The issue of iMessage not syncing between Mac and iPhone is related both to user errors and minor software glitches that prevent iMessages from syncing on Mac. Let us take a look at how to fix this issue.
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- Apple just released Messages Beta, an instant messaging platform to replace the iChat in the upcoming OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion.Messages is basically like iMessages for the Mac. Messages allows users to send unlimited iMessages to any Mac, iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch.
- Apple's made a public beta available of Messages for Mac available to anyone running Mac OS X 10.7 'Lion,' meaning that there's no need to wait until the release of 'Mountain Lion.'
Fix iMessage Not Syncing on Mac
Perhaps the most useful feature of iMessage is that it allows you to send and receive Messages both on your iPhone and Mac. For example, if you receive an iMessage on your iPhone, you will be able to find the same iMessage on your Mac.
However, iMessage is known to be quirky at times and it is not uncommon to find Messages arriving on your iPhone but not appearing on Mac.
You will find below some of the solutions that you can try to fix the issue of iMessages not syncing on your Mac.
Check Apple ID and Email Addresses On iPhone and Mac
In order to allow syncing of iMessages between iPhone and iPad, you need to use the same Apple ID on both iPhone and Mac. There is no way for this feature to work, in case you are using different Apple ID’s on your iPhone and Mac.
In case you have added other Email Addresses to iMessage in addition to your Apple ID Email, you need to make sure that these emails have been activated for iMessage, both on your iPhone and Mac.
1. On your iPhone, tap on Settings > Messages.
2. On the Messages screen, tap on Send & Receive.
3. On the next screen, make sure that the Email that you use for sending iMessages is available under “You can be reached by iMessage At” and it has a check mark (See image below)
Also, take a look at Apple ID and make sure that it is the same Apple ID that you are using on your iPhone.
Now go to your Mac and follow the steps below, to confirm that you are using the same Apple ID and the same Email Address under “You Can be Reached by iMessage At” section.
1. Open the Messages App on your Mac
2. Next, click on the Messages tab in the top-menu bar of your Mac and then click on Preferences in the drop-down menu.
3. On the next screen, click on the Accounts tab and make sure that the Email appearing under section “You can be reached for Messages At” has a check mark and it is the same Email Address that is also active for iMessages on your iPhone.
In general, you need to make sure that you are using the same Apple ID on both devices and the same Email Address under “You can be Reached For Messages At” section.
Send An iMessage From Mac
Even though you have the same Email Address and Phone Number activated for iMessage on iPhone and Mac, you may still come across the case of iMessages getting to your iPhone without any problem but those Messages not syncing to your Mac.
In such a case it is likely that iMessage is giving priority to your iPhone over your Mac, pushing Messages to iPhone first and delaying or not at all pushing those Messages to your Mac.
A simple solution to this problem is to simply send an iMessage from your Mac.
1. Open the Messages App on your Mac
2. Send an iMessage from your Mac to someone that you know.
Once your Message is sent, you should soon see all the Messages appearing on your Mac, as if the Messaging App on your Mac was looking for a confirmation of you being active and present on your Mac.
Sign-out and sign-in to iMessages on Mac
Since the problem is appearing on Mac, we will first sign out of iMessage on Mac and sign-in back again. This can help resolve any technical glitches that iMessage on your Mac might be going thorough.
1. Open the Messages App on your Mac
2. Next, click on the Messages tab in the top-menu bar of your Mac and then click on the Preferences option in the drop-down menu.
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3. On the next screen, tap on the Accounts tab and sign-out of iMessage App by clicking on the Sign out button.
4. After a few seconds, open the Messaging App on your Mac by clicking on Messages icon in the dock.
5. Whenever prompted, Sign-in to iMessage using your Apple ID Email Address and Password.
Turn iMessage ON/OFF on iPhone
In case signing out of iMessage and signing back-in on Mac did not help, you can try the same steps on your iPhone.
