- Why Wont My Macbook Pro Download My Messages Sync
- Why Wont My Macbook Pro Download My Messages Windows 10
- Why Wont My Macbook Pro Download My Messages Automatically
- Why Wont My Macbook Pro Download My Messages To My
- The IMAP command 'UID COPY' (to Deleted Messages) failed for the mailbox 'INBOX' with server error: Failed to save copy of message. Apple Mail will not delete an email. Apple Mail is unable to move the message to the Trash mailbox. This is a known bug with Apple Mail. Disable Move deleted messages to the.
- I have plenty of storage available on my computer so not sure what the reason could be. If I click on download arrow or double click on the image this is all I see. Can anyone else determine why I can't see pictures on my macbook within messages when it was sent from my iphone.
- Google Chrome's graphics glitches on macOS. Google Support Forums. Reports of this problem have been spreading across Google and Apple Support forums (1,2,3,4,5,6,7 etc) and the commonalities.
This app is just fine on mobile platforms. My brand new Macbook Pro with 8GB of RAM was running the fan like crazy and couldn't even keep websites loaded. I checked the wifi, closed and reloaded tabs, did updates, etc. Nothing helped, and I was feeling like a I might have a serious problem. While the issue with Big Sur was live on 12 November Apple had the following text on the site indicating that there was a problem: 'Users may not be able to download macOS Software Updates on Mac.
Do you remember the days when all you had was a rotary phone and one line per house? Maybe not, but you may remember the days where there was a house digital phone.
However, you were lucky if your house had multiple lines so you could chat with your friends while your parents could leave a line open. It's incredible to think how far technology has changed in the past 10-15 years.
These days there are a multitude of communication devices and options on your iPhone, Android, Mac or PC. Likely one of the most widely used forms of communication is text messaging or SMS. This communication feature is so prevalent that Apple even enabled iMessage directly from your Macbook Pro or Macbook Air with a simple download and software update.
Apple has even gone as far as to enable the ability to send regular text messages through your Mac computer without ever opening up your iPhone. Below I will walk you through the various options and features of iMessage, along with how to download it to your Macbook Pro if you don't already have it.
'Likewise, there is no evidence that texting teaches people to spell badly: rather, research shows that those kids who text frequently are more likely to be the most literate and the best spellers, because you have to know how to manipulate language.' – David Crystal
What is iMessage?
You may have heard about iMessage but not be exactly clear on what it is and why it can be helpful to you during your daily life. Basically, iMessage is Apple's way of extending text messages to their line of Mac computers and iPads. It's not a well known fact, but you don't need an iPhone in order to use iMessage; all you must have is an Apple ID. Basically you have it as soon as you sign up for an Apple ID.
If you own an iPhone you will notice that when you go to text other people with an iPhone the boxes will turn from green to blue. That means you're texting over iMessage. The great thing about this is that these texts are not part of your regular text message package that you buy from your carrier like AT&T, Verizon, or T-Mobile. These blue texts are sent and received directly through your local WiFi connection or your phone's cellular data. That way, you will never go over your texting limit by using this option.
Because the messages are sent directly over WiFi, Apple has built this into their Macbook Pro, Macbook Air, iMac, Mac Mini, and Mac Pro line of computers. After you set up iMessage, it will automatically send the messages you receive and send to both your phone and your computer. I'll go into more detail below on how to setup iMessage, some of the features, and limitations of this technology.
iMessage For Macbook Check
So, you're obviously on this page because you want to get iMessage onto your Macbook laptop. The fact is, Apple preprograms the iMessage app onto each of their computers, and it comes automatically installed with a new operating system. Therefore, there's a chance you already have the app on your Macbook and you just don't realize it. Try these options to see whether it's on your laptop hidden somewhere.
- Search in Spotlight: Spotlight is the system search tool native to all Apple devices. One way to do a quick Spotlight search is to press the command+space bar keys at the same time. This will bring up a search bar and simply type in 'iMessage' into the bar. If you already have the app installed, you will see something similar to the screenshot below. Simply hit enter and it will open iMessage and you can get started using it.
Note: Another way to do a spotlight search is to click on the search glass icon at the top right of your Mac screen.
