Unable to send text messages from MacBook

[as I read it] what is being proposed is to set aside phone issues for now and focus on getting your Mac set up to request standard Apple messages through your iCloud Account on your Mac FIRST.

When that is working, you can think about forwarding through the iPhone (which could include SMS messages as well) as a flourish, after the basic functions are working.

This tip is from FastChimpy

First of all, make sure the App is completley closed (Force Quit). Then open Spotlight Search and copy the "~/Library/..." term from down below to get fastest access to your library. Or open Finder and click on "Go to" on the very top of your screen and select "Go to Folder..." and then copy the "~/Library/..." term from down below.

Messages:

1. Navigate to ~/Library/Messages/ and delete all files in this folder.

2. Navigate to ~/Library/Preferences/ and delete the file "com.apple.iChat.plist".

FaceTime:

1. Navigate to ~/Library/Application Support/FaceTime/ and delete all files in this folder.

2. Navigate to ~/Library/Preferences/ and delete the file "com.apple.FaceTime.plist". 

Afterwards, simply restart your device and you should be fine.

AlWier--

I think that is a good procedure for when your message system is irretrievably locked up.

Locating and tossing out preference files is a cure for when preference files are corrupted. it should not be needed under ordinary circumstances, or when things are just slow to be recognized.

For ordinary situations, the first line of defense is to get your Mac properly connected to the iCloud Message system, making sure your iCloud messaging credentials are good, possibly including Restarting your Mac, and then move on to getting your iPhone added into the loop.

Olfella wrote:

So what I am saying is leave the phone settings as they are - because if your phone is sending and receiving messages it makes sense that its settings are OK.

Unless Text Message Forwarding is not turned on in Settings>Messages. If it is not, nothing you do on the Mac will make any difference.

Olfella wrote:

This thread is about messages not working on a macbook.

Test messaging from a MacBook requires the correct settings on an iPhone. You can do all the troubleshooting you want on the Mac but if you don't have the correct setting enabled on the iPhone, the Mac will not send SMS messages.

Feel free to enjoy the last word in this discussion.

Best of luck.

Oh, Ok. Thanks Idris. We all know that to send messages from your Macbook that it must be on the same wifi network and using the same apple log in account. Then everything works fine until one day an automatic software update is done by apple and the Macbook can no longer send or recieve messages. I my case it happened because the update did not relog me back into Messages and I had to go to settings in the app (on my Macbook) and resign in. That fixed the problem and everything worked fine again. This has happened a few times now and despite going over and over the settings in my phone which proved futile it was not until I came across the fact that I had to resign in on my Macbook that I managed to solve the issue. So in going over and over this matterI hope it helps someone who still think that the problem is with the phone when it may not be.

Hi All, I have had this same problem and have found a way to fix it, on top of the great suggestions by Idris.

There is a setting on your iPhone in Settings>Messages, underneath the toggle to turn iMessage on where is says "Send and Receive". Click on that and it takes you to another page. Under "YOU CAN RECEIVE IMESSAGES TO AND REPLY FROM" it lists the phone numbers and email addresses enabled for iMessage. You need to make sure your phone number has a tick beside it.

Mine didn't, and when I clicked it (it took a while to think about it and then the tick appeared) then all of a sudden, after restarting my Macbook, I could send and receive iMessages on my Macbook - it was fixed.

I don't know how or why my phone number got unselected, but this fix worked for me.

Good luck.

Jon

Still trying , changed my Apple password twice. Rebooted twice , still can’t send any messages. MacBook Pro

will not log into iMessage. Even with new password working on a dozen other devices !

I am having exactly this problem. Every help advice I can find says to go to Settings/Messages/Text Message Forwarding in your iPhone - however, I DO NOT HAVE THIS OPTION in my iPhone - are you sure that something didn't change with system 17.5.1. I repeat - this option DOES NOT DISPLAY on my iPhone. I see that you didn't believe the earlier customer that they do not have that option, so I am attaching three screenshots of everything under Settings/Messages. Please advise this is a huge problem for me - I can't answer SMS texts on my work laptop at all!!! Synching works with iMessage both ways and with SMS of course only one way because I can't SMS text.

I'm having this same issue and was not successful following the suggested solution on this thread. I'm wondering if I didn't turn the messages off on my Macbook Pro 14" correctly, could you explain how to do that?

Mine was doing that, usually following an update. What it meant was I had to re sign in to messages and it all worked again. Dont ask me why or how as other apps updated automatically except for Messages.

Most of the responders replying here, including you look at the phone for a solution. What my reply is about the MacBook settings and as stating the issue is with the phone is misleading and as such it deflects the solution from the problem in the MacBook. So what I am saying is leave the phone settings as they are - because if your phone is sending and receiving messages it makes sense that its settings are OK. Regards

This thread is about messages not working on a macbook. I am saying that the phone was working prior to the problem occurring in the Macbook so the problem lay in the Macbook. And to fix it then go to the message app settings and sign in on the Macbook! This disconnect appears to happen when a new software update to the Macbook happens and the app does not automatically resign in. What you are saying is a person must switch that function on - when in fact it is already on (because no-one turned it off) and the problem this thread is about, still exists. Hence my comment previously, that there is no need to think the phone is the problem. In this situation it is not!

The overall solution to the problem of a Mac and an iPhone not communicating in the required fashion to pump SMS message out through your iPhone has a VERY old fashioned solution:

Keep Fiddling with it, as your time and temperament allows. If frustrated, walk away for a while.

1) Make sure all the Mac settings are up to date, Restart the Mac and try it.

2) Make sure all the phone settings are up to date, Restart the iPhone and try it.

3) Go To step 1

...stop when it has decided to work.

On your phone, go to Settings>Messages>Text Message Forwarding and select your Mac.

See here for more info:

Forward SMS/MMS text messages from your iPhone to your Mac or iPad - Apple Support