Cannot send or receive Messages in El Capitan

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Level 1

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Cannot send or receive Messages in El Capitan

I am not able to send or receive messages using the OSX Messages application on my mid-2013 MacBook Air. This morning I was using Mavericks when the problem was occurring, but I have since upgraded to El Capitan with the hopes that my Messages problem would clear up. Unfortunately the problem followed me into the new OS.

Symptoms: In the Messages application, I send a message and a blue processing bar begins to appear at the top of the screen, growing all the way until it is about an inch from the far right side of the screen, but then freezes. Minutes go by (sometimes up to ten minutes) before I receive a message that states "Your message could not be sent. Click 'Try Again' to send this message." A circled red exclamation point appears to the right of the text bubble, and Not Delivered appears beneath the text bubble. Trying again generates the same error.

I have had other people send messages to me, but I do not receive their messages. Thus, this appears to be a problem with both sending and receiving.

Troubleshooting:

- upgraded from Mavericks to El Capitan!

- cleared PRAM (selected cmd alt P R during restart and let it chime 4x)

- In Messages application, selected Messages>Preferences>Accounts and disabled and signed out from my account, then signed back in and re-enabled.

- deleted preferences (plist) files associated with Messages application

- System Preferences>Security & Privacy>Firewall>Firewall Options: verified that Messages is listed to "allow incoming connections"

- System Preferences>iCloud: verified that iCloud is still enabled, though I didn't see anything related to Messages

I may have forgotten to include other troubleshooting steps I completed. I've been working on this blasted problem all day. I have searched the online forums and haven't found any tips that have worked. Please help!! Thank you!

MacBook Air, OS X El Capitan (10.11.3)

Posted on Feb 20, 2016 5:21 PM

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Answer 1

Linc Davis

Level 10

209,739 points

Feb 20, 2016 7:19 PM in response to jcambridge

Please take each of the following steps that you haven't already tried. Stop when the problem is resolved.

1. Open the Messages preferences window and select the Accounts tab. On the left is a list of the messaging accounts that you've defined. Select iMessage. Make sure that the Apple ID shown is valid. If it is, check the box marked

Enable this account

if it's not already checked.

2. Sign out of iMessage on all your devices and sign back in. If you've enabled two-step verification for the Apple ID that you use with iMessage, you must generate an application-specific password and enter it when prompted. Test.

Note: iMessage and iCloud are not the same, even if you use the same Apple ID for both. You must sign out of iMessage, not iCloud.

3. Take this step if you have an iPhone linked to the same Apple ID as the Mac.

Follow the instructions in this support article, under the heading

To use Continuity for SMS and MMS with your iPhone and your Mac, iPad or iPod touch

If text forwarding is already enabled on the phone, disable it and then re-enable it.

Quit and relaunch Messages on the Mac.

Credit for this observation to ASC member Apple Advocate.

4. There may be a problem with the Apple ID account.

Click the Support link at the top of this page to schedule a call from Apple Support. You might not be charged for the call if you select "Apple ID"—not the hardware model—as the product you're asking about.

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Answer 2

Feb 21, 2016 11:38 AM in response to jcambridge

Hi,

Whilst the Apple ID is use has to be connected to an iCloud ID it does not have to be THE iCloud ID in System Preferences > iCloud.

In About this Mac does the Mac's Serial Number show up ?

If it is missing then iMessages in the Messages app will not work.

If you create another Mac User account and set up Messages with he same ID does it work there ?

If it does not work in another Mac User Account it is this Mac's use of the Apple ID at the Server end.

The Only fix is to contact Apple Support.

Level 1 people are script led trying to solve Apple Care issues related to Hardware and Software.

Yours is an Apple ID issue.

The Level 1s will stick to their script if you let them to try and prove they can solve it.

State you have an Apple ID issue.

Ask for a Level 2.

The Level 2 person may confirm they can see your Login is blocked at the iMessages server for your Mac's use (each device has a unique Login based on the Serial Number as well and the ID and Password).

They still may have you testing things out and grabbing data for the Engineers.

Insists politely that it is reset - they still may tell you it will take 24 hours.

Out best guess is it is a security feature that is being triggered when it should not be.

It seems the engineers are still grabbing as much info as they can as they have not resolved it yet. (it does seem to vary slightly from Mountain Lion and El Capitan as to when it happens.)

7:38 pm Sunday; February 21, 2016

 iMac 2.5Ghz i5 2011 (Mavericks 10.9)
 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

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