Q: iMessage won't start conversation from Mac

Hi,

So,  in Messages main window you have New Message at the top left.

You are entering  your Contacts Name in the "To" field or using the Blue + icon > Contacts and selecting the contact.

The name is turning Blue ?

The Text entry field at the bottom also reads iMessage ?

If the name is not Blue then carefully click the downward arrow head at the end of the name.

Select the active iMessage option (highlighted with blue Speech bubble)

Does the name go Blue now ?

I tried testing with my iMessage Account logged out and the setting in the General Section set to Allow IMs and iMessages to "Wake" the app but this did not start the iMessage account when iMessaging from the iPhone

It was only a one off test with the app open but the account logged out which seemed closest to what you describe.

9:26 PM      Thursday; February 14, 2013

Please, if posting Logs, do not post any Log info after the line "Binary Images for iChat"

  iMac 2.5Ghz 5i 2011 (Mountain Lion 10.8.2)
 G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
 MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
 Mac OS X (10.6.8),
 Couple of iPhones and an iPad

"Limit the Logs to the Bits above Binary Images."  No, Seriously

Hi,

You are right in that if the name turns red and you try to send a Message an alert appears saying our can't and that "the (ID) is not registered"  (ID can mean iPhone Number).

If you generally click a red Name the same message/alert appears.

It seems there is one standard alert message whether the contact has not registered an Apple ID or iPhone number or whether for some reason they are out of internet contact.

You can Sign Out of iMessage in  Messages > Preferences > Accounts > iMessages account and then set up the same ID again.

Restarting Messages sometimes can sometimes help if you don't turn the computer off at all.

Restarting the computer also seems to show some benefits as some background maintenance is done at this time.

10:22 PM      Saturday; February 16, 2013

Please, if posting Logs, do not post any Log info after the line "Binary Images for iChat"

  iMac 2.5Ghz 5i 2011 (Mountain Lion 10.8.2)
 G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
 MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
 Mac OS X (10.6.8),
 Couple of iPhones and an iPad

"Limit the Logs to the Bits above Binary Images."  No, Seriously

Hello Tal,

Yes I am having the same probelm you seem apear to be going through. I also can not initiate a conversation through Messages on my Mac (with mountain lion). On the other end of the spectrum with my messages open it will not receive messages. I am positive that the people I am attempting to message have imessage, thus I am not sure of the problem.

Any and all advice would be great

Hi,

I would try a PRAM reset.

Shut down the computer.

Restart it holding down Apple/CMD ( or ⌘)+ALT( ⌥)+P+R Keys until you have heard three Start Up Bongs.

7:48 PM      Wednesday; February 20, 2013

Please, if posting Logs, do not post any Log info after the line "Binary Images for iChat"

  iMac 2.5Ghz 5i 2011 (Mountain Lion 10.8.2)
 G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
 MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
 Mac OS X (10.6.8),
 Couple of iPhones and an iPad

"Limit the Logs to the Bits above Binary Images."  No, Seriously

Having the same issues in Mavericks.

I am able to initiate a conversation on my iPad and on my iPhone but try from my Mac and its a no-go. It just will not send.

If I receive a message onto my mac then I can reply and continue the conversation but when I open iMessage for the first time in the morning it will not send..

Frustrating

Hi,

What have you  tried so far ?

8:30 pm      Wednesday; May 14, 2014

The usual Ralph, I deleted my account from the mac, PRAM reset and I deleted the prefs for iMessage too. I then added it all over again with the following settings..

Still no joy..its not the end of the world because I do not use it much on my mac, but we are back to that "it just works" claim from Apple which is misleading, it doesn't just work.

I think maybe there is a comm port that is clashing, I might be wrong but it opens once the messages update from the server.

Cutching at straws now..

Incidentally I have started a new thread here, maybe its more appropriately placed..

https://discussions.apple.com/message/25785530#25785530

Hi,

In System Preferences > Date and Time  check that it is the correct date/time and Daylight Saving if applicable.

Check that these match the router settings.

Basically all conversations or chats in Messages are time stamped no matter which service they are with.

There can be issues if the Mac is not getting the Time correctly or it is different than the router time.

In System Preferences > Network > Advanced button > DNS tab add a Public DNS server

8:55 pm      Wednesday; May 14, 2014