iMessage Not Working or Syncing on Mac – Here is the Ultimate Fixes

iMessage is a popular message service of Apple devices that enables you to communicate with others. When you need to sync the iMessages from iPhone to Mac, you might find iMessage not showing contact names on Mac, not syncing between Mac and iPhone. What should you do when iMessage is not working on Mac?

Just learn more about the reasons for the problems and learn more about the fixes from the article. Whether iMessage server is down, or some issues with your Mac, here is the 6 compiled troubleshooting for the iMessage not working on Mac problems. Read on the article and get the desired solution accordingly.

• Part 1: Why is My iMessage Not Working on Mac
• Part 2: How to Fix iMessage Not Working on Mac
• Part 3: Best Method to Fix iMessage Not Syncing on Mac

Part 1: Why is My iMessage Not Working on Mac

The reasons that iMessage stopped working on Mac might be complicated, such as the iMessage server issue, network issue, incorrect configuration of iMessage, insufficient space for new iMessages, or even the settings for MacBook problems.

Here are some common troubleshooting you can fix the problem. Just restart your Mac, update iMessage app and sign in account again. If these following problems still exists, it means that iMessages is not working on Mac.

1. iMessage received on iPhone won't sync to Mac.

2. Cannot send or receive iMessage on Mac.

3. iMessage sent or received on iPhone won't update to Mac.

4. Contact names or phone numbers are not showing in iMessage for Mac.

5. Cannot sign in iMessage on Mac at all.

6. The iPhone contacts does not sync to iMessages on Mac.

Part 2: How to Fix iMessage Not Working on Mac

The key to solving the problem lies in its root. Just pay special attention to the situations. You can learn more about the solutions to fix iMessage not working on Mac as below.

Issue 1: iMessage Not Syncing on Mac Properly

Mac don't receive the iMessage in the proper sync is the most frequently reported issue. It could be an incorrectly configuration of iMessage, outdated software, Mac setting problems and more. Just check out the detailed solutions as below.

Step 1Check the system status of Apple to find whether it is outage. The outages are one of the problems for iMessage not syncing on Mac. When everything is back to normal, the problem is solved automatically.

Step 2Swipe up the screen on iPhone and turn on the "Airplane" mode. You can also go to "Settings" > "Airplane" mode to solve the connectivity issues to sync the files between devices.

Step 3Go to "Settings" > "Messages", which you can check whether the "iMessage" option is already turn on.

Issue 2: iMessage Could Not Sending on Mac

When the iMessage cannot send properly, or indicate the message is being sent that never ends, you should check the network settings and even Apple server to fix the problem. Just follow the method to reset the networking setting and learn more about the server.

Step 1Restart your router and use another device to make sure Wi-Fi network is running well without problem.

Step 2On your iPhone, go to "Settings" > [your name] > "General" > "Reset" and tap the "Reset Network Settings" option.

Step 3After that, enter your Wi-Fi credential. Now, sync your iMessage and then you can read them on your Mac.

Issue 3: iMessage Not Updating on Mac

In order to solve the problems of iMessage not working on Mac, you have to update iMessage to the latest version. It should have the fixes for the bugs and issues that you might be experience. What should you do if iMessage not updating on Mac?

Step 1On your iPhone, you can access iMessage settings in "Settings" > [your name] > "Messages". Turn it off and "Sign Out" your Apple ID in "Send & Receive". Restart your iPhone, turn iMessage back on, and sign in your Apple ID.

Step 2On your Mac, go to "Preferences" > "iMessage" > "Settings" in Messages app, and tap the "Sign Out" option. After that, you can restart computer, sign in your account and check "Enable this account" in the Messages app.

Issue 4: iMessage Not Showing Contact Names on Mac

When you get iMessages without showing the contact names on Mac, you can check whether there is some special characters for the name, edit the country prefix, restart your iPhone, or even turn off contacts in iCloud to find whether it works.

Step 1Open the "Settings" app on your iOS device, tap on your name, and head to Messages.

Step 2Make sure the switch of iMessage is toggled on, and tap the "Send & Receive" option. Check your phone numbers and email addresses and enabled the desired ones.

Step 3Turn to your Mac, open the Messages app. Go to "Preferences" > "iMessages". Enable the phone numbers and email addresses you want to use with iMessage.

Issue 5: Cannot Sign into iMessage on Mac

Why you are not able to sign into iMessage account on Mac? Just check out the password and ID is correct. If you are using Mac 2018 or later versions, the date or time is wrong, iMessage will not work on Mac.

On Mac, go to "System Preferences" > "Date & Time", check "Set date and time automatically". After that Apple will set them correctly. Restart your Mac to find whether it works.

Issue 6: Cannot Receive iMessage on Mac

If you have already tried above solutions, but still cannot receive the iMessages on Mac, you should clear the old and unwanted messages. The cache data can also lead to various problems including iMessage is not syncing on Mac.

Step 1Make sure to sign out your iCloud and iMessage on Mac.

Step 2Go to ~/Library/Messages folder in Finder app.

Step 3Back up the folder and then remove it to Trash. Then sign in your account and try iMessage syncing again.

Part 3: Export iPhone Messages to Mac with Ease

When iMessage is not syncing to Mac because of Apple servers, network signal or other unknown reasons, what is the best solution to fix these problems? Apeaksoft iPhone Transfer for Mac is the best alternative to sync messages between iPhone and Mac.

How to Sync iMessage with iPhone Transfer for Mac

Step 1Connect iPhone to Mac via the USB cable

Download and install iPhone Transfer for Mac. Launch the program on your Mac computer. Then connect your iPhone to the computer with a USB cable, and launch the program.

Step 2Preview messages/SMS you want to transfer

Go to the "SMS" tab from the left hand column, you can access to all messages and attachments on your iPhone. You can check the details of each iMessage and select the desired ones.

Step 3Transfer messages/SMS from iPhone to Mac

Make sure the check the boxes in front of each message. Click the "Export to" menu on the top ribbon and choose your Mac computer. Then the iMessages and attachments will go to your hard drive in a few seconds.