iMessage Not Syncing on Mac

One of iMessage's best features is its ability to sync the messages you send or receive on your iPhone with your Mac and vice versa. This makes it easy to continue conversations on either device. Unfortunately, various reasons—such as random glitches, conflicting settings, and connectivity errors—can cause sync issues. Let's check out what you can do if your iMessage is not syncing on Mac.

What is iMessage?

iMessage is a built-in messaging service for the iPhone that allows you to communicate with other Apple users via Wi-Fi and cellular data. Unlike traditional SMS and MMS, you don't have to rely on your carrier's network for your messages and attachments to go through.

If you use an Apple ID, you can also view, send, and receive messages through the Messages app on your Mac. Your iMessage activity automatically syncs between your iPhone and Mac over iCloud, so you can see your latest messages on both devices.

Before you start:

 

An unoptimized operating system is the main reason why apps fail to work correctly on your Mac—that's why you need MacKeeper. It's a Mac maintenance utility that identifies and fixes underlying problems, such as obsolete cached data, rogue apps, and outdated software. It also provides expert technical support if you need help troubleshooting your Mac.

 

Here's how you can use MacKeeper to optimize your Mac:

1. Download and install MacKeeper.
2. Select Find & Fix on the sidebar, then choose Start Full Scan.
3. Wait until the app finishes scanning your Mac—it should only take a few minutes.
4. Work through the instructions in the scan report to optimize your Mac.
5. If the problem persists, select Premium Services.
6. Select the Chat Now button to connect to a security expert.

Why is your iMessage not syncing on your Mac

If iMessage is not syncing on your Mac, the chances are that an unexpected software-related issue will cause the Messages app to act up. Problems with your internet connection or issues on the server side can also prevent Messages from syncing your iMessage activity.

Other reasons why iMessage won't sync on your Mac include:

• The Messages in the iCloud setting is not active
• Incorrectly configured iMessage settings
• The Apple IDs on your Mac and iPhone don't match
• Phone number verification errors
• An incorrect date, time, or time zone on your Mac
• Outdated versions of macOS and iOS

How to fix MacBook iMessage not syncing

The following troubleshooting techniques can help you fix iMessage if it is not syncing with your Mac. You can:

1. Quit the Messages app and re-open it
2. Make sure Messages in iCloud is active on the Mac and iPhone
3. Check for problems with your internet connection
4. Check Apple's server status for iMessage outages
5. Use the same Apple ID for iMessage on your Mac and iPhone
6. Double-check your iMessage settings on the Mac
7. Sync your iMessage activity manually
8. Send a new message from your Mac
9. Check your text message forwarding settings
10. Verify your phone number with your Apple ID
11. Check that the time and date on your Mac is set up correctly
12. Update the system software on your Mac and iPhone

1. Quit iMessages and try again

Quitting and reopening the Messages app on your Mac can help you rule out minor technical issues that result in iMessage not working on Mac.

To quit and re-open the Messages app on your Mac:

1. Open the Apple menu and pick the option labeled Force Quit.
2. On the Force-Quit Applications dialog that appears, highlight Messages and select Force Quit.
3. Re-open the Messages app via the Dock or Launchpad.

A note from our team: Restart your Mac—open the Apple menu and select Restart—before moving on with the rest of the fixes.

2. Make sure Messages in iCloud is turned on

Your Mac and iPhone won't sync your iMessage activity if Messages in iCloud is turned off. Check the settings on both devices and enable them if they are not active.

To enable Messages in iCloud on your Mac:

1. Open the Apple menu and select System Settings.
2. Select your Apple ID and choose iCloud.
3. Select the Show More Apps button.
4. Select Messages in iCloud.
5. Enable the switch next to Use on this Mac.

To enable Messages in iCloud on your iPhone:

1. Open the Settings app and tap your Apple ID.
2. Tap iCloud and select Show All under Apps Using iCloud.
3. Tap Messages in iCloud and turn on the switch next to Use on this iPhone.

3. Check your internet connection

Do webpages and videos take ages to load? A slow internet connection could be the reason why your iMessage is not syncing on your Mac.

Here's what you can do if your internet connection is slow:

1. Turn off your router, wait for at least one minute, and turn it back on to reset the connection to your internet service provider.
2. Perform a system reboot (if you haven't already) to refresh the networking hardware on your Mac.
3. Clear your Mac's DNS (Domain Name System) cache—type Terminal into Spotlight Search and execute the sudo killall –INFO mDNSResponder command.
4. Try using a different Wi-Fi hotspot, such as the hotspot on your iPhone.
5. Contact your internet service provider if the slowdowns persist.

