Ripley from OF
Level 1 (4 points)
Mac OS X

Q: I can no longer sync my Mac with iPhone for Messages.

I used to be able to receive my iMessages from my phone on my Mac.  I no longer have the "Text Message Forwarding" option listed on my iPhone.   When I try to sign onto Message on my Mac, I keep getting the "An error occurred during activation.  Try again".  I have updated all my devices.  In the Messages it shows my account as 'inactive."  Can anyone help?

MacBook, OS X El Capitan (10.11.6)

Posted on Jul 26, 2016 12:29 PM

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Ripley from OF

Q: I can no longer sync my Mac with iPhone for Messages.

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  • by elcpu,

    elcpu elcpu Jul 26, 2016 12:40 PM in response to Ripley from OF
    Level 6 (16,022 points)
    Photos for Mac
    Jul 26, 2016 12:40 PM in response to Ripley from OF

    Ripley from OF wrote:

    I no longer have the "Text Message Forwarding" option listed on my iPhone.

     

    You should. Try going to Settings > Messages > Send & Receive > log out of the account. Then a forced restart and then logging back into the account.

     

    Forced Restart. Hold down the Home and Wake/Sleep buttons at the same time for about 15 seconds until the Apple logo appears. You will not lose anything.

  • by Ripley from OF,

    Ripley from OF Ripley from OF Jul 26, 2016 12:57 PM in response to elcpu
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Mac OS X
    Jul 26, 2016 12:57 PM in response to elcpu

    Thanks for your prompt response, however this did not work.  Still not listed as an option.

  • by elcpu,

    elcpu elcpu Jul 26, 2016 1:02 PM in response to Ripley from OF
    Level 6 (16,022 points)
    Photos for Mac
    Jul 26, 2016 1:02 PM in response to Ripley from OF

    Try the steps in this Apple article:

    If you can't send or receive messages on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch - Apple Support

  • by Ripley from OF,

    Ripley from OF Ripley from OF Jul 26, 2016 1:23 PM in response to elcpu
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Mac OS X
    Jul 26, 2016 1:23 PM in response to elcpu

    Again, thanks for the prompt response, but still nothing.  I tried adding another account to see what would happen, and of course, because that account does not exist, it told me I had an incorrect username/password.  However, I was at least able to now enter my password for my real account.

     

    However, it is now giving me a failed to authenticate message.  Not sure if I am making it worse or better.

  • by elcpu,

    elcpu elcpu Jul 26, 2016 1:35 PM in response to Ripley from OF
    Level 6 (16,022 points)
    Photos for Mac
    Jul 26, 2016 1:35 PM in response to Ripley from OF

    I am running out of ideas. Other than a system restore I do not know what else to try. As we both know, Text Message Forwarding should show up on your iPhone.   These are the steps for a system restore:

      https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201252

     

    In the meantime, I am trying to summon another user who is quite knowledgeable about messaging. Hopefully she will respond.

  • by Demo,

    Demo Demo Jul 26, 2016 3:36 PM in response to Ripley from OF
    Level 10 (94,971 points)
    iPad
    Jul 26, 2016 3:36 PM in response to Ripley from OF

    Ripley from OF wrote:

     

    I have updated all my devices.  In the Messages it shows my account as 'inactive."  Can anyone help?

    Are you seeing this in Preferences>Accounts>iMessages>Enable this account. Can you sign out of your ID in there?

  • by Ripley from OF,

    Ripley from OF Ripley from OF Jul 26, 2016 4:30 PM in response to Demo
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Mac OS X
    Jul 26, 2016 4:30 PM in response to Demo

    No.  This is all I see.  My account, showing it is inactive.  No Facetime button, no other options. 

     

     

    Inactive.png

  • by Demo,

    Demo Demo Jul 26, 2016 5:06 PM in response to Ripley from OF
    Level 10 (94,971 points)
    iPad
    Jul 26, 2016 5:06 PM in response to Ripley from OF

    Do you see any of this on the right side of the preference/account window? Are you signed into iCloud in your system preferences?

     

    Screen Shot 2016-07-26 at 7.54.27 PM.png

  • by Ripley from OF,

    Ripley from OF Ripley from OF Jul 26, 2016 5:23 PM in response to Demo
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Mac OS X
    Jul 26, 2016 5:23 PM in response to Demo

    No, the right side of the settings box is empty, exactly like the picture I sent.  I AM signed in to iCloud in system settings.  I am also signed into iCloud on my iPhone and Facetime on my iPhone.

     

    This is crazy, right?

  • by elcpu,

    elcpu elcpu Jul 26, 2016 5:44 PM in response to Ripley from OF
    Level 6 (16,022 points)
    Photos for Mac
    Jul 26, 2016 5:44 PM in response to Ripley from OF

    Not that it matters but now I am going crazy. Where are you guys looking at? I am on a MBP, OS X 10.11.6 and under System Preferences I don't see anything like either of you. I don't have Accounts. I have Internet Accounts and it looks nothing like the SS above. Where are you looking at? 

     

    FWIW, this appears to be an OS X issue, not an iPhone issue. May want to post on that forum. I could ask the moderators to move it there but the problem with that is that with the many replies here it may not get the attention of a new post.

  • by Demo,

    Demo Demo Jul 26, 2016 5:46 PM in response to Ripley from OF
    Level 10 (94,971 points)
    iPad
    Jul 26, 2016 5:46 PM in response to Ripley from OF

    I don't know if it's crazy, but it sure is frustrating. Did you recently update to El Capitan? I know that there were a few dissuasions going on about iMessage issues after updating to EC, but those were a while back. I'm still struggling why you can't see the option in the phone settings to use text message forwarding.

     

    Have you tried signing out of iCloud and your Apple ID, restart the Mac and then sign in again? When you sign out of iCloud, you will not lose any day. It is all stored in the cloud and will be accessible again when you sign back in.

     

    I don't know if you want to try that, but you can take a look at this.

    OS X El Capitan: If you sign out of iCloud

     

    Take a look at this.

    iMessage inActive after installing El Capitan

  • by Demo,

    Demo Demo Jul 26, 2016 5:48 PM in response to elcpu
    Level 10 (94,971 points)
    iPad
    Jul 26, 2016 5:48 PM in response to elcpu

    Launch the Messages app and then go to Messages>Preferences>Accounts.

  • by elcpu,

    elcpu elcpu Jul 26, 2016 5:56 PM in response to Demo
    Level 6 (16,022 points)
    Photos for Mac
    Jul 26, 2016 5:56 PM in response to Demo

    Ah, got it, thanks... 

  • by Ripley from OF,

    Ripley from OF Ripley from OF Jul 26, 2016 6:09 PM in response to Demo
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Mac OS X
    Jul 26, 2016 6:09 PM in response to Demo

    I updated to El Capitan shortly after it was released, so I have been on it for awhile.  I was receiving all of my messages from my iPhone on my MacBook up until about a month ago.  I only got serious in trying to fix it today.  I was sure I could find an answer in the community and it would be an easy fix.

     

    Something is affecting my iPhone and my Messages, as I do not have the "Text Message Forward" option on my phone and cannot see my account, or sign into it, on my Mac.

     

    Thanks for the advice to date, I will re-post in the El Capitan community. 

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