Enable messages in iCloud option not visible on Mac

Some people in another thread were able to resolve this problem by checking the “Keychain” checkbox in their iCloud system preference. Try that and see if it works!

Do you have two-factor authentication turned on for your iCloud account?

Once you click on Accounts in Preferences, did you click on your iCloud account in the left margin? The checkmark should show up on the right.

If not, you may try downloading & installing the macOS High Sierra 10.13.5 Combo Update from Apple. This installer is a more thorough way of updating macOS, and might help in some cases.

Make sure you have taken all 7 of these steps:

1. You must have two-factor authentication turned on for your iCloud account at https://appleid.apple.com/

2. Upgrade all of your iOS devices to iOS 11.4, then enable "Messages" in the Settings > Your Name > iCloud. (Launch Messages on your iOS devices and you will see a progress bar at the bottom of your messages list. This will take several hours -- maybe longer.)

3. Now go to your Mac, and upgrade it to macOS High Sierra 10.13.5.

4. On your Mac, make sure that the exact same iCloud account is signed in at "System Preferences > iCloud".

5. Launch the Messages app on your Mac.

6. In "Messages > Preferences > Accounts", choose your iCloud account on the left, and then check the checkbox that says "Enable Messages in iCloud" on the right. Then, click on the "Sync Now" button. (Then, you will need to wait several hours -- maybe longer -- for the sync to finish. You will see a progress bar at the bottom of your messages list.)

7. If you want all of your Messages that you delete on your Mac to also be deleted on your iOS 11.4 devices, then you ALSO must take an additional step that Apple didn't inform anybody about. Go to "Messages > Preferences > General", and UNCHECK the checkbox that says "Save history when conversations are closed".

Enable Messages in iCloud" is absent in 10.13.5.

Followed all steps and option to enable is not on screen

iPhone and iPad upgraded to 11.4 and turned on Messages in Settings

Upgraded Mac to 10.13.5 then opened Messages and clicked on Accounts in Preferences and there is no option to enable Messages in iCloud?

This fixed it for me as well. I have two Macs, one was working one wasn't. The one that wasn't didn't have keychain syncing enabled in iCloud preferences. Once enabled the option to save messages in iCloud was available.

Can you update your first post to reflect this since several people have resolved their issue this way and your post is the first that pops up when trying to resolve this issue?

Thank you!

I do not believe that you are correct in your point 7.

"Save history when conversations are closed" relates to 'closing' a conversation. Not to 'deleting' it.

Closing = clicking the x

Deleting = swipe left / Delete

The difference is that when you 'close' a conversation it just does that, closes it. But it is still there as an unopened conversation. When it is re-opened, it will reappear, in its entirety *if* you have this option selected.

I don't think iOS offers this possibility.

To be honest Scott, I've never even considered there could be a difference, until configuring Messages in iCloud and I agree that it is probably the behaviour that most people would want/assume to be the case.

However ... the two are not synonymous and are actually separate behaviours. It does though, explain to me why I have in the past closed a conversation (thinking I was deleting it) and then when a new conversation is started with the same person ... all of the previous conversation is still there ... because it wasn't deleted, it was closed!

Worked great! Thank you!

I'm running 10.13.5 on my MacBook Pro (Retina, Mid 2012) and have the exact same issue. None of the above steps worked.

Amazing!

You're welcome! It won't let me edit my original post anymore, because too much time has passed since I posted it.

On the Mac, closing the conversation deletes the conversation from all devices — if that checkbox is unchecked. This is the behavior that most people *PROBABLY* want.