iMessage Sync Issues Post Sonoma 14.0 Update

I'm reaching out to address a technical issue I've encountered since updating to Sonoma 14.0, specifically related to iMessage functionality on the desktop.

iMessage Issue Description:

Post the Sonoma 14.0 update, I've observed a consistent problem with iMessage on my desktop. While messages are received on my iPhone or iPad, they are not syncing or appearing on my Mac. This has led to missed communications and a disjointed messaging experience.

Steps Taken:

Ensured that all devices are logged into the same Apple ID.
Checked iMessage settings on all devices to ensure they are correctly configured.
Restarted all devices multiple times.
Verified that the issue persists even when all devices are on the same Wi-Fi network.
Tried accessing via multiple browsers.
Cleared browser cache and tried private/incognito browsing modes.
Reset my router to ensure it wasn't a connectivity issue.
Used a VPN to see if the issue was location-specific.
Logged out and restarted iMessage, then logged back in.
Tried connecting to different Wi-Fi networks to rule out any specific network-related issues.

Engagement with Senior Advisors:

I've spent numerous hours liaising with Apple's senior advisors, hoping for a resolution. Despite the extensive troubleshooting and following all their recommended steps, the final suggestion was to run my device in safe mode and send in logs for further analysis. Regrettably, after providing the requested logs, I've yet to receive any feedback or resolution from Apple. This lack of follow-up, especially after investing so much time and effort, has been particularly disheartening.

Community Observations:

Upon researching, I've found that this isn't an isolated incident. Many users on Apple forums and community discussions have reported similar challenges with iMessage syncing post the Sonoma 14.0 update.

Beta Testers' Feedback:

What's more concerning is that some beta testers had highlighted these iMessage syncing issues during the testing phase of the Sonoma 14.0 update. This suggests a potential oversight in addressing known concerns before the public release.

I'm keen to understand if there are any known solutions or workarounds for this issue. Additionally, if there are any diagnostic steps or logs that I can provide to assist in resolving this, please let me know.

Thank you for your assistance and looking forward to a resolution.

Best regards,

MacBook Pro 14″, macOS 14.0

Posted on Oct 5, 2023 9:20 AM

Top-ranking reply

NobbyDog

Level 1

16 points

Posted on Apr 8, 2024 7:12 AM

*A Solution At Last!*

After a few weeks of nothing changing, even with the latest update to Sonoma, I was at my wits end. Even worse was that the synching issue had now hit my iCloud Drive and I was unable to access any of my files or anything within numbers and pages. Preview wouldn't work and then one by one my other programs such as Mail started to falter too. My iMac had become unusable. So I called Apple Support and spent from Friday to Sunday trying to get a solution. I even erased my HD and re installed Sonoma and a back up from my Time Machine and this still didn't solve the problem. However..........

I was finally put through to a senior Apple advisor. We created a new User Account on the iMac and transferred over all my important files and then added my Apple ID iCloud account and everything started to reappear and work correctly. iMessages appeared in Sync with my iOS devices and I could access iCloud Drive! There appeared to have been some kind of corruption within my original user account and it was only getting worse. Creating a new user account has completely changed everything back to a new working efficient iMac, in Sync with my iPad and iPhone. Just also to confirm that all those entries that have said just open up iCloud settings and hit the sync button etc etc that didn't work or show up for me, now do so and I can hit the SYNC button and it Sync almost straight away. SO..........

I would suggest you create a new USER profile and open yourself up in that and add your Apple ID / iCloud account to it, as you would your original user profile and test it and see that everything loads up and starts synching. If it does then copy across your important files and folders in Finder from your old user profile to the new one. Once you have completed all this just check again all is working fine. I was then advised to not delete the old user profile for a couple of weeks until I was happy I had everything I needed from the old profile before deleting it and getting rid of what ever was causing the corruption. We still didn't get to the bottom of what has caused all this in the first case but I now have a working, efficient and fast iMac, back fit for purpose. I hope this helps all those who like me, were starting to doubt my own sanity! Good luck !!

(PS you can't add a new user profile account with the same name as your original one, so you have to make sure it is different even if it is one letter or number different).

View in context

Similar questions

131 replies

ibp726

Level 1

4 points

Nov 15, 2023 9:46 PM in response to AppleAndAdvil

I’ve downgraded back to Ventura until a fix is released.

RSHFX

Level 1

5 points

Nov 30, 2023 11:42 AM in response to AppleAndAdvil

I think there may be multiple issues going on here but for me, Messages on my Mac stops sending and syncing and when I restart the app - it becomes unresponsive and won't load. I need to then Force Quit the app and restart my computer and it resolves the issue temporarily. Just recently, I have found something that is interesting. If I text someone that is on an Android device AFTER Messages on my Mac stops sending / syncing, it starts syncing the iMessage messages again and the app is running normally. I know this isn't a fix - but it might point Apple in the right direction to what is causing the problem.

Brabo

Level 1

4 points

Jun 8, 2024 10:37 PM in response to AppleAndAdvil

I tried most of the suggestions -- temporarily worked again after starting in safe mode. Eventually did restart with options and reinstalled Sonoma. At least not crashing but now playing with AppleID to get them in sync. Fingers crossed.

Oct 15, 2023 8:22 AM in response to AppleAndAdvil

Messages sync between my devices, but I still see the "Syncing with iCloud" alert all the time as well.

Activity Monitor shows that IMDPersistenceAgent is using 50-100% of one of my CPU cores all the time.

If I look in the Console app and filter to IMDPersistenceAgent, it is repeating the same statements every 0.5-1s. One of the statements is the following error:

message table 'values' array size (83) and properties array size (83) and recordPropertiesSize (84) aren't the same size. The size and indexes MUST be the same. Prepare for lots of debugging pain.

