iMessage NOT syncing across iPhone and MacBook Air

Eagle has landed, I absolutely agree with you and am having the same issue. I am so tired of having to spend hours trying to fix issues that have arisen from your updates. Updates are supposed to fix issues not make them worse. Just lately it's been one issue after another. Just recently I bought a new printer and spent literally the whole day trying to get the printer to work, due to Monterey updates. I am so tired of having to spend hours trying to fix issues that have arisen from your updates.

APPLE please get it together. Your so-called improvements have caused so much frustration, I'm seriously thinking of changing back to a PC.

One of the most noted causes for iCloud based syncing problems involves 'different user accounts'. This is caused when using different Apple IDs and/or Passwords.

Curiously, I just resolved an iCloud syncing problem with Messages (several texts were not syncing) because my phone number was being used by Messages on my desktop and a corresponding email was being used on my iPhone. The data was correct, but non-matching user identifiers were causing the problem.

After turning off iCloud, on my phone (and saving content such as calendars and contacts first), I then turned it back on and was prompted with a phone number vs email ID window pop up. I changed it so that my phone number is now utilized on both, and was prompted to use only a phone number -OR- only the same email address, on both devices! That's it. Solved! You can add another email if you like but the main one (at the top of the list) is what is used to identifiy the user and to sync accounts if a match occurs.

For the record, I did not enter this ID data into the Apps initially (other than Apple ID). It was extracted by Apple from my Apple ID information as well what I used in Messages and Facetime! The solution is even harder to find when Apple fails to note that most people will use their phone number in Facetime and their email in Messages. It's NOT a user error in other words...

Hi! I’ve been trying to sync my iPhone and Mac book aid together so I get messages and some photos, but no matter what my Mac book just connects to my email, and my phone just connects to my number. I want it to be both from my number so I get the same texts

Todd, Apple pushes boundaries and often 3rd party software is to blame for conflicts. You will not regret switching to Mac. Having said that, some issues are hardware related and more difficult to solve.

My single complaint against Apple is icloud. It is a one way syncing service that serves Apple’s interests better than customers to put it mildly. They want everyone’s data on their servers and to treat all devices, including desktops, as peripherals.

Normally, Apple software syncs with no user involvement or issues with its own software that comes with the OS. Typically, iMessage issues are related to Apple ID (which is your email). The password is not considered to be part of your Apple ID.

If you purchased a computer used, for example, and have not te-registered with Apple, the serial will be associated with another owner and you will not be able to sync or purchase anything. A security measure. Check that first!

I have to agree with you on the point that Apple's iCloud service is a one-way syncing system.

I've never purchased secondhand Apple hardware, so the conflict with other uses does not apply. The only conflict that I have that might be related, is that when I bought my first Apple device many years ago, I inadvertently made two apple accounts and was using both of them to buy apps. That was over a decade ago and I have since only been using the one account for everything. I am sure that all the apps that I'm using today or under the same account, and the apps from the other account are likely obsolete now.

Anyway I'm not sure what I did or didn't do, because I have had this problem with iMessages since I've been using Apple, but it seems to be working at the moment so I will just leave it at that.

Remember that any synced app applies one app at a time based on which Apple ID was used to purchase the App.

If you purchased with the previous Apple ID, and logged in with the current Apple ID, they will not sync.

I suggest you call Apple and have them remove the second Apple ID to eliminate the problem altogether. Remember to inquire regarding what happens to apps purchased by the ID being deleted. Will they be transferred?

Good Luck

Here's a cool trick

On messages, go to Messages>Preferences in the menu bar. (Or press Command+,) Go to iMessage (with an @ symbol on top)

Then press sync now and it should be synced. You will know when it is done when the button is no longer greyed out.

As I have the same problem, and have tried all these things, I just noticed that when replicating the instructions you mention for the iPhone, but on the Mac, there is no "iMessages" option, all other apps appear there...

Very frustrating!

Tried it and all the other steps. I have MBA 2017. This only happens in Monterey. Big Sur was not an issue, Catalina, Mojave on my MBA 2017. I have also signed out completely, reformatted the HD and reinstalled the OS Clean and updated to Monterey. Again it only happens in Monterey. I can send and receive on the Mac and it syncs on all my devices, but sending sending from an iOS device or another Mac with iMessage, those messages will not show up/sync with the MBA 2017 in Monterey. After several experiments the 2017 MBA is probably getting old and Apple is just not paying attentions to its quirks with the new OS. So I'll just revert it back to Big Sur and leave it there.

I have the same problem. iPhone syncs both ways. Mac will not sync incoming messages but can send outbound messages.

That's great advice, but Text Message Forwarding isn't there.

On the iPhone >> Settings >> Phone and look for Make and Receive calls on Nearby Devices >> Enable for the MBA

Have found, sometimes but not always, it can take some time for the iCloud aspect for iMessage in iCloud to sync. No real specific timeframe, just some time to pass.

I’m having the same problem. Have you fixed yours yet?