iMessage not syncing on Mac

[HungarianStan]

So, I've got a Mac, latest OS version. Up until August 15th, my Mac and iPhone/iPad were all syncing just fine in iMessage. Recently fired up iMessage and realized that my last two iMessages (send on Sept 2) hadn't actually been sent. In fact, iMessage on the Mac hasn't apparently synced any of my messages since August 15th!

Thus, I come to you all. What to do that I haven't already done?

I've already logged out of iMessage on the Mac. I've turned off iMessage on my iPhone and iPad. I've disabled "this device" on the Mac, and reenabled it. None of these have worked. What's going on?

 

[Ember1205]

Is the problem with iMessages specifically, is it standard text messages, or is it both?

Generally, I would suggest signing out of iCloud and iMessage on ALL devices. Reboot everything. Then, on the phone, log back in and ensure everything is working properly. Add the iPad and ensure iMessages are working properly, then move to the Mac. Once you have iMessages working properly, enable the text message syncing one device at a time as well.

 

[lclev]

I had the same issue with iMessage. It was working fine on my iPhone but quit working on my iPad and Macbook Air. I tried to think back to when it happened and I think it occurred with one of the OS X updates but not sure which ones. What I did discover was when I looked under Preferences in Messages my cell number was not listed under where I could be reached at. Neither device showed it. My emails were still there. I basically had to reset up Messages on both devices.

Lisa

 

[HungarianStan]

Is the problem with iMessages specifically, is it standard text messages, or is it both?

Generally, I would suggest signing out of iCloud and iMessage on ALL devices. Reboot everything. Then, on the phone, log back in and ensure everything is working properly. Add the iPad and ensure iMessages are working properly, then move to the Mac. Once you have iMessages working properly, enable the text message syncing one device at a time as well.

I tried this, actually, forgot to say (meaning log out of everything in iCloud). Didn't help, of course, or I wouldn't be writing this now. But I may give it a whirl again, maybe?

 

[Ember1205]

I tried this, actually, forgot to say (meaning log out of everything in iCloud). Didn't help, of course, or I wouldn't be writing this now. But I may give it a whirl again, maybe?

Couldn't hurt. Be particular about signing out completely on all devices, restarting all devices, then bringing one device at a time back on line. Start with the phone because it's the only one that will associate a phone number to the iMessage system and you want to ensure that that is there. Additionally, ensure that the iMessage setup completely finishes and registers correctly with each device before moving on to the next one.

Of course, Lisa raises an excellent point about checking the iMessage settings on each device to ensure that the appropriate "IDs" are represented everywhere.

 

[HungarianStan]

Little update: When I right click on the icon for iMessage, it tells me "Status: Offline", but when I try to change it, it doesn't change - it's stays Status Offline. What gives?

I will try with all devices now and see, as said.

 

[Ember1205]

Mine says the same thing. And mine is syncing fine across five devices.

 

[MacInWin]

Try sending a text from Messages to someone. If it goes and it appears on your iPhone, it's working. BTW, I get the same Offline thing on the icon, too. Looks broken to me.

 

[HungarianStan]

Try sending a text from Messages to someone. If it goes and it appears on your iPhone, it's working. BTW, I get the same Offline thing on the icon, too. Looks broken to me.

Tried that, and it doesn't work.

Tried the other things too here so far.

 

[Ember1205]

By the way.. .That "Status" setting is intended for the other IM services that you can connect to on the Mac - it doesn't work with iMessage only.

 

[Ember1205]

If you completely sign out of iMessage and iCloud on all devices, restart, and then sign in on iMessage on the Mac - are you able to send an iMessage out to anyone? It's important that the recipient be another iMessage user.

 

[HungarianStan]

If you completely sign out of iMessage and iCloud on all devices, restart, and then sign in on iMessage on the Mac - are you able to send an iMessage out to anyone? It's important that the recipient be another iMessage user.

Tried that, failed. My wife's iPhone.

Another wrinkle. I checked my phone and it says only one device (my iPad) enabled. So, I told it to enable my Mac. I get the message on my phone to do Text Message Forwarding and it needs a code that it says will popup on my Mac. Said number is no where, or at least, I don't know where it is supposed to pop up. Does that give more info?

 

[HungarianStan]

By the way.. .That "Status" setting is intended for the other IM services that you can connect to on the Mac - it doesn't work with iMessage only.

Thanks for that. Didn't know!

 

[MacInWin]

Tried that, failed. My wife's iPhone.

Another wrinkle. I checked my phone and it says only one device (my iPad) enabled. So, I told it to enable my Mac. I get the message on my phone to do Text Message Forwarding and it needs a code that it says will popup on my Mac. Said number is no where, or at least, I don't know where it is supposed to pop up. Does that give more info?

It should, as I recall, pop up in Messages. You enter that number back into the iPhone and that verifies that Apple has connected the right iPhone to the right Mac.

 

[Ember1205]

Ok. Looks like the issue is the iMessages app on the Mac not properly registering.

Sign out of everything again, restart everything, and then don't sign back in to anything for at least an hour or two.

While you're waiting, be sure that you have completely signed out of iCloud and all iCloud services (except Mail) on all devices, too. This includes the Find my iPhone and equivalents. Once signed out, go to icloud.com and log in. Go to Settings and ensure that all of your devices are gone from the list of registered devices. If you have any devices on that list that you no longer own, get rid of them.

Check to see how much free storage you have. You may need to delete some content if the storage is "full" so that you have some working space for syncing of your iCloud data to set up correctly.

 

[HungarianStan]

Ok. Looks like the issue is the iMessages app on the Mac not properly registering.

Sign out of everything again, restart everything, and then don't sign back in to anything for at least an hour or two.

While you're waiting, be sure that you have completely signed out of iCloud and all iCloud services (except Mail) on all devices, too. This includes the Find my iPhone and equivalents. Once signed out, go to icloud.com and log in. Go to Settings and ensure that all of your devices are gone from the list of registered devices. If you have any devices on that list that you no longer own, get rid of them.

Check to see how much free storage you have. You may need to delete some content if the storage is "full" so that you have some working space for syncing of your iCloud data to set up correctly.

Wow! Nuclear option! So...won't be able to do this until tomorrow after work, as I'm off to bed now and of course, full work tomorrow. So, I'll probably give it a go then.

Thanks! Scary but worth trying. Now that I think about it, I imagine all this has been happening since the last update.

 

[HungarianStan]

Just to follow up, I tried everything and no dice - same problem. So, when I redid everything, I go to do the Text Forwarding on the iPhone, and I slide over for the Mac, the iPhone asks for the code, but the code never pops up on the Mac. So, I don't know what to do. Further help?

 

[ferrarr]

After you "redid" everything, what devices are you signed into? If you log into iCloud again, what devices are you signed in to?

 

[Ember1205]

I've had this problem before and I solved it by signing out of everything and starting again. Something might be off with your iCloud account and you could consider contacting Apple about it. Or, if you don't use that email address for anything, just make a new one.

 

[HungarianStan]

I've had this problem before and I solved it by signing out of everything and starting again. Something might be off with your iCloud account and you could consider contacting Apple about it. Or, if you don't use that email address for anything, just make a new one.

Probably give it a whirl and then, yeah, I'll have to maybe contact an Apple person about it. Sigh.