Why aren't my iMessages syncing on Mac?

There’s something freeing about buying fully into a technology ecosystem. All of the services and devices are designed to work seamlessly, and all of your support comes from one place, which means you can spend less time fretting about compatibility and more time actually living your gosh darn life.

But things don’t always “just work,” contrary to what Apple would have you believe. Sometimes those calls don’t pass through your iPhone to your iPad for reasons unknown. And in some cases, syncing your Messages app between your iPhone and your Mac can get a little wonky.

Fortunately, we’re here to help save the day.

How the heck do I fix this?

If iMessage is not syncing on Mac, there are a few steps you can take to try and shock Apple’s software into conformity. First, we’re going to use the old cable company router trick of “turn it off and turn it back on.”

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
2. Navigate to the Messages menu.
3. Tap the switch next to iMessage to turn it off.

Now take a seat in front of your Mac and do this.

1. Open the Messages app.
2. Open the Preferences menu.
3. Choose Accounts.
4. Uncheck the box next to Enable this Account.

What’s next? It’s pretty simple — wait a few minutes, and then undo the changes you just made. Re-enable iMessage on your iPhone, and re-check the box next to Enable this Account in the Mac’s Messages Preferences menu.

If things still aren’t working, there’s one last rabbit you can pull out of the hat. Actually, it’s not as much as a magic trick as it is ensuring your Mac is enabled to receive messages in the first place. Yeah, much less magical. We’ll pick a different phrase next time.

Here’s what to do.

1. Look at your iPhone lovingly and tell it you care.
2. Ignore Step 1.
3. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
4. Open the Messages menu.
5. Open the Send & Receive menu.
6. Ensure the Apple ID and phone number being used by your Mac is checked off in the list.

That should get you all squared away! If you’re still having issues, there may be a different underlying problem that normal troubleshooting methods won’t solve. In this case, you’ll want to reach out to Apple so they can professionally diagnose the cause of your Messages issue.

And as always, if this worked for you, let us know down below.