After updating my iPhone 15 pro max to ios 18 and my 2019 iMac to Sequoia messages no longer updates on my iMac. I can still read what was there before the updates but not afterwards. I also cannot send messages from my iMac. Messages is still working on iPhone.
iMac (2017 – 2020)
I cannot believe that this OS released (after public betas) with at least 2 glaring issues:
Used to be upgrading was a pleasant experience, but now the releases are broken.
Unacceptable.
I cannot believe that this OS released (after public betas) with at least 2 glaring issues:
Used to be upgrading was a pleasant experience, but now the releases are broken.
Unacceptable.
Turned off my VPN (mullvad) and that resolved it. Must say I am deeply disappointed that a company which professes to care deeply about privacy can make such a blunder.
Just spent a half hour with support who told me this is an issue and that they have to send a patch.
Adding some more detail to this. I've tried two different VPNs, three different VPN protocols, and a variety of different settings but whenever a VPN is active, I cannot send or receive messages OR NOTIFICATIONS of any kind. As soon as I disconnect the VPN, messages are sent and notifications are received. This is an issue on my M1 Max 16" 2021 Macbook Pro and my daughter's 2023 M2 Macbook Air.
I can't take the credit for this - credit goes to a Reddit user but it worked for me using Express VPN:
ExpressVPN was super quick to respond to me. I had to update my VPN software, as they just had a new release, and then there was a setting within the software that I needed to uncheck one box and it's working perfectly now with the VPN connected. Within the General > Network Lock section I had to uncheck "Stop all internet traffic if the VPN disconnects unexpectedly". Now that I have that off, I can connect to the VPN and iMessage syncs/sends flawlessly.
Hey Apple! Stop acting like Boeing!!
They better plan to send that patch as a MacOS Update...and yesterday speed.
Don't make me choose between iMessages and privacy!!
I will wait for a patch.
I know this has fixed it for some people, but not for any of us here. I spoke with Apple and three VPN vendors and waded through Wireshark captures. There is no DNS setting that permitted Messages to work for many of us here.
If you log out of Messages with no VPN, then connect the VPN, you cannot sign into Messages. Multiple other services like Sharing or FaceTime, are also broken. Setting shadow proxy and multi-hop VPNs does seem to allow you to reach Apple, but not to get a response.
I spoke with some very nice folks at Apple and at multiple VPN vendors, and in the end, Apple said there is no fix in the works, and that our best bet is to wipe drives, re-install Sonoma, and restore data from a Time Machine backup.
I am not using a VPN, but having the problem with Messages not working on my MacBook Pro running 15.0.1. So it isn't always caused by running a VPN. I'll just send messages on my iPhone which isn't as convenient, but works.
Tom Karches wrote:
I am not using a VPN, but having the problem with Messages not working on my MacBook Pro running 15.0.1. So it isn't always caused by running a VPN. I'll just send messages on my iPhone which isn't as convenient, but works.
On your iPhone, go to Settings/Apps/Messages (Settings/Messages for iPhone 17 or earlier), tap on Text Message Forwarding and make sure your Mac is checked.
iMessages problems after updating to macOS Sequoia (15.x)?
That's most probably due to the VPN problems and while I give the directions here for Cloudflare VPN, you can whitelist the same IP addresses in your own VPN provider
macOS Sequoia (15.x) x Apple Push Notifications Service (APNs) x Cloudflare Zero Trust (Warp)
In Zero Trust, go to Settings > WARP Client.
Under Device settings, locate the device profile you would like to modify and select Configure.
Scroll down to Split Tunnels.
Under Split Tunnels, choose a mode:
Exclude IPs and domains — (Default) All traffic will be sent to Cloudflare Gateway except for the IPs and domains you specify.
If you can't allow access to the entire 17.0.0.0/8 address block, open access via the same ports to these network ranges on IPv4 or IPv6:
IPv4
IPv6
2620:149:a44::/48
2403:300:a42::/48
2403:300:a51::/48
2a01:b740:a42::/48
15.0.1 is not addressing the issue for me either with TorGuard nor PIA. The afore mentioned workarounds still work, but without them, Apple services are still not working with the latest version of both.
fherr wrote:
I already tried that with no success. I also rebooted the phone and the computer with no success. Sometimes my phone will see my iMac in the bluetooth settings but when I go to pair them the phone says the devices are not compatible then the phone doesn't recognize the iMac at all.
Verify your DNS is NOT Cloudflare DNS it is a known issue—
change it some other primary DNS
ex Google
ex OpenDNS
To be proactive you can file a bug report / submit your Apple Feedback here: Product Feedback - Apple
Two reports:
macos Sequoia causing problems with messages on mac
