unknown error occurring with iMessage on Mac

Unfortunately I have this same problem and none of these solutions have worked. I can sign in for other users, just not the main user profile that has all my data. I even erased the disk and reinstalled the OS, with the same results.

According to Apple the next step may be exchanging my new computer for a different model :-/

This did not work for me on a new iMac with already being signed in to messages on other Macs and iPhone. so this iMac is basically useless to me, thank you so much apple! I will go buy a PC and sell this piece of junk iMac that does not "just work"

I have signed in using the same account on another Mac, no problems. I have changed the iCloud password. I have reinstalled Monterey, I have deleted files from user lib/prefs and the user lib/messages folder. I've deleted the com.apple.apsd.plist from the Lib/prefs. I've reset the nvram and the smc. Currently am downloading to upgrade from Monterey 12.3.1 to 12.4.

The closest I've gotten is signing in to messages, for a brief moment the messages window comes up, then in less than 15 seconds it goes away and I'm back to the sign in to messages window.

AAARGH!!!

any help or ideas would be great, thanks!!!

Hi Jacob, Thank you for the quick reply and info. I just tried that and it didn't work. Now I'm going to sacrifice a chicken or something, maybe this iMac.

It is a 2019 but new to me. I just started setting it up today so a wipe and clean install is not a big deal.

I'm going to try downgrading to Bigsur and then see if messages works there, if not I'll let you know.

I appreciate your help and will get back here tomorrow to let you know how it goes. I'll also file the fix you gave me away for future reference.

Latest update: Have restarted, shut down and started up, downgraded to Mojave, BigSur, now back on Monterey 12.4. Have made second user account, have changed iCloud password, run terminal command to delete mobile me accounts, have deleted some pref files like Madrid and apsd.plist and messages and ichat user library pref files, etc. Have been on 2 calls with apple tech support, no one has fixed this and messages and FaceTime are still not usable on this iMac. It shows up in My devices in the iCloud list, all other iCloud type things work. A sledgehammer is about the only thing I haven't tried. I'm open for other suggestions before I do that but am getting closer daily to using the trusty sledge.

Jordan, you have no idea how much I appreciate you right now. This actually worked!! I have tried almost everything and got as close to doing a factory reset. Thank you! I am sending you some positive energy your way – hope you have a wonderful day! @jordanwinston

Hi finalcutstudio

As u have said exactly I hv tried to sign out from Sys Pref Apple ID and then tried to sign in to Messages app.

Failed to sign in to Message.

Then BIG problem now is that I cant sign in back to APPLE ID from system pref.

So I'm logged out completely from Find my Mac.

( I can log in to iCloud at web browser as usual as Apple ID itself it fine )

Anybody could help how to sign in to Apple ID now from Sys pref.?

Looks like need Tire 2 support help.

So earlier only in Mac with Message & Facetime I has issue, now I can NOT sign in to settings with Apple ID inside Mac ( in this user account profile) .

With another user acc, same Apple ID ok but I can't sync my NOTES content into my new user acc. Anybody knows how to sync NOTEs folders from old user acc to a new user acc with same Apple ID?

Sigh. This did not work for me and I am still stuck.

To be clear (if I got this right):

• I log out of my Apple ID on the account I want message to work (did that)
• I create a new account on my MacBook Pro (did that - "temp")
• I log into my Apple ID on the new account (did that)
• I run Messages and log into it with my Apple ID (did that - it worked)
• I not log out of the Messages I just logged into (did that)
• Log out of the account on the MacBook Pro from the new account and log in again on the account I want (did that)
• I log into my Apple ID from this account I want it in (did that)
• I run Messages again and log in with my Apple ID - FAIL - '"An unknown error occurred"

What am I missing? This happened when I try to migrate to Monterey on a new computer from an old one running Mac OS 10.15.7

dave

Im getting the SAME error and NOTHING seems to work. What is going on?

I am also getting the same error after installing 12.1 ... has anyone actually managed to solve this yet?

... and I was just about to try this and I was able to log in and my messages suddenly starting working :-P Keeping for future reference though. Thank you @jordanwinston!

You're a legend thank you

My advice is don't even try anything else, this is the only thing that will work.

exactly jcjycht -- i tried so many other things -- that's the only thing that worked.

@jordanwinston! You are legend.

This worked. Many thanks, friend!!