1. On your iPhone, tap on Settings > Messages.
2. On the Messages screen, turn-off iMessages on iPhone by moving the toggle next to iMessage to OFF position (See image below)
3. After a few seconds, turn iMessages back on your iPhone by moving the toggle next to iMessage to ON position.
Deleted Messages Still Appearing
The way iMessage works, you will have iMessages appearing on your iPhone, even if you had deleted these iMessages on Mac. The same thing happens when you painfully go through the process of deleting iMessages on your iPhone, only to see them appearing on Mac.
This happens because iMessage generates different security keys for your iPhone and Mac and makes use of these security keys to push Messages separately to your Mac and iPhone.
In short, iMessage syncing only makes iMessages appear on both devices, it does not work like traditional syncing.
With Messages for Mac, you can send unlimited messages to any Mac, iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch that uses iMessage, Apple's secure-messaging service. iPhone owners can use it for SMS and MMS messages, too.
Set up iMessage
iMessage is the Apple messaging service you get automatically with your Apple ID.If it's not already set up, you're asked to sign in when you first open the Messages app. Sign in with same Apple ID that you use with Messages on your iPhone and other devices. It's usually the same Apple ID that you use for iCloud, the iTunes Store, the App Store, and the account you created when you first set up your Mac.
Have a conversation
- Click at the top of the Messages window.
- Address your message by typing the recipient's name, email address, or phone number. Or click and choose a recipient. If they're in your Contacts app, Messages finds them as you type. To start a group conversation, just add more recipients.
- Type your message in the field at the bottom of the window, then press Return to send it.
- To include emoji, click.
- To include an image or other file, just drag or paste it into the message field. Or use Continuity Camera to capture a photo or scan directly from your iPhone or iPad camera.
- To include an audio recording, clickand record your message.
- After starting a conversation, click Details in the corner of the window to take other actions, including:
- Choose not to be disturbed by notifications about this conversation.
- Use FaceTime to start an audio call or video call .
- Share a screen .
- See the recipient's location—if they're sharing their location with you.
- Review all of the photos and files that were exchanged in the conversation.
- Add a group name, add members to a group, or leave a group. If the group has four or more members, you can remove members: Control-click the member's name, then choose Remove from Conversation.
With macOS Sierra or later, you can also use Siri to send, read, and reply to Messages:
- ”Send a message to Susan and Johnny saying I'll be late' or ”Tell Johnny Appleseed the show is about to start” or ”Text a message to 408 555 1212.”
- ”Read the last message from Brian Park” or ”Read my new messages.”
- ”Reply that's great news” or ”Tell him I'll be there in 10 minutes.”
Add a Tapback to a message
macOS Sierra introduces Tapback to the Mac. A Tapback is a quick response that expresses what you think about a message, such as that you like it or think it's funny. In the image above, the heart next to ”See you then!' is a Tapback. Here's how to do it:
- Control-click a message bubble to open a shortcut menu.
- Choose Tapback from the menu.
- Click a Tapback to add it to the message bubble.
Your Tapback is visible to everyone in the conversation who is using iMessage with macOS Sierra or later or iOS 10 or later. Other iMessage users see 'Liked' or 'Laughed at' or 'Emphasized,' for example, followed by the text of that message.
iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch also have Tapback, as well as other message effects available only on those devices. Most such affects look the same on your Mac when you receive them. Others appear as a description of the effect, such as ”(sent with Loud Effect).”
Send text messages to anyone from your Mac
If you have an iPhone with a text messaging plan, learn how to set up text message forwarding so you can send and receive SMS and MMS messages from your Mac.
Delete a message or conversation
When you permanently delete a message or conversation, you can't get it back. So make sure that you save important information from your messages.
To delete a message:
- Open a message conversation.
- Control-click the blank area of a message bubble that you want to delete.
- Choose Delete.
- Click Delete.
To delete a conversation:
- Control-click a conversation.
- Choose Delete Conversation.
- Click Delete.
Learn more
- To learn more about Messages, choose Messages Help from the Help menu in Messages.
- If you get an error when trying to sign in to iMessage, learn what to do.
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