Anyone else seeing this as well?

Oct 16, 2023 10:53 AM in response to AppleAndAdvil

It's not just you. Must be a Sonoma related issue - it started for me immediately after I upgraded.

With me, the problem manifests itself as delayed syncing, especially if my macBook was sleeping when the messages were received. In this situation messages that show up immediately on iOS or iPadOS can take up to 20 minutes to appear on macOS, and sometimes they just get lost entirely.

Jeep2691

Level 1

20 points

Oct 22, 2023 6:28 PM in response to AppleAndAdvil

Same issues here. I've even tried reinstalling the OS. I've had a frustrating experience with senior advisors, too. When it comes time for a call back, I get an email claiming that they tried to call but couldn't reach me. Lame.

Check your Messages settings on your iPhone and let me know if you see something like this. This particular setting has the advisors stumped. The setting for my MacBook Pro also cannot be changed. It supposed to look like the settings for my MacBook Air and iPad (able to be toggled on or off).

Pcook000

Level 1

9 points

Oct 23, 2023 3:17 PM in response to AppleAndAdvil

For me all that has worked is to sign out of messages and then sign back in. I have done it twice now. I have tried the Sync option and this does not work. I notice it more trying to send to a cell phone that is not an apple and it has to use the SMS connection on the iPhone.

Nov 18, 2023 10:58 AM in response to playapuss

That's what I had to do, and so far, everything seems to be syncing as expected, although read iMessages remained flagged as unread. I click on another conversation, then click back onto the flagged unread conversation and the unread badge goes away. I'm running 14.1 on a M2 MacBook Pro.

CaMiz

Level 1

4 points

Dec 28, 2023 12:28 PM in response to AppleAndAdvil

I started having the syncing issues after the Sonoma update. I don't even see the preferences button when I go to Message app. I only see Messages > Settings and under @ message, my Apple ID is there with the sign out button in gray and what appears to be iMessage trying to connect to the server. It is so frustrating! It would work if I reboot, then would stop working again.

Meanwhile I send "test" messages to my husband from my iMac and it shows green bubble (shudder) with the Not Delivered message. JK on the shudder but you know what I mean! Apple user here since the Clam so you can understand where I am coming from!

Mar 27, 2024 6:25 AM in response to MissPNixon

So I just tested something and got a weird result.

I just sent my friend a voice message recorded from my MacBook. As usual, it synced to both my iPad and iPhone. I saw and listened to my voice message on my MacBook.

Then, I replied to that voice message from my phone with another voice message. Both those messages showed up on my MacBook. I saw them, and I listened to them.

Then, not even a minute later, while I was looking at the screen, they both just disappeared from my MacBook. Both the messages that are still on my iPhone and iPad just ghosted me on my MacBook.

What is that about? Absolutely insane. I've never seen anything like that before. It's like it was a disappearing message (and all my messages are set not to expire).

Mar 31, 2024 3:23 PM in response to AppleAndAdvil

Ok everybody; check this out.

I posted twice earlier (you can find it in my profile). My particular issue was that my OUTGOING VOICE messages were not seeming to sync on m MacBook. All other messages were just fine.

This weekend I figured out what's happening for me.

I sent a voice message to my friend and was happy when I did, indeed, see it on my MacBook. But then to my surprise, I was sitting there looking right at the message and it just disappeared. Ghosted. I think this is some setting like on our phones and iPad where we can set the messages to expire in 2 minutes. That's what appears to be happening.

When I sent another message, I clicked on the little word Keep at the bottom right of the message and it kept the message. The message is still there right now, days later. But I can't sit in front of my MacBook every time I send a voice message just to click Keep on every one.

I'm glad I see what the problem is; only thing is I can't fix it.

There are no expiration settings on MacBook.

Apr 5, 2024 5:36 AM in response to forever_adrift

Forever_adrift's solution worked for me.

Unlike the OP, I did not encounter this issue when first upgrading to Sonoma. It only appeared with 14.4.1.

When I pressed the "sync now" button, everything synced up.

May 7, 2024 8:12 AM in response to AppleAndAdvil

Hi @AppleAndAdvil,

FIrst and foremost, I really want to thank you for such a thorough and complete incident log... you are showing me a best practices format I can use for my own purposes that I really like and appreciate.. Thank you so much! I really value the attention to detail and the organizational structure you've created for this. I wish more people could realize the value of incident logs like this as a form of scientific observational documentation so it could help them in their future tech issues and resolutions!

Have you discovered there is any link between the DISAPPEARED MESSAGES (the ones you do not receive on desktop) as SMS with the ones you ACTUALLY RECEIVE on desktop being MMS only?

My personal observation has been pretty well founded since at least Ventura, with incoming SMS messages - particularly those from Android users - being inaccessible or spotty on Mac desktops, and MMS messaging (both incoming/outgoing) being vastly more reliable and without much if any issues with deliverability whatsoever.

Please let me know, I'm struggling with this myself, and can't find the toggle switch found on iOS iMessage settings for SMS compatibility within my desktop iMessages app settings, within the iCloud section of the System Settings app, or much info online to support my observation. Thanks!

Oct 11, 2023 7:29 AM in response to suzycupcake

Can you provide a screen shot? I don't see any settings for "sync across iCloud".

erikbock

Level 2

154 points

Oct 23, 2023 6:20 AM in response to untkay

The interesting this is. Messages is not there in iCloud Settings.

This thread has been closed by the system or the community team. You may vote for any posts you find helpful, or search the Community for additional answers.

iMessage Sync Issues Post Sonoma 14.0 Update