could not sign in to iMessage

Thank you sooooooo much for posting this. It solved my problem! I've be so frustrated and literally been trying to solve this for days! I am so glad I finally came across this thread!

Thank you! I don't pay much attention to the system time, and sure enough, it was off by many hours. Setting it correctly allowed me to log into iMessage.

After weeks of trying to figure this out, a simple PRAM restart did the trick. Thank you, Ralph.

Cheers,

Chris

🙂

8:44 pm Monday; April 28, 2014

FINALLY! After following all the instructions around the internet (PRAM reset, date/time, etc/hosts, correcting the permissions, deleted Preferences files, plist, etc...), none of them worked for me.

What worked for me was the following.

1. Open up Keychain Access.

2. Find "iMessage Encryption Key" and "iMessage Signing key" and delete those. For good measure, also delete the IDS:xxxxx@xxxxx.com-AuthToken entry associated with your iMessage account (if you see one).

3. Log out and log back in.

4. Resign into iMessage and it should work!

Hope this helps!

I had to go to Step 3 but it did work. Thanks!

tanks

Step 1 help me!. When I came back and log in it asked me about my keychainAccess if I wanted to update or Continue log in..I clicked continue login and I was able to recover all my keychainAcces whatever those are. That was another problem that I had

Thank you for the PRAM solution!!

The first and easiest thing worked for me! I reset my PRAM and everything was fixed!

I've tried everything here and more on one of our MacBooks, but no goodness. Apple Support says it's a hardware problem even though the serial number checks out fine. Any other suggestions greatly appreciated!

B Cassidy

IT Director

<Personal Information Edited by Host>

Hi,

I have never seen this be an Hardware problem (other than the fact replacement Logic/mother boards have not had the Serial number put back)

You needs to make some checks most of which are in this Thread.

IS the Serial Number present ? (Can it be seen in About this Mac or System Profile or Info depending on OS X version)

Have you tried the same details in another Mac User account or the Guest account ? (See System Preferences > User and Groups).

Try a NVRAM reset

How to Reset NVRAM on your Mac - Apple Support

Try a Safe Boot

Try safe mode if your Mac doesn't finish starting up - Apple Support (this title is only one use for this)

After those checks the only Fix is to Contact Apple Support (Same as Apple Care)

Level 1 responders use Scripts and you need to explain you have an Apple ID issue.

Even then you may have to resist them trying to get you to make checks and try different things.

Ask to speak to someone higher.

Level 2s can be a mix bag (judging by other peoples posts)

Some know about the issue and some don't.

Apple know about the issue but not what triggers this security feature when it should not be.

Ask them to check the iMessages server is not blocking your Apple ID being used by your Mac ?

The Serial Number makes a Device Specific Login - hence why only the Mac is affected.

The test with another Mac User account proves it is Mac wide and not just your Mac User account.

The Level 2 is likely to want to try things and also Data gather.

Reinstalling, Upgrading and Updating will not work - hence asking them to check the server.

The Issue is at the server end.

Ask for a reset.

At this point they are likely to involve the Engineers.

There seems to be two reasons for this - it seems that they are the only ones who can do a reset and they are still interested in grabbing as much data as they can.

8:08 pm Tuesday; August 2, 2016

Yes, the serial number is present and valid. I even tried Blank Board Serializer (I'm an Apple Tech at a school district and have access to GSX), but it only works if there is no SN.

I get the same error when using other Apple IDs on this computer that work fine on other computers.

I am able to use the Apple ID from this computer on other computers successfully.

I have tried many multiple times to reset the NVRAM and even reset SMC.

Seems to me it must be the computer. Apple says that even though the SN looks right, it may be a problem with how it's communicating internally. That sounds hokey to me.

Hi

If the Serial Number is readable and matches the back/bottom/battery compartment and you have tried other Apple IDs and/or other Mac User accounts plus the basic NVRAM and Safe Boot then the issue is with the iMessages Server.

The trouble is that the tests that Apple Care will try at the basic level will only led them to be convinced it is either Hardware or Software.

Level 1 scripts are geared towards pin pointing this so will lead them to that conclusion.

The Serial Number provides a Device Specific Login.
If you copy a Whole Mac User account which will include their Keychain you will trigger this issue as the info in the keychain will not be the "right" Serial Number.

This is one user end cause to this (other than the Serial Number being absent).

The only fix to to move up the chain of help at Apple Support.

You have to insist that they check the iMessages Server and whether it is blocking the Apple ID.

It starts (Users saw it for the first time) in Messages 7.0.1 after the OS X 10.8.2 update.

It was presumed sorted by the release of Mavericks.

However a small number in each OS since has said it happens to them.

In Yosemite and El Capitan it seems to be triggered with an OS Update or Upgrade, with OS X 10.11.3 and 10.11.5 showing the most.

The regular posters who know about the issue and have been suggesting the above have not found a quicker way through Apple Care.

When the Pic above was in play the Level 2s would take the code number and Reset the Server.

There appears to be no way to reset this at the Users end.

9:45 pm Tuesday; August 2, 2016

How could it be at the server level if I can use the same Apple ID from the problem computer just fine on other computers? Also, the problem computer won't work with ANY Apple ID. Seems that pretty much narrows it down to the hardware or software on the computer, unless I'm missing something.