How to set up iMessage on Mac Launch Messages from your desktop, dock, or Applications folder. By default, the Messages app will use your Apple ID to log you in. In case that doesn't happen, enter your Apple ID email address and password.
- Sign into iCloud on your Mac and iPhone using the same Apple ID On your Mac open the Messages app On your iPhone go to Settings Messages Text Messages Forwarding You should now see your Mac listed - tap on the toggle to enable it.
- How to Get iMessage on Mac – 100% Working. The iMessage is an Apple’s messaging service which you get automatically using your Apple ID. The application of iMessage comes as a pre-installed application on every Macbook. There is no need to head up to the Apple store to get the iMessage application on a Macbook.
- You can send and receive text messages on your Mac if you own an iPhone. As long as you have OS X Yosemite or later, you can get text messages on your Mac. IMessages are sent over an internet connection, so it makes sense that Mac would be able to receive them.
- Click the checkbox for 'Enable this account' to turn on iMessage on your Mac. If no Apple ID is listed in the left column, click the '+' button at the bottom and enter the email address and password for your iMessage account.
iMessage is Apple’s instant messaging service for devices like iPhone, iPad and even Mac. It allows users to send and receive messages, photos, videos and more between any Apple devices over a cellular data or Wi-Fi network. Besides, iMessage can be synced across iOS and Mac devices when logged into the same Apple ID. However, many Apple users complaint that their iMessages not syncing between Mac and iPhone, especially after iOS 13 update. For example:
Q: iMessage not syncing between iOS & Mac devices since installing iOS 13
“I installed iOS 13 on my iPhone 7 and iPad Pro yesterday and since then I can’t get iMessage to sync between them and my MacBook Pro. I tried turning iMessage on and off on all devices and also checked the settings to be sure that the send and receive options have been selected. The issue still exits. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.”
Having you ever dealing with the same issue? If yes, you’ve come to the right place. iMessage not syncing on Mac is one of the most common issues faced by Apple users. In this article, we will show you 7 ways to fix the problem of iMessage on Mac not syncing with iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max, iPhone XR/XS/XS Max, iPhone X/8/7/6s/6 Plus, and vice versa. All these methods mentioned below will work on any version of iOS and Mac OS, even the newest iOS 13 and macOS catalina.
- Tip 1. Check iMessage Settings
- Tip 2. Turn Off iMessage then Back On
- Tip 3. Confirm Your Phone Number with Apple ID
- Tip 4. Try to Send iMessage from Device That is Not Syncing
- Tip 5. Restart iPhone and Mac Devices
- Tip 6. Reset Network Settings on Both Devices
- Tip 7. Alternative Way to Sync iMessages between iPhone and Mac
Tip 1. Check iMessage Settings
If you’re facing the iMessage not syncing problem, the first thing you should do is checking your iMessage settings and ensure that both your iPhone and Mac sharing the same Apple ID. Sometimes, your iMessage settings may be changed after iOS 13/12 upgrade.
- On your iPhone: Go to Settings > Messages > Send & Receive, click on it and ensure that your phone number and Apple ID are set correctly and checked. If not, you can simply edit it and sign in with the right Apple ID.
- On your Mac: Open the Message app and select Messages in the top menu bar, then choose “Preference” and click on the “Accounts” tab. Make sure the phone number and Apple ID are the same as on your iPhone. If not, click on the + icon at the bottom to add the right Apple ID.
Tip 2. Turn Off iMessage then Back On
Another easy way you can try to solve the problem of iMessage not syncing between iPhone and Mac is trying to turn iMessage off and then back on again. A simple rebooting of your iMessage app can do a magic job. Here’s how to do it:
- On your iPhone: Go to Settings > Messages and turn off iMessage.
- On your Mac: Open the Message app, click on Messages > Preferences > Accounts and click on the account that you want to turn off, then uncheck the “Enable this account” option under the Apple ID.
After turning off iMessages on both your iPhone and Mac computer. Waif for several minutes and turn the iMessage back on again, then check if the iMessages sync properly across your devices. If not, you can move to the next solution.
Tip 3. Confirm Your Phone Number with Appe ID
If you’ve tried the above two steps but the iMessage is still not syncing properly, you should confirm that the proper phone number is tied to the Apple ID in use. Follow the instructions below to confirm your Apple ID phone number:
- Navigate to the Apple official website and login in with your Apple ID and password.
- Go to Account and you will see all your personal details. From here, make sure that you have the correct phone number and email address.
For most people, this will solve the iMessage on Mac not syncing with iPhone problem. If not, don’t worry, we sill have a bunch of tricks left that you can surely give a try.
