mkloko

Q: Sierra Messages Problem

After upgrading to Sierra my messages app (which uses gchat, aim, and my phone number) is now not properly displaying the incoming messages. If I mouse over the blank spaces the message flashes so I know I'm receiving it, it's just not displaying properly. This was not a problem until I updated Sierra. Any insight on how to fix would be majorly helpful.

MacBook Air (13-inch Mid 2012), macOS Sierra (10.12)

Posted on Oct 5, 2016 7:46 AM

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Q: Sierra Messages Problem

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  • Helpful answers

  • by Ralph Johns (UK),Solvedanswer

    Ralph Johns (UK) Ralph Johns (UK) Oct 5, 2016 1:39 PM in response to mkloko
    Level 9 (73,343 points)
    Applications
    Oct 5, 2016 1:39 PM in response to mkloko

    Hi,

     

    It might be a font issue.

     

    Check Lucida Grande is present and Active in the Font Book.

    Also Helvetica Neue.

     

    Try a NVRAM reset.

    How to Reset NVRAM on your Mac - Apple Support

     

     

    3Sigcopy2.png

    9:39 pm      Wednesday; October 5, 2016

     

      iMac 2.5Ghz i5 2011 (El Capitan)
     G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
     MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
     Mac OS X (10.6.8),
     iPhone and an iPad (2)
  • by mkloko,

    mkloko mkloko Oct 5, 2016 1:53 PM in response to Ralph Johns (UK)
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Mac OS X
    Oct 5, 2016 1:53 PM in response to Ralph Johns (UK)

    Thanks for your response! That didn't seem to solve the issue. This is what the window looks like Screen Shot 2016-10-05 at 4.51.55 PM.png

  • by Ralph Johns (UK),Helpful

    Ralph Johns (UK) Ralph Johns (UK) Oct 6, 2016 6:38 AM in response to mkloko
    Level 9 (73,343 points)
    Applications
    Oct 6, 2016 6:38 AM in response to mkloko

    Hi,

     

    You also did not mention the Balloons/Speech bubbles are not rounded.

     

    Speechbubble shape.png

     

    Try a NVRAM reset How to Reset NVRAM on your Mac - Apple Support

     

    Try Messages again after doing that.

    If that does not improve things try  a Safe Boot

    If Messages works whilst in Safe Boot then restart (normally) and try Messages again.

     

    Both these items clear out some caches and other things that a restart on it's own or other Maintenance does not touch.

     

    The Speech type bubbles are dictated by a file tucked away on the System Side of things and it looks like your Messages is not Reading it properly.

     

    Report back on these things first.

     

     

     

     

     

     

    3Sigcopy2.png

    10:01 pm      Wednesday; October 5, 2016

     

      iMac 2.5Ghz i5 2011 (El Capitan)
     G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
     MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
     Mac OS X (10.6.8),
     iPhone and an iPad (2)
  • by mkloko,

    mkloko mkloko Oct 6, 2016 6:43 AM in response to mkloko
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Mac OS X
    Oct 6, 2016 6:43 AM in response to mkloko

    Hi Ralph, I did as you suggested and messages was working correctly (and bubbles were rounded and fully appearing) on my laptop in Safe Mode but I was not able to view it on my monitor as my laptop wouldn't access my monitors during safe mode. When I restarted and turned my Mac back on my messages still looked normal on my laptop but when I shift it over to my monitors it flickers and then reverts to the below:

    Screen Shot 2016-10-06 at 9.36.04 AM.png

    There is a whole conversation below this that is missing but visable when I move messages to my laptop screen.

     

    Thanks,

     

    Martha

     

    P.S. Another issue I'm finding is that my gmail looks fine in Firefox on my monitors but in Safari its fragmented. I'm wondering if these issues are related. This is what my gmail looks like in Safari:Screen Shot 2016-10-06 at 9.43.00 AM.png

  • by Ralph Johns (UK),Helpful

    Ralph Johns (UK) Ralph Johns (UK) Oct 7, 2016 8:48 AM in response to mkloko
    Level 9 (73,343 points)
    Applications
    Oct 7, 2016 8:48 AM in response to mkloko

    Hi,

     

    That's interesting.

     

    It would seem then that the issue is not with the app itself but with the "Video' as it tends to be called of the Laptop's own display and that of the other screens you have.

     

    Are they all running the same resolution ?

    If not, do things improve if they are set to the same ?  (I realise this may not be a permanent solution)

     

     

    3Sigcopy2.png

    8:42 pm      Thursday; October 6, 2016

     

      iMac 2.5Ghz i5 2011 (El Capitan)
     G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
     MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
     Mac OS X (10.6.8),
     iPhone and an iPad (2)
  • by mkloko,

    mkloko mkloko Oct 7, 2016 8:49 AM in response to Ralph Johns (UK)
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Mac OS X
    Oct 7, 2016 8:49 AM in response to Ralph Johns (UK)

    Hi Ralph,

     

    Both the system and the screens are set to 1920x1080 and that does solve the problem. Very strange that it only started once I updated Sierra. It wasn't doing this prior to the update.

     

    -Martha

  • by mkloko,

    mkloko mkloko Oct 7, 2016 8:51 AM in response to mkloko
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Mac OS X
    Oct 7, 2016 8:51 AM in response to mkloko

    In the interim, seeing as this might not get solved for a while, do you know of any other applications that support gchat and imessages?

     

    Thanks,

     

    Martha

  • by Ralph Johns (UK),

    Ralph Johns (UK) Ralph Johns (UK) Oct 7, 2016 12:51 PM in response to mkloko
    Level 9 (73,343 points)
    Applications
    Oct 7, 2016 12:51 PM in response to mkloko

    Hi,

     

    Are you saying that if you make the resolutions the same the issue goes away ?

    I am reading your post that they were set that way  but the "that does solve the problem"  bit then does not seem to fit.

     

    I would report it here http://www.apple.com/feedback/

     

    There is nothing else that supports iMessages.

    There are several apps that do allow the joining of Multiple services such as Jabber based ones like Google (And AIM and Yahoo to mention others)

    Trillian is one https://www.trillian.im/ (I have not tried it for a long time)

     

     

    3Sigcopy2.png

    8:51 pm      Friday; October 7, 2016

     

      iMac 2.5Ghz i5 2011 (El Capitan)
     G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
     MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
     Mac OS X (10.6.8),
     iPhone and an iPad (2)