Q: imessage names are in red (offline)

You're more likely to get useful help if you explain what suggestions you did try.

As I don't know what you tried, I'm going to start at the beginning. Are you talking about the Messages app on your Mac? If so, you may also want to consider posting in the relevant Mac OS forum. Do you have an active internet connection? Have you signed out of your iCloud account and back in?

Red names means the e-mail or phone number of that contact is not associated with iMessage so you cannot send them iMessages using that address or number.

Does this happen with all contacts?

What exactly have you tried?

Hi Meg,

In which part of System Preferences > iCloud do you think Messages or indeed an iMessage login shows up ?

Whilst the Apple ID in use in Messages as the iMessages Login may well be the same iCloud linked Apple ID it makes no difference whether you log in to iCloud or not.

Like iTunes, App Store, iBooks, FaceTime, Game Centre to name the most obvious items missing from the iCloud pane of System Preferences the ID is only common if used in all places.

The actual servers are different - you can log out of iCloud and iTunes, FaceTime, iMessages in  Messages, the Game Centre and the others I mention will still work.

If, on the other hand, you meant to say Log out using the Sign Out button of the Apple ID you use in the iMessages account then the instruction would have been clearer.

@bluedress7

More info on what you have tried so far would be useful.

As Phil0124 says the Contact that goes red means - at the time  your try - they are not linked to the iMessages Server.

If you are addressing and iPhone Number it could be in Do Not Disturb Mode or unpowered for a length of time.

Alternatively it could be without Carrier service (good enough for iMessages) or a Wifi service.

There are circumstances when individual iPhone Numbers become De-registered that are not controlled by the end user.

If all your Contacts go red then it tends to mean you are not signed in - possibly not fully if you are getting some iMessages.

iMessages on the Mac (you don't say where you are using it) uses the Mac Serial Number to login (As well as the ID and Password).

Check the About this Mac option in the Apple Icon Menu top left.

In Yosemite and EL Capitan this is visible in the Overview tab.

If you are using something earlier post back and I will give more instructions.

Does it work in another Mac User Account (System Preferences > User and Groups) ? I have one created called "test".

You can also enable the Guest account and try you iMessages details there.

7:48 pm      Sunday; July 31, 2016