Tip 4. Try to Send iMessage from Device That is Not Syncing
If you are still facing the iMessage on Mac not syncing with iPhone problem, your device might be lagging. The easy solution over here is to simply send an iMessage from the device that is not able to sync. Just open the iMessage app and send any kind of text to any person.
This might look simple and easy but works for some Apple users. Sometimes, your device may be falling to receive iMessages on time and sending a message using it will surely make it sync again. This especially applies if you have an outdated version or you are not using the latest iOS version in your iPhone devices.
Tip 5. Restart iPhone and Mac Devices
Just like turning off iMessage and then turning it back on, you can also try restarting both your Mac and iPhone devices. In some cases, simply restarting your devices can help to refresh the iMessage app and get your iMessage syncing correctly again. Follow the steps below:
- How to restart iPhone: Press and hold the Top or Side button until the poser off slider appears, then drag the slider to turn your iPhone off. After that, press and hold the Top or Side button again until the Apple logo appears.
- How to restart Mac: Click on the Apple key and then choose Restart, or you can press Control + Command + Eject keys together.
Tip 6. Reset Network Settings on Both Devices
The biggest culprit here is the network. If your iMessage not syncing between Mac and iPhone, you should check your network settings and Wi-Fi connections to ensure your devices connected to a stable network. Also, you can try resetting the network settings on both devices to fix the problem.
- Reset network settings on iPhone: Go to Settings > General > Reset > Reset Network Settings, then enter your passcode and wait for the process to complete.
- Reset network settings on Mac: Unlike iPhone, resetting the network settings in macOS requires a bit more effort. And this will delete certain system configuration files, so you’d better back up your Mac computer before resetting.
- Back up your Mac device and close down any apps that use the network on it.
- Click on the Wi-Fi icon in the top menu bar and select “Turn Wi-Fi” off.
- Locate the Finder and click on it, then press Command + Shift + G keys together to open the Go to Folder window.
- Type /Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/ into the blank and click Go, you will see a list of Configuration files.
- Select all the network-related files from that list. Once selected, drag them to another location like your desktop.
- Finally, click the Apple menu and select Restart. Your Mac computer will restart and your network settings will have been cleared.
Tip 7. Alternative Way to Sync iMessages between iPhone and Mac
After trying all the above-given tips, if you are still not able to solve the iMessage on Mac not syncing with iPhone error, you can try an alternative way to sync iMessages between Mac and iPhone. Here we recommend Fucosoft iOS Data Backup & Restore – using which you can transfer and export all un-synced iMessages from iPhone to Mac in PDF, Text or HTML format. Plus, you are able to export text messages, contacts, call history, WhatsApp & WeChat chats, photos, videos, notes and much more data from iPhone or iPad.
How to Transfer & Export iMessages from iPhone to Mac:
To transfer and export iMessages from your iPhone to Mac, just free download Fucosoft iOS Data Backup & Restore program on your computer, then follow the steps listed below:
Step 1: Launch the program on your Mac and connect your iPhone to the computer using USB cable. Then from the main interface, choose “Export Data from Device & Backup” and click on “Export From Device”.
Step 2: Choose Messages and any other types of data that you’d like to export from the list, then click on the “Scan” button and let the program to begin scanning your iPhone for iMessages and other selected files.
Step 3: When the scanning is finished, you are able to preview all the iMessages and other available data in details. Then choose the conversations and items you wish to export to Mac and click on “Export”.
After that, you should find that your iMessages are now in both your iPhone and Mac. Also, you can try another alternate solution: dr.fone – Transfer (iOS) to easily transfer iMessages and other data from your iPhone to your Mac. Besides exporting data from iPhone to computer, this tool also lets you transfer music, photos, videos, contacts, messages, etc. From one iPhone to another. And it is works perfectly with the latest iOS 13 and iPhone 11/11 Pro/11 Pro Max, iPhone XS/XS Max/XR.
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By Vernon Roderick, Last updated: August 26, 2019
iMessage is Apple’s chat and instant messaging service, which is a great alternative to SMS or text messaging, especially if the person you are talking to is an Apple user. The beauty of the iMessage is that you can use it across all Apple devices, including the Mac.There are some people, though, who are having problems with the iMessage on their Mac. The problem is that update iMessage on Mac is not working, preventing them to properly use the messaging service on their laptop or desktop. This could be an irritating problem to have, but fortunately, there are some troubleshooting solutions you can try if you encounter this problem.In the next section of the article, we’ll be discussing the different solutions you can try if your iMessage is not updating on Mac.
Let’s do this!
Part 1. How to Fix 'iMessage Not Updating on Mac'?
Your iMessage not updating on Mac can be an irritating problem, especially if you are working on your Mac and also need to use the iMessage.
But like any problem, there’s always a solution and for the update problem of the iMessage on Mac, there are several solutions that will be discussed here.