- Use Gestures: The second way I suggest searching for whether you have iMessage is to use a gesture. Take your entire hand and hover over the Macbook trackpad and without clicking swipe all of your fingers in to a point. This should bring up a screen where all of your installed apps are shown. Try to find the app. If it doesn't show up, you likely don't have it downloaded and installed.
How To Download iMessage
As I stated above, iMessage is preloaded onto every Mac computer so you shouldn't have to download it. If you deleted it on accident then there are a few options for reinstating the app. I'll work my way from easiest to most time consuming options.
1. Restore iMessage From Backup
The easiest and least time consuming way to get iMessage back is to restore it from a Time Machine backup. This requires that you have previously backed up your Macbook Air or Pro to an external hard drive. If you did, most likely you used Time Machine, which is Apple's built in backup app. The great thing about the app is that it backs up everything on your computer, including the apps. To restore the app, follow these steps.
- Connect the external hard drive that you used to back up to your Macbook.
- You'll notice that it will likely mount onto your desktop, and you'll be able to double click the icon. Note, if it does not appear, simply press command + space bar to search for 'Time Machine' and press enter to open the app. Once it's opened it will recognize that you have an external HD mounted that has a backup.
- Navigate to your Applications folder on your external hard drive. Make sure you go far enough back to when you backed it up when it still had iMessage installed.
- You should notice iMessage in the Applications folder. Simply drag and drop it onto your desktop or Applications folder on your computer. You can alternatively copy and paste the app onto your computer.
This will bring the app back onto your computer where you don't even have to download it and you can start using it immediately.
2. Download iMessage From OS X Install File
This next option is a little more time consuming but you ultimately don't need to do anything, because mostly working in the background. You will need to get your hands on a fresh install disk for OS X. If you don't know how to get your hands on one of these disks, or you have long since misplaced or thrown away yours, don't worry: the past few generations of OS X have not been primarily distributed on physical media like disks, and the latest MacBooks don't even have optical drives (CD/DVD drives). Instead, the OS upgrades and installation files are all available through the App Store. If you reinstall the Mac operating system, it will automatically download and install iMessage onto your Macbook Pro and Macbook Air.
Let's get into the nitty gritty of how to actually download and install a new operating system. The great part is that Apple has offered it's newest operating system, OS X Yosemite (10.0) completely free. Just follow the steps below to get a fresh install.
NOTE: The method below, if followed, will not delete or remove any of your personal information from your computer. You will retain all your documents, photos, music, contacts, etc. Also, make sure you completely backup your computer. There may in very rare instances be a glitch that could cause a problem. You want to make sure you have a backup copy of everything.
- Click on the apple icon at the top left
- Choose App Store (App Store may also have its own, round 'A' icon already in Mac's Dock, the collection of icons whic defaults at the bottom of your screen.
- In the search bar at the top left, search for 'OS X' or 'Yosemite'
- Click the download button below. This will download the new operating system install files.
- Once the download is complete, the installer will automatically open.
- Follow the on screen steps, mainly just agreeing to the terms and conditions and saying OK to installing the new operating system.
- Your Macbook may restart a few times and when it's done you will have a fresh install of iMessage on your laptop.
NOTE: If you have an older install disk that came with your Macbook you can alternatively use that to install a fresh copy of the operating system.
You must meet the following requirements to install the latest version of OS X onto your Mac:
- iMac (Mid-2007 or newer)
- MacBook (Late 2008 Aluminum, or Early 2009 or newer)
- MacBook Pro (Mid/Late 2007 or newer)
- MacBook Air (Late 2008 or newer)
- Mac mini (Early 2009 or newer)
- Mac Pro (Early 2008 or newer)
- Xserve (Early 2009)
Your Macbook also requires:
- OS X Mavericks, Mountain Lion, Lion, or Snow Leopard (v10.6.8 or later) already installed
- 2 GB or more of RAM memory
- 8 GB or more of available disk space on your hard drive
3. Fresh Install of OS X
If the options above do not work to download iMessage for MacBook then you may want to try to do a fresh install of your computer. This will wipe everything from your computer so you will certainly want to make sure you backup everything beforehand on an external hard drive. This should be the last option to get the app back onto your laptop. To do a fresh install follow these steps.
