How to fix your Mac that can’t sign in to iMessage [troubleshooting guide]

Many Mac users are usually at a loss when faced with an iMessage issue that prevents them from logging in. Today’s troubleshooting article will address that. If you happen to be one of the unlucky few to have met an issue like this on your Mac, worry no more. Just read on and follow our suggestions below.
Before we proceed to the main topic though, we would like to remind you that we accept requests for assistance regarding their Windows computers. If you have a problem that you can’t seem to find a solution to, send us your issue by following the link at the bottom of this page. Just remember, windows problems can sometimes be difficult to diagnose so kindly make sure that you give us very detailed description of the problem. You want to mention relevant history that may have led to the issue. The more information that you can provide, the higher the chance of us diagnosing the issue more efficiently. We also expect that you mention whatever troubleshooting step/s that you may have done before contacting us in order to prevent repeating them in our article. Again, the more details you can give us, the faster it is for us to pinpoint the cause and its corresponding solution.

Solutions for iMessage login issue on your Mac

Despite being a system application for Macs, iMessage can encounter errors that MacOS may not be able to resolve. One such problem is being unable to use it because it blocks your login credentials, or simply does nothing after you’ve entered your Apple ID username and password. Like any Mac application issue, iMessage login issue can be caused by software, network, or application bugs. In order to identify the cause, you need to narrow down possible reasons. This short troubleshooting article will guide you on how to do that.

Fix #1: Verify internet connection is working on your Mac

iMessage application is dependent upon internet good internet connection to work properly. It constantly check and receive updates from Apple servers so you’ll want to ensure that your machine is connected to a reliable network the moment you pull iMessage up.

The simplest way to know if internet connection is good is by watching a streaming service like Netflix or a YouTube video. If the video keeps on freezing (or buffering), that’s a sign that you have a slow connection that may not be able to support iMessage as well.

Fix #2: Check if iMessage servers are encountering issues

Although iMessage server problem is few and far between, it did occur sometime in 2017. So there’s always a chance that the iMessage issue on your Mac may be attributed to a service interruption from Apple’s end. To know the status of Apple services in your region, visit their website at www.apple.com/support/systemstatus/.

Keep in mind that the indicated status in this site is not real time. Data are gathered and presented every few minutes so there’s a chance that even if the site says iMessage is up, it’s actually down while you’re checking it. Try to go back to the site after 10 or 15 minutes to see the status of iMessage again. If there’s any recent outage or maintenance, you should see it there.

Fix #3: Install MacOS updates

Whether you’re having problems or not, it’s always good practice to keep your system updated. Now that you’re experiencing an issue with one of your machine’s core applications, it’s even more necessary to install any pending update your Mac may need.

By default, Macs are supposed to download and install MacOX updates automatically. However, if you changed this default behavior, be sure to to check for Mac software updates. Here’s how:

  1. Open the App Store app on your Mac.
  2. Click Updates in the App Store toolbar.
  3. Use the Update buttons to download and install any updates listed. Updates installed in the last 30 days appear below this list.

Fix #4: Check date and time

We can’t any valid reason why you’ll intentionally set your Mac’s date and time incorrectly but if it is, it could be the reason why it’s unable to log in to iMessage. Apple servers check your Macs system details including its date and time. If it’s incorrect, it may confuse Apple’s system and forcing it to return an error, or in this case, prevent your Mac from logging in.

To check your Mac’s date and time, do the steps below:

  1. Click on the Apple menu.
  2. Click on System Preferences
  3. Click Date & Time and make sure that the date, time, and time zone are correct.

If the ”Set date and time automatically” checkbox is selected, deselect it and select it again. (If the checkbox is dimmed, click the lock icon and enter your administrator password.)

Fix #5: Verify you’re using correct Apple ID

If you have multiple Apple IDs, there’s a chance that you may be using an incorrect one. To check if you have the correct Apple ID username and password, pull up your favorite browser and sign in to Apple’s main log in page. Be sure to use the Apple ID username and password that you’re using for your iMessage. If you can log in successfully, you can then log out of your iMessage account and use your Apple ID username and password to sign back in. Here’s how:

  1. Click on Messages.
  2. Go to Preferences.
  3. Click Accounts.
  4. Select your iMessage account, then click Sign Out.
  5. Sign back in using the Apple ID username and password you successfully used to sign in to Apple main log in page.

Fix #6: Reset NVRAM

NVRAM (nonvolatile random-access memory) is a type of memory some Macs use to keep particular settings in order to access them quickly. These settings may include:

  • sound volume
  • display resolution
  • startup-disk selection
  • time zone
  • recent kernel panic information

In some cases, users where able to fix iMessage log in errors by clearing NVRAM so there’s no harm in trying it. Resetting NVRAM is easy. Just follow the steps below:

  1. Turn off your Mac.
  2. Turn it back on and immediately press and hold Option, Command, P, and R buttons.
  3. Once your Mac shows sign of restarting, release the buttons.

If your Mac happens to have a firmware passcode or password, you should remove it first before attempting to reset NVRAM.

Fix #7: Third party software

Some non-Apple products such as firewall, VPN, or antivirus may block certain domains or even ports use by Apple services to make sure this is not the case. If you have one of these products, try to disable them one by one to narrow down possible causes. For example, if you have a third party security (antivirus) installed, try to turn it off and see if you’ll be able to sign in to iMessage.

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