Q: Can't activate iMessage on iMac with El Capitan

If anyone has the grayed out minus buttons next to their accounts in iMessage:

What worked for me (and hopefully this helps others).

Step 1:

Open "System Preferences" > "Internet Accounts"

Step 2:

Delete all accounts that are disabled in iMessage

Step 3:

Open iMessage and add each account back

This worked for my jabber google talk account that was perpetually saying my password was wrong. Once I was able to delete it via "Internet Accounts", I was able to re-add it under iMessage and have it log in normally. I also was able to leave on 2-factor auth without any issue.

Hi,

The iMessages Account in Messages > Preferences > Accounts is supposed to have an inactive minus key.

(There are other ways to deactivate the account)

In System Preferences > Any internet account including iCloud there is nothing about the iMessages account in the Messages App

However several "internet accounts" can list AIM, Yahoo or Jabber accounts for the Messages App  (Google Talk is a Jabber account)

NOTES.

An Apple ID issued by Apple that ends in @mac.com or some @me.com ones if they have been linked to iCloud and the @icloud.com can be added to The AIM/AOL side of things in Messages but this option still does not appear in the System Preferences > iCloud option.

Part of the reason is that all iCloud ID are Apple ID but not all Apple IDs are iCloud ones.

The Bonjour Account in Messages also cannot be deleted.

It is a fixture of the Messages app.

8:41 pm      Tuesday; February 16, 2016

Mine was activated on my iMac and was working. It stopped syncing on my iMac. I went to my iPhone as suggested, into the Text Message Forwarding dialogue, swiped to allow my iMac to send/receive, got the verification code popped up on my iMac, and now it is stuck on "waiting for verification." How can I get around this problem? TIA

Hi,

Triggering the Text Forwarding on the iPhone is supposed to get the Code Number to appear.

This needs entering on the iPhone before you close the window.

Is this what you are attempting ?

8:16 pm      Tuesday; March 1, 2016

Yes. Even though I entered the code from the cell phone, the iMac got caught and never came out of "waiting for verification" in the dialogue box. However, it worked even after I cancelled. Thanks for your response!

Understood.

9:11 pm      Tuesday; March 1, 2016

Did all of this.  After 3 apple support calls and going through all the steps, I was told my new iMac with El Capitan does not do SMS messages at all.  Only Apple iPhone can be used for that.  Why didn't I find this out before purchasing?

Hi,

The Messages app will do SMS in two different ways.

The most successful is the iMessages link way.

The iPhone has to be at iOS 8 at least

It has to be doing SMS as an option to start with.

The iPhone needs to be on the Same LAN

Both the Mac and the iPhone need to be using the Same Apple ID in iMessages.

Then the Text Forwarding can be Activated which will cause a Code Number to appear on the Mac which then needs entering back on the iPhone before closing the Text Forwarding screen.

The other way is limited to phones on some carriers in the United States and using an AIM Buddy list

That is to say you have to have an AIM Screen Name logged in in Messages.

You can then add the persons phone number with a leading +1 as  "Buddy" (As in +1234567890).

See http://www.aim.com/products/txt#im-to-mobile

And https://help.aol.com/articles/aim-mobile-im-forwarding  (open the Does my Carrier support ....)

As I said this only applies to phones in the United States on these carriers.  (you can be calling via IM from anywhere else though)

9:57 pm      Wednesday; March 9, 2016

There is no text forwarding option!  What then?  Thanks!

Hi,

As I hinted at with the setting up SMS has to be On first as a general options for non iPhones.

Then the iPhone needs to be on the Same LAN as the Mac.

Both devices needs to be using the same Apple ID (which also syncs the iMessages across both devices)

Basically it is generally about enabling the features as they were added to both devices though getting to Yosemite and iOS 8

If it is not showing on your iPhone I would double check it is really at iOS 9.x.x and that a 4s can also do this function  (I am not that up on the iPhone capabilities)

I was under the impression that if it could run the iOS it had the functions.

10:13 pm      Wednesday; March 9, 2016

I keep having the same issue after re-starting iMac, or after my screen locks and I log back in, and possibly for random reasons. What I see is the latest messages up to the last time they synced but new messages are not there. They are on all other devices. I am skipping the idea of messaging on the iMac for this reason. It's not worth it.

Thanks from the bottom of my heart, I been with this problem since i bought this iMac and never can fix that until now, thanks again, always we say this (every day we learn something and it is true!.

I had the same problem with the iCloud account in Messages on my laptop being shown as inactive and greyed out.

Solution:

I added an AIM account using my apple ID and password.   This then allowed me to go back to the iCloud account which was now configurable and now showed details as it should.  It then allowed me to enter my password, log in, and now everything seems to be working fine.

A possible solution perhaps for some?

(Macbook Pro with 10.11.4, El Capitan, iPhone, iPad etc)

Hi

I also had the problem that messages would appear to be running but all options were greyed out and I could not use it.

I called apple and they got me to create an additional account not linked to my apple ID.

I logged in with the test account and checked if messages was working which it was so he suggested I reload El Capitan from the App Store as he believed it may have been corrupted.

I reloaded El Capitan which does not delete any files or information and all is now working.

Hope this may help others.

Good luck.

Hi,

If you cannot access the Preferences in one Mac User Account when trying to do so in Messages then the AppleGothic Font is most likely turned Off if it works in another Mac User Account.

Reinstalling is a large case of overkill.

8:01 pm      Friday; April 29, 2016