iMessage on mac not working properly

Same issue here. Tried the Airplane Mode reset, the time zone reset, and nothing works. My iMessages for Mac won't send or receive messages. When I try to send a message to my Apple ID via my phone (from the phone number...not signed in with AppleID), it sends me an email. So, obviously something is wrong with my AppleID?

Hi,

You will need to contact Apple Support.

You will need to explain you have an Apple ID Account issue (even if it only effects Messages).

You will need to be persistent about this as Level 1 responders are somewhat Script Led and will try to say it is either Software or Hardware related which costs for Out of Apple Care help - Account issues are free.

If you cannot not get them to check the account then ask to speak to a Level 2 person.

9:17 PM Thursday; December 4, 2014

I am getting an issue where I can't make FaceTime calls on my Mac OSX10.10.2 and the blue text messages in in Messages won't send. Due to SMS relay the green ones send. It doesn't send the blue ones as green messages once the blue won't go through. It works on this computer using other profiles.

HI,

In Applications/Utilities open the Keychain Access App.

At the top left have the Login item selected.
Lower Left have Password.

On the right find the Item the starts with IDS : and then has your Apple ID followed by -Auth Token (As in IDS: Email@somewhere.com-Auth Token)

Delete this item then restart the Messages app.

8:40 pm Sunday; January 4, 2015

Thanks for the quick reply. I tried just what you said and that did not work. It's so weird....and I am not wanting to migrate my profile since. I tried that twice that last two night and it hangs with 1 minute to go.

I am hoping to find a solution. It's so weird to me but it must have something to do with the apple id and how it's setup with FaceTime and Messages. Messages does work with relay just not regular (blue iMessages). Any other suggestions?

Hi,

There are a series of issues with Messages and the iMessages account for some people at present.

Since OS X 10.8.2 which update Messages from version 7 to version 7.0.1 we have known the Serial Number of the Mac is needed to create the Auth Token.

We also know there are some Error messages that seem to only relate to earlier versions

FaceTime, Game Center, Messages: Troubleshooting sign in issues - Apple Support (the first 4 as I call them)

This was followed later by this this Pop up Error Message on trying to Login. (Error number 5)

Since then we have seen several that seem to be similar in that the app looks logged in but will not Send iMessages despite the same ID working on iPhones.

This would point to either the keychain items for it or the .plists involved.

Due to the Sandboxing feature or the OS and the adding of more support apps to the Messages app .plists are not dotted all over the place that can effect the Messages App.

Some are in ~/Library/Preferences

Some in ~/Library/Containers/com.apple.iChat/Data/Library/Preferences

And some in ~/Library/Containers/com.apple.soagent/Data/Library/Preferences.

Many of the .plist items in the last to Locations are Aliases that point to the items in ~/Library/Preferences - the Mac uses one location as a Read and Write route whilst leaving the actual Preferences folder partially untouched.

There are then two options.

1) spend a long amount of time testing the .plists by moving then and recreating new ones until you discover the issue

2) Check the Ownership and Read and Write Permissions of the containing folders.

3) Check with Apple Support if there is an issues at the iMessages server end as in Error 5 above.

Item 3) will probably take it to you asking to speak to a Level 2 person as the level one people are very script led.

Accounts/Apple ID issues should be free to Fix.

It is late where I am and Sleep, Work and some eating (in that order) will happen at my end before I am back.

10:08 pm Sunday; January 4, 2015

The first command plist you gave me was it for iMessages. It works ;-) Any suggestions to getting face time up and running as that did not help that side.

Ralph...you are the man!

Everything works now!

Good to hear.

7:02 pm Monday; January 5, 2015

hi Ralph,

I have some problem on my iMessage (I don't have any iPhone so I'm using it on my MacBook Pro.) I tried to log in with my Apple ID but it just say "The server encountered an error processing registration. Please try again later." and I've tried all kind of solution from deleting Flash Player history, Safe Boot mode, resetting PRAM, none of them worked. Any other suggestion?

Hi,

Flash is not involved so I am not sure why you looked at that.

Safe Mode and resetting the PRAM/NVRAM are good ideas.

As they have not worked check the Serial Number is present on your Mac.

On a Mountain Lion Mac use the Apple Icon top left of the Menu Bar and then About this Mac.

In the small panel that opens up click twice on the line that reads the current OS version.

The first click will reveal the Build number for the OS (Anther way that Apple counts the versions).

The second click should reveal the Serial Number.

This has been needed by the iMessages account since the OS X 10.8.2 update.

It can be missing if the Mac has been refurbished or repaired that involved a Logic/motherboard change and some did not "Flash" (a way of changing a memory chip that holds this info) the info back to the board.

If it is present it should then be used when you Register the Apple ID with iMessages to make the IDS: AppleID@server.com-Auth Token item in the Keychain (You can use Keychain Access in the Applications/Utilities folder to look).

You may find the link to the iMessages server isn't allowing that to happen properly.

6:59 pm Sunday; February 22, 2015

I tried everything that was suggested in this post. I am having a problem using imessage, or facetime, from my mac. I just updated to my mac I am running OSX 10.9.5. But even before the update, I could not seem to send or receive messages from imessage, or make any facetime calls on my mac. However, Facetime would ring when someone would facetime with me, but when I answer nothing happens and the window disappears. My phone at that time would still be ringing with the facetime call and is the only way I could answer the calls.. help.. this is so annoying......

Hi,

What version of the Mac OS X were you running before hand ?

At OS X 10.8.2 the Messages app was updated to version 7.0.1 which then required that the Serial Number was on the Mac so that the iMessages account could use it.

You can read it by going to the Apple Icon Menu > About this Mac and clicking twice on the line that tell you the current OS version.

It will change to the Build Number (Another way Apple counts the versions) and then to the Serial Number.

If the Serial Number is present then you should then get IDS items in the Keychain

Go to Applications/Utilities and open the Keychain Access App

Have "login" top left and "passwords" lower left.

In the Right hand pane find the IDS: YourAppleID.comOrNet-Auth Token and Delete it. The "YourAppleID.comOrNet" should be the emails you use as your Apple ID in iMessages.

If all these appear to be in order then go to ~/Library/Preferences and delete (Drag to Trash) com.apple.imagent.plist.

This .plist is for an App that supports both Messages and FaceTime.

8:35 pm Sunday; March 29, 2015

Hey Ralph,

I went through the steps you mentioned and successfully executed them other than for the third step where you asked to delete com.apple.imagent.plist. I did not have this file in my preferences....... and nothing works still. As a matter of fact, I tried to go back to iCloud and sign out in hopes that this might make a difference and Now I get an error when I try to sign out saying " Your iCloud Account couldn't be removed at this time. Turn off all iCloud services and try again". I try to restart my laptop and even then I get the same error message. No idea what is happening.... Help...............

Thank you SO MUCH for replying back and assisting. This problem is beyond annoying..

P.S. I don't remember what OS version I had before this one..Also, this problem started before the update and continued after the update..... =(

Hannah

I checked some forum posts pertaining to this problem and some people successfully overcame this problem though signing out of iMessage, calendar, itunes, app store, and facetime. I did that yet I still have the same problem... Keychain won't uncheck....

Also, it is important to note that I purchased an iphone 6 a few weeks ago, and the setup forced me to change my AppleID password since it wouldn't take the old one. That is the only thing I could think of that could have possibly caused an issue that led to this. I tried changing my Apple password back to the original one but Apple won't allow using old passwords again.... I am really annoyed with this issue .......