- Restart your computer and while it's restarting hold down the Command + R keys while the computer is restarting
- Select Disk Utility from the menu and hit continue
- Select your hard drive on the left hand side and click the Erase tab
- Make sure Mac OS Extended (Journaled) is selected and choose a new name for your hard drive then hit Erase
- Once it's erased, you can quit out of the Disk Utility
- You will need to reconnect to your local WiFi to continue
- Choose Reinstall your Mac OS X and go through the step by step guide. This will install a fresh copy of the operating system not your laptop.
Once you're finished with the fresh install, you will certainly have iMessage on the computer. You can now plug in your external hard drive that you used to backup your computer and from there you can bring everything back onto your laptop either manually through dragging and dropping or you can use the 'Restore From Time Machine' option.
Do this by restarting your laptop and again holding down Command + R. You will see the option to restore from Time Machine. Click it, then select your external hard drive you used to backup and go through the restore steps.
Test-Driving iMessage
Now that you have iMessage set up on your MacBook, it's not a bad idea to try it out. If you also have an iPhone or an iPad, your contacts from those devices may already be synced up with with your Macbook. (If so, they'll appear in the App conveniently named 'Contacts.') Send messages to a friend who also has iMessage to see the messages come up blue. Send to someone without iMessage to see them come up in green. Either way, if you also have an iPhone or iPad, fire up iMessage in either device to see the message you wrote on your Macbook already appears in your iMessage conversations with those contacts on all your devices.
Note: Depending on your carrier, Wifi signal, or your iOS version number, it may take a moment for iMessages composed on one device to appear on another. Don't worry; they'll show up. Sending another message from the device you're checking may force them to appear sooner: For instance, if you sent a first message from your MacBook, and it isn't appearing on your iPhone right away, send another messager from your iPhone, and the backlog of messages should appear!
Congratulations! You now have your MacBook (which is most likely a more powerful device than either your iPhone or iPad) connected to iMessage! If you like to send particularly long messages, iMessage won't split them up into 160 character fragments like other instant messagers. Bear in mind that instant messaging has come a long way since its early days; you are no longer bound to just text, but can also easily send images, audio files, and animated .gifs to communicate very specific thoughts and moods—all without saying a single word.
iMessage on Your Mac – Troubleshooting in 2020
We're back again, readers! Fortunately, not much has changed in the iMessage world since we last visited the topic. The popular messaging service is still an Apple proprietary software, meaning it's still only available to Apple users. While this may burn Windows users a little bit, Mac owners can continue to be safe and sound in the warm comfort of having iMessage readily available on their computers by default.
Since we've already extensively covered the methods you'd use to install iMessage on a Mac, we'll add a little bit of troubleshooting advice that many users have found helpful. Even though this feature has been around for quite a while, user-end problems still crop up from time to time. Thanks to the friendly nature of the Mac operating system, the solutions are often easily found.
Problems Syncing iMessage
One of the most common problems that people encounter when syncing messages between their mobile device and their Mac is just that–the syncing isn't working! It can be a frustrating occurrence when the messages you're sending on your iPhone or iPad aren't actually reaching the matching iMessage app on your Mac, but a few simple steps will get it in working order again.
- On your iPhone or iPad, go to Settings and then the Messages menu.
- First, ensure that iMessage is on, and then tap on Text Message Forwarding.
- As long as your mobile device and your Mac are on the same Apple ID, you should see the name of your Mac.
- Toggle the option to on. Alternatively, if it's already on and not working, then reset it.
- You'll be prompted for a code. Open iMessage on your Mac to retrieve the code and input it on your iPhone or iPad.
Voila! Mission accomplished! If your messages weren't syncing (or if they were having problems syncing, this solution should have you up and running.
Remove Your Number from Mac
Alternatively, maybe you want to remove your phone number from your iMessage account on your Mac. No matter your reasoning, the process is actually quite simple to perform.
- Open iMessage on your Mac.
- From the Menu bar, select Preferences and then Accounts.
- Your number should appear below. If it's checked, you can be reached. To remove it, simply uncheck it.
Easy stuff, right? Thankfully, the user-friendly nature of Macs extends to the account management and setup for iMessage.
I hope this guide has helped you get iMessage back on your Macbook Pro or whatever Mac you may have. Let us know below in the comments if you have any other tips or suggestions on how to make this process easy and quick.