Method 1: Check if your iMessage is Updated to the Latest Version.
Probably one of the first things you can do is to check if your iMessage is updated to the latest version. Sometimes the latest version of the OS provides fix on several bugs and issues that you might be experiencing.
You just need to go to the App Store check to see the latest updates and update your Message App to its latest version and see if it does the trick.
Method 2: Turn Off and On iMessage.
After checking for updates and it still didn’t do the trick, the most basic solution that you can possibly try doing on your own is to Turn Off your iMessage and Turn it back On again. You have to do this for all your Apple devices. Here’s how you can do it:
For iOS devices:
Go to Settings
Scroll Down and go to Messages
Toggle the iMessage Off
Wait for a few seconds then toggle it On again
For Mac:
Open the Messages app
Click on Messages > Preferences
Uncheck the Enable this account
How To Turn On Imessage On Mac
Wait for a few seconds then check it again
Sometimes the problem is that iMessage is just stuck and turning it off and on again will do the trick.
Try sending a message using your Mac and see if the issue is already fixed. But if this still doesn’t work, the next you can try doing is restarting your devices altogether.
Method 3: Turn Off and On Your Mac.
How To Get Imessage On Macbook Pro
Shutting down a device and turning it back on usually fixes a lot of issues and this could likely fix the issue of iMessage not updating on Mac. So try turning off your Mac computer and wait for a few minutes before turning it back on again.
Once it is turned back on, open the Message app on your Mac and try sending an iMessage to see if the problem is already fixed. If the problem is still not fixed, the next solution you can try is to sign out of your account and sign back in.
Method 4: Sign Out and In of your iMessage on Mac.
Another thing you can try doing is to sign out of your iMessage and sign in again using your Mac. This solution works well in most cases, so there’s no harm in trying it out. To do this:
Open your iMessage on Mac
Click Preferences > Accounts
On the Accounts display, click Sign Out and confirm it
After signing out, wait a while or restart your computer then sign in again after that
If after you have tried everything here and your iMessage is still not updating on your Mac, then the best solution you can do is to go for a third-party solutions provider to help you sync and update the iMessage on your Mac.
One such provider is FoneDog Mobile Solution Provider.
Their iOS Data Backup and Restore, which is designed to make backing up restoring files and data to your iOS device or computer easier, can also be used to help update your iMessage on Mac.
You would just need to backup your iMessage using the software and restore them to your Mac so this, in return, will update your iMessage on Mac.
Part 2. How to Update iMessage on Mac?
To do this, you would first need to install the software on your computer and to back up the data of your iOS device. In this case, you want to back up the iMessage, as this is the app that is not working properly on your Mac.
It is easy to backup your iMessage with the software. After installing it, you would just need to decide the kind of backup mode you want, and select the files and data you want to backup.
Once you have made your choice, just click start and the software will do the rest. It will only take a few minutes, depending on the size of the file. Once done, the iOS Data and Restore will display the name of the backup file and its size.
Download Imessage Mac
After the backup process is done, the next step is to restore the iMessage you backed up to your Mac so it can result in your Mac finally being updated.
Restoring is also easy to do, as you will only need to click the iOS Restore Data, choose the backup file you want to restore on your Mac.
Then you would need to select the specific files and data you want to restore to your Mac and the software program will do the rest.
This will effectively update the iMessage on your Mac. The beauty of the iOS Data Backup and Restore software is that it is 100% secure to use and you also won’t have to worry about any lost data during the backup or restoration process.
You also won’t have to worry about the any overwritten data during the restoration process as FoneDog made sure that the software won’t do that.
Finally, the iOS Data Backup and Restore is something that you can try without any risk on your part.
FoneDog has a 30-day free trial on the software, allowing you to test it out and see if it is something that you will need or use without spending any money.
Part 3. Conclusion.
iMessage is one of the most useful tools in Apple, as it makes messaging free between Apple users, as long as they are connected to the internet. But there are certain issues with the iMessage on Mac, most notably, the iMessage not updating.
Now there are several solutions that you can try to do if you ever encounter this problem. These solutions include updating the iMessage to the latest version, restarting the app, and so on.
Set Up Imessage On Macbook Air
If none of these solutions work, you can always go to a third-party provider and the one I recommend is FoneDog.
Their iOS Data Backup and Restore software is not only a great tool for backing up and restoring data and files, but it can also be used to transfer files from an iOS device to the Mac or updating iMessages from iOS device to the Mac.
It is simple and easy to use and is designed in a way that it protects your files and data. You can also try it out for free, as it has a 30-day free trial period.
Not Getting Imessage On Mac
This ensures there won’t be any risk on your part if you install the iOS Data Backup and Restore and test it out yourself.
Moreover, if your Mac running slow, here is the best solution for you.