that can send and receive SMS texts, plus a solid data connection so iMessage can do its thing.
π» Mac Requirementsβ
The Minimum macOSβ
macOS Version: Your Mac needs to be running macOS Monterey (12.4) or newer.
For the absolute best performance and security, we recommend using macOS Ventura (13.0) or newer.
Which Macs Work Best?β
Our iMessage Sync app runs beautifully on any Mac made in Late 2014 or later.
β Fully Supported Macsβ
| Mac Model | Minimum Year | macOS Support |
|---|---|---|
| Mac Studio | 2022+ | β macOS Monterey+ |
| Mac Mini | Late 2014+ | β macOS Monterey+ |
| MacBook | 2015+ | β macOS Monterey+ |
| MacBook Air | Late 2014+ | β macOS Monterey+ |
| MacBook Pro | Late 2014+ | β macOS Monterey+ |
| iMac | Late 2014+ | β macOS Monterey+ |
| iMac Pro | 2017+ | β macOS Monterey+ |
| Mac Pro | Late 2013+ | β macOS Monterey+ |
How to Check Your Mac's Ageβ
Not sure how old your Mac is? It's easy to check:
- Click the Apple logo (ο£Ώ) in the top left corner of your screen.
- Click About This Mac.
- Look at the Year, Model, and macOS version.
- If you aren't on Monterey 12.4 yet, just run a quick software update!
If your Mac is older than Late 2014, it sadly won't be able to run macOS Monterey, which means it won't work with GoGHL.
π Our Favorite Hardware Setupβ
The Winner: A Mac Miniβ
If you are setting up a dedicated machine for GoGHL, we strongly recommend buying a Mac mini. Here is why:
β It's Affordable You can find them second-hand for a great price, and they use way less electricity than bigger Macs.
β It Fits Anywhere It's a tiny little box. You can tuck it away in a closet or on a shelf and forget about it.
β Built to Run 24/7 Unlike laptops, the Mac mini is designed to stay on all the time without overheating.
β No Screen Required You don't even need a monitor, keyboard, or mouse! You can just access it remotely using Screen Sharing.
Mac Mini Cheat Sheetβ
| Mac Mini Model | Year | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| M2 Mac mini | 2023 | Running multiple iMessage accounts (Silent & powerful) |
| M1 Mac mini | 2020 | Running multiple iMessage accounts (Great value) |
| Intel Mac mini | 2018β2020 | Running a single account (Runs a bit warmer) |
| Intel Mac mini | 2014β2018 | Budget option for a single account |
Other Mac Optionsβ
MacBooks (Laptops): Great for testing things out. However, keeping a laptop plugged in 24/7 isn't great for its battery, and it's generally more expensive than a Mac mini.
iMacs (Desktops with Screens): Great if you are also using it as your everyday work computer. But if it's just sitting in a corner running GoGHL, the big screen wastes a lot of electricity.
Mac Studio / Mac Pro: These are incredibly powerful machines! But honestly, they are completely overkill unless you are trying to run 4 or more iPhones at the exact same time.
π The Best Way: Rent a Cloud Macβ
We strongly suggest renting a Mac in the cloud instead of using your personal laptop. A Cloud Mac is on 24/7, never goes to sleep, and means you don't have to leave a laptop running in your closet just to keep your messages syncing.
Why we recommend this:
- Never Miss a Beat: 100% uptime means your messages always send instantly.
- Zero Headaches: You never have to worry about dead batteries, sleep mode, or a dropped wifi signal.
- Easy Upgrades: Need more power? You can upgrade your cloud Mac with one click.
We've partnered with HostMyApple to give you a 15% discount on your first month. Grab the code below to use at checkout:
APR1526
π How Much Power Do I Need?β
RAM (Memory)β
| Number of iPhones | The Bare Minimum | What We Recommend |
|---|---|---|
| 1 iPhone | 8 GB | 8 GB |
| 2 iPhones | 8 GB | 16 GB |
| 3β4 iPhones | 16 GB | 16β32 GB |
If you want to connect multiple iPhones to the same Mac, you'll need more RAM. Every iPhone needs its own user profile on the Mac, and running them all at once eats up memory quickly.
Storage Spaceβ
- Minimum: 128 GB SSD
- Recommended: 256 GB SSD or more. (Messages with photos and videos take up space over time!)
Internet Connectionβ
- Wired Ethernet: We highly recommend plugging your Mac directly into your router for the best stability.
- WiFi: It works, but it can occasionally drop out.
- Speed: Try to have at least 25 Mbps download / 10 Mbps upload for a smooth experience.
π’ Running Multiple iPhones on One Mac (Advanced)β
If you're an agency running multiple clients, you can connect several iPhones to a single Mac! You do this by creating a separate macOS user profile for each phone.
Setting Up the Profilesβ
For every iPhone you want to connect:
- Open System Settings β Users & Groups.
- Click Add User.
- Create a Standard user account.
- Name it something obvious (like "iPhone-Client-A").
Getting the App Runningβ
- Log into your first user profile.
- Install the iMessage Sync app and connect the first iPhone.
- Leave the app running.
- Switch user to the next profile. (Do not log out!)
- Repeat for the next iPhone.
You must use "Switch User" instead of "Log Out". All of the user profiles need to stay logged in at the same time so the apps can run in the background.
The Golden Rules for Multiple Phonesβ
We strongly advise keeping it to a maximum of 4 iPhones per Mac. If you run too many, Apple might get suspicious and flag the accounts. Also, remember that every single account needs to stay under Apple's 50 new contacts a day limit.
β Do:
- Make sure your Mac has at least 16GB of RAM.
- Keep all profiles logged in at the same time.
β Don't:
- Don't push past 4 iPhones on one Mac.
- Don't use a really old, slow Mac for this.
- Don't log out of the profiles!
βοΈ Keeping Your Mac Awake 24/7β
Your Mac needs to stay awake so your messages can sync. See the Mac sleep settings guide in the Full Setup docs for step-by-step instructions.
β Your Final Checklistβ
Before you start connecting everything, make sure you can check all these boxes:
The iPhone:
- βοΈ It's an iPhone 6s or newer.
- βοΈ It's running iOS 12.0 or newer.
- βοΈ iMessage is turned on in the Settings app.
- βοΈ It's plugged into power and connected to WiFi.
The Mac:
- βοΈ It's from Late 2014 or newer.
- βοΈ It's running macOS Monterey (12.4) or newer.
- βοΈ You're signed into the exact same Apple ID as the iPhone.
- βοΈ The Mac's power settings are set to never sleep.
GoGHL:
- βοΈ You've downloaded the iMessage Sync app to your Mac.
- βοΈ You have your Activation Code ready from the dashboard.