Try these steps first
Make sure that iCloud Contacts, Calendars, and Reminders are available. If there's an issue, try again after it's fixed. If there isn't an issue, try these steps.
Remember to back up your contacts, calendars, and reminders, so you don't lose anything.
Important: Upgraded reminders aren't compatible with earlier versions of iOS or macOS. Shared reminders are also not accessible to users with earlier versions of iOS and macOS, until they upgrade.
After each step, see if you still need help:
- Check for updates to your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac, or PC. To use iCloud, your devices need to meet the system requirements.
- See if the date and time settings on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac, or PC are correct.
- Make sure that you're signed in to iCloud with the same Apple ID on all your devices and check your settings.
- On your iPhone, tap Settings > [your name] > iCloud. Check your Apple ID and make sure that you turn on what you want to update (Contacts, Calendars, or Reminders).
- On your Mac, choose Apple menu > System Preferences, click Apple ID, then click iCloud. If you're using macOS Mojave or earlier, choose Apple menu > System Preferences, then click iCloud. Check your Apple ID and make sure that you select what you want to update (Contacts, Calendars, or Reminders).
- On your PC, open iCloud for Windows. Check your Apple ID and make sure that you select what you want to update (Mail, Contacts, Calendars, and Tasks).
- If you sign in to third-party apps with your Apple ID, protect your account with two-factor authentication and use an app-specific password. If you don't have devices that can be updated to iOS 9 or OS X El Capitan or later, you can set up two-step verification instead.
- Open Safari and go to www.apple.com to check your connection. If you can't open the page, get help connecting to the Internet.
- Open a secure website, like your Apple ID account page, to see if you can access port 443. If the website won't open, contact your Internet service provider for help. Safari needs access to port 443 to update your information in iCloud.
- Keep your data within the limits. If you go over the limit, your data won't stay up to date.
If you still need help, try the steps for your device below.
Try the steps for your device
iOS 13 and iPadOS
After each step, check your contacts, calendars, or reminders.
Refresh your contacts and calendars
To refresh your contacts, open Contacts and swipe down on the list.
To refresh your contact groups:
- Open the Contacts app.
- Tap Groups in the upper-left corner.
- Swipe down on the list to refresh your groups.
To refresh your calendars:
- Open the Calendar app.
- Tap the Calendars tab.
- Swipe down on the list to refresh your events.
Set iCloud Contacts, Calendars, or Reminders as your default
If your contacts, calendars, and reminders are in iCloud, then iCloud automatically updates your information. See if your information is in iCloud or a third-party account, like Google or Yahoo. Then change your default account to iCloud. Changing your default account to iCloud will not move your existing information from a third-party service to iCloud.
To see which account your contacts are in:
- Open the Contacts app and tap Groups in the upper-left corner.
- Deselect the All [account] option for any third-party account, like Gmail or Yahoo.
- Make sure All iCloud is selected.
- Tap Done to see your list of contacts. If you don't see the contact you're looking for, it's stored in another account.
- If you have a copy of your contacts from a third-party service in vCard format version 3.0 or later, you can import the contacts into iCloud.
Set iCloud as the default account for your contacts in iOS 8 or later:
- Tap Settings, then Contacts.
- Tap Default Account.
- Select iCloud.
To see which account your calendars are in, open the Calendar app, then tap the Calendars tab.
Set an iCloud calendar as the default calendar:
- Tap Settings, then Calendar.
- Tap Default Calendar.
- Tap a calendar under iCloud to make it your default.
Why Wont My Macbook Pro Download My Messages Sync
Set an iCloud reminders list as the default list:
- Tap Settings, then Reminders.
- Tap Default List.
- Tap a list under iCloud to make it your default.
Check your app settings
Make sure your iCloud Contacts and Calendars are set to appear in the Contacts or Calendars app:
- Open the Contacts app and tap Groups in the upper-left corner. Make sure that All iCloud is selected.
- Open the Calendar app and tap the Calendars tab. Make sure that all iCloud calendars are selected.
Make sure your Reminders appear:
- Tap Settings, then [your name].
- Tap iCloud.
- Slide to turn on Reminders.
Change how often your calendars update:
- Tap Settings, then Calendar.
