I have only one account on Messages, which is a Google account.
I don't understand why Messages goes offline when I shut the lid of my Macbook or shut it down even when "When I quit Messages, set my status to Offline" is unticked and "Set my status to Away after the computer is inactive" is ticked. I do not quit Messages at any point.
MacBook
Hi,
Open Finder window
Use the GO Menu whilst holding down the ALT/Option key (⌥) and the select the Library that appears.
Navigate to Preferences.
Find com.apple.imagent.plist
Highlight this files and then use the CMD and i keys together (Get Info)
Scroll to the bottom.
Highlight your Account's short name in the list.
Unlock th padlock then use the cogwheel like icon underneath.
It should show the phrase "Make yourShortname (me) the Owner"
This should be greyed out if you Own the file.
You should also have Read and Write permissions.
This .plist is the one that holds the setting for "When I Quit..."
The other info about the Status change (or not) when coming back from Sleep of Screen Sleep is held in com.apple.iChat.plist itself.
Make sure you Own and have Read and Write permissions as well.
If you do own these and have the Read and Write permissions but it still does not change then do this:-
https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT203538
This is because the path to Write to those files is via ~/Library/Containers/com.apple.ichat/Data/Library/Preferences and then Alias files that point to the Originals.
You need to own the Original files, the aliases, and all the folders that they are contained inside.
7:43 pm Wednesday; April 25, 2018
You are welcome. Since you are using a Google account and not a messages account, try contacting Google support for assistance.
I didn't find anything in the Hangouts FAQs. I've posted on the forum. Will report back here if I discover anything useful.
Hi,
If you settings are this:-
Then when the computer goes to Sleep a prompt to the Servers for Buddy list (Google or other Jabber server) is not sent.
Other people cannot see you as Off Line.
As far as they are concerned your Status is the same.
If the second line is set as in the picture then when you come back the app should appear to be open and On Line again.
You should not see the Window to Ask you what to do and you should not see any window suggesting the App is playing catchup to reset the Status or Available.
I say Should.
As I said above it relies on the fact that the setting is written to the .plist involved.
If you go to the folder ~/Library/Messages and then use the View Menu and then View Options and select show Modified column you should see that the chat.db items have dates and time that match when the App was opened (or the last message was sent):-
If they have not changed then the app is not writing to the File properly.
In ~/Library/Preferences then the com.apple.ichat.plist should also have today's Date when the app started up.
If you change the setting then the Time you did this should show:-
It this does not change then the .plist file is not being written to.
As I said as well the Read and Write route is via ~/Library/Containers/com.apple.iChat/Data/Library/Preferences and the relevant Alias
The Path/Route to the Aliases are shown in the blue box.
The iChat.plist Alias is indicated by the red one and the Arrow denoting it is an Alias file is also indicated.
It is because this App is a Sandboxed one (which protects the system if the app fails) that you get this convoluted Read/Write path.
I hope that is clearer.
8:27 pm Thursday; April 26, 2018
Messages going offline when macbook is on sleep or shut