4. Check Apple's servers

If there's nothing wrong with your internet connection, it could be something to do with the Apple servers.

To check iMessage for server-side issues:

1. Open a web browser and visit Apple's System Status page.
2. Check the status next to iMessage.
3. If you see a red dot, you must wait until Apple gets the iMessage servers back online—it shouldn't take long.

5. Sign in with the same Apple ID

iMessage won't sync between your Mac and iPhone if the Apple IDs are different. Check the iMessage details on both devices and confirm that the accounts match.

To check the Apple ID for iMessage on your Mac:

1. Open the Messages app and Messages > Settings on the menu bar.
2. Switch to the iMessage tab.
3. Check the email address next to Apple ID—if it doesn't match the address on your iPhone, select Sign Out and sign in with the correct ID.

To check the Apple ID for iMessage on your iPhone:

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Scroll down and tap Messages.
3. Check the email address next to Apple ID—if it's different from the ID on your Mac, tap the email address, choose Sign Out, and sign in with the correct ID.

A hint from our experts: Switching Apple IDs in iMessage won't affect the Apple ID that you're signed in at the device level on your Mac or iPhone.

6. Synchronize manually

If iMessage still won't sync on your Mac, a forced synchronization of your iMessage activity might help get the ball rolling. You can check our guide on how to sync iMessages for more information, but here's the process in brief.

To sync your messages manually on your Mac:

1. Open the System Settings app and go to Apple ID > iCloud > Show All Apps > Messages in iCloud.
2. Select the Sync Now button—a blue progress bar should appear on the sidebar of the Messages app to indicate the sync progress.

To sync your messages manually on your iPhone:

1. Open the Settings app and go to Apple ID > iCloud > Show All > Messages in iCloud.
2. Tap Sync Now.

7. Check your iMessage settings on the Mac

Review the iMessage settings on your Mac again and make sure both your email address and the phone number is active. For example, if only your email address is selected, any messages you receive on your phone number won't show up on your Mac.

To check your iMessage settings on the Mac:

1. Open the Messages app.
2. Go to Messages > Settings > iMessage.
3. Activate the phone number and email address underneath the You can be reached for messages section.

8. Send a message using your Mac

Sending a message from your Mac to any of your contacts—learn how to sync contacts from iPhone to Mac—might push the Messages app to start syncing your iMessage activity again.

To send a new message from your Mac:

1. Select the Compose icon in messages at the top-right corner.
2. Type the phone number or the name of a contact into the To field.
3. Type your message into the box at the bottom of the window and press Return.

9. Check your text message forwarding settings

If you have trouble turning on Messages in iCloud on your Mac, you can still make your messages sync from your iPhone to your Mac by enabling text message forwarding.

To enable text message forwarding for your Mac:

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
2. Tap Messages > Text Message Forwarding.
3. Enable the switch next to [Your Name]'s Mac.

10. Verify your phone number with your Apple ID

Re-verifying your phone number with your iMessage account is another way to fix persistent sync issues across your Apple devices. To do that, you must disable and enable iMessage and FaceTime on your iPhone.

To re-verify your phone number with your Apple ID:

1. Go to Settings > Messages on your iPhone.
2. Disable the switch next to iMessage.
3. Go back to the previous screen and tap FaceTime.
4. Disable the switch next to FaceTime.
5. Restart your iPhone and reactivate iMessage.
6. Next, enable FaceTime.

11. Check on your Mac that the time and date are set correctly

Connectivity issues with online services like iMessages can occur if the date and time on your Mac is incorrect. Make sure that's not the case.

To check the date and time on your Mac:

1. Open the System Settings app and go to General > Date & Time.
2. Disable and enable the Set time and date automatically and Set time zone automatically using your current location options to sync the clock and time zone with the Apple servers.

12. Update your devices

New versions of macOS and iOS come with updates for the Messages app that can help with persistent errors causing iMessage to not sync with your Mac.

To update your Mac:

1. Open the System Settings app and go to General > Software Update.
2. Select Update Now if there's a pending update.

To update your iPhone:

1. Open the Settings app and select General.
2. Pick the option labeled Software Update.
3. Tap Update Now.

Conclusion

As you've already seen, iMessage won't sync on your Mac for any number of reasons. In most cases, quick fixes like quitting and re-opening the Messages app or force-syncing your messages should get iMessage syncing correctly again. If not, keep working on the rest of the troubleshooting tips above.

You could also fully turn off iMessage on Mac and turn it back on to see if that helps. Plus, use a Mac maintenance utility like MacKeeper to quickly resolve underlying problems contributing to sync issues and to minimize similar problems going forward.