- Tap Sync.
- If All Events is selected, choose a specific timeframe instead, like Events 1 Month Back. If a specific timeframe is selected, choose All Events instead.
- Return to your Home screen.
- Wait a few minutes, then open the Calendar app. Tap the Calendars tab, and swipe down to refresh.
Since the iCloud Birthdays calendar updates daily, you might not see changes to birthdays in the Calendars app until the next day.
Restart the Contacts, Calendar, or Reminders app
- Close the app.
- Return to your Home screen.
- Wait a minute, then open the app again.
Turn off iCloud Contacts, Calendar, or Reminders and turn it back on
- Tap Settings, [your name], then iCloud.
- Slide to turn off Contacts, Calendars, and Reminders.*
- If you see your calendars or reminders on iCloud.com or any of your devices, you can choose Delete from My [device]. If not, choose Keep on My [device].
- Wait a few minutes, then turn on Contacts, Calendar, or Reminders again.
* Local reminders will be deleted from your device, but your information won't be deleted from iCloud. Once you turn Reminders back on, your reminders will be re-synced to your device.
Restart your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch
Restart your device. Here's how to restart your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch.
iOS 12
After each step, check your contacts, calendars, or reminders.
Refresh your contacts, calendars, and reminders
To refresh your calendars and reminders:
- Open the Calendar app.
- Tap the Calendars tab.
- Swipe down on the list to refresh your events and reminders.
To refresh your contacts, open Contacts and swipe down on the list.
To refresh your contact groups:
- Open the Contacts app.
- Tap Groups in the upper-left corner.
- Swipe down on the list to refresh your groups.
Set iCloud Contacts, Calendars, or Reminders as your default
If your contacts, calendars, and reminders are in iCloud, then iCloud automatically updates your information. See if your information is in iCloud or a third-party account, like Google or Yahoo. Then change your default account to iCloud.
See which account your contacts are in:
- Open the Contacts app and tap Groups in the upper-left corner.
- Deselect the All [account] option for any third-party account, like Gmail or Yahoo.
- Make sure All iCloud is selected.
- Tap Done to see your list of contacts. If you don't see the contact you're looking for, it's stored in another account.
- You can import the contact from a third-party service into iCloud.
Set iCloud as the default account for your contacts in iOS 8 or later:
- Tap Settings > Contacts.
- Tap Default Account.
- Select iCloud.
See which account your calendars are in:
- Open the Calendar app.
- Tap an event to open it.
- Tap the calendar name to see if the event is in an iCloud calendar.
Set an iCloud calendar as the default calendar:
Why Wont My Macbook Pro Download My Messages Windows 10
- Tap Settings > Calendar.
- Tap Default Calendar.
- Tap a calendar under iCloud to make it your default.
See which account your reminders are in:
Why Wont My Macbook Pro Download My Messages Automatically
These days there are a multitude of communication devices and options on your iPhone, Android, Mac or PC. Likely one of the most widely used forms of communication is text messaging or SMS. This communication feature is so prevalent that Apple even enabled iMessage directly from your Macbook Pro or Macbook Air with a simple download and software update.
Apple has even gone as far as to enable the ability to send regular text messages through your Mac computer without ever opening up your iPhone. Below I will walk you through the various options and features of iMessage, along with how to download it to your Macbook Pro if you don't already have it.
'Likewise, there is no evidence that texting teaches people to spell badly: rather, research shows that those kids who text frequently are more likely to be the most literate and the best spellers, because you have to know how to manipulate language.' – David Crystal
What is iMessage?
You may have heard about iMessage but not be exactly clear on what it is and why it can be helpful to you during your daily life. Basically, iMessage is Apple's way of extending text messages to their line of Mac computers and iPads. It's not a well known fact, but you don't need an iPhone in order to use iMessage; all you must have is an Apple ID. Basically you have it as soon as you sign up for an Apple ID.
If you own an iPhone you will notice that when you go to text other people with an iPhone the boxes will turn from green to blue. That means you're texting over iMessage. The great thing about this is that these texts are not part of your regular text message package that you buy from your carrier like AT&T, Verizon, or T-Mobile. These blue texts are sent and received directly through your local WiFi connection or your phone's cellular data. That way, you will never go over your texting limit by using this option.
Because the messages are sent directly over WiFi, Apple has built this into their Macbook Pro, Macbook Air, iMac, Mac Mini, and Mac Pro line of computers. After you set up iMessage, it will automatically send the messages you receive and send to both your phone and your computer. I'll go into more detail below on how to setup iMessage, some of the features, and limitations of this technology.
iMessage For Macbook Check
So, you're obviously on this page because you want to get iMessage onto your Macbook laptop. The fact is, Apple preprograms the iMessage app onto each of their computers, and it comes automatically installed with a new operating system. Therefore, there's a chance you already have the app on your Macbook and you just don't realize it. Try these options to see whether it's on your laptop hidden somewhere.
- Search in Spotlight: Spotlight is the system search tool native to all Apple devices. One way to do a quick Spotlight search is to press the command+space bar keys at the same time. This will bring up a search bar and simply type in 'iMessage' into the bar. If you already have the app installed, you will see something similar to the screenshot below. Simply hit enter and it will open iMessage and you can get started using it.
Note: Another way to do a spotlight search is to click on the search glass icon at the top right of your Mac screen.
- Use Gestures: The second way I suggest searching for whether you have iMessage is to use a gesture. Take your entire hand and hover over the Macbook trackpad and without clicking swipe all of your fingers in to a point. This should bring up a screen where all of your installed apps are shown. Try to find the app. If it doesn't show up, you likely don't have it downloaded and installed.
How To Download iMessage
As I stated above, iMessage is preloaded onto every Mac computer so you shouldn't have to download it. If you deleted it on accident then there are a few options for reinstating the app. I'll work my way from easiest to most time consuming options.
1. Restore iMessage From Backup
The easiest and least time consuming way to get iMessage back is to restore it from a Time Machine backup. This requires that you have previously backed up your Macbook Air or Pro to an external hard drive. If you did, most likely you used Time Machine, which is Apple's built in backup app. The great thing about the app is that it backs up everything on your computer, including the apps. To restore the app, follow these steps.
- Connect the external hard drive that you used to back up to your Macbook.
- You'll notice that it will likely mount onto your desktop, and you'll be able to double click the icon. Note, if it does not appear, simply press command + space bar to search for 'Time Machine' and press enter to open the app. Once it's opened it will recognize that you have an external HD mounted that has a backup.
- Navigate to your Applications folder on your external hard drive. Make sure you go far enough back to when you backed it up when it still had iMessage installed.
- You should notice iMessage in the Applications folder. Simply drag and drop it onto your desktop or Applications folder on your computer. You can alternatively copy and paste the app onto your computer.
This will bring the app back onto your computer where you don't even have to download it and you can start using it immediately.
2. Download iMessage From OS X Install File
This next option is a little more time consuming but you ultimately don't need to do anything, because mostly working in the background. You will need to get your hands on a fresh install disk for OS X. If you don't know how to get your hands on one of these disks, or you have long since misplaced or thrown away yours, don't worry: the past few generations of OS X have not been primarily distributed on physical media like disks, and the latest MacBooks don't even have optical drives (CD/DVD drives). Instead, the OS upgrades and installation files are all available through the App Store. If you reinstall the Mac operating system, it will automatically download and install iMessage onto your Macbook Pro and Macbook Air.
Let's get into the nitty gritty of how to actually download and install a new operating system. The great part is that Apple has offered it's newest operating system, OS X Yosemite (10.0) completely free. Just follow the steps below to get a fresh install.
NOTE: The method below, if followed, will not delete or remove any of your personal information from your computer. You will retain all your documents, photos, music, contacts, etc. Also, make sure you completely backup your computer. There may in very rare instances be a glitch that could cause a problem. You want to make sure you have a backup copy of everything.
- Click on the apple icon at the top left
- Choose App Store (App Store may also have its own, round 'A' icon already in Mac's Dock, the collection of icons whic defaults at the bottom of your screen.
- In the search bar at the top left, search for 'OS X' or 'Yosemite'
- Click the download button below. This will download the new operating system install files.
- Once the download is complete, the installer will automatically open.
- Follow the on screen steps, mainly just agreeing to the terms and conditions and saying OK to installing the new operating system.
- Your Macbook may restart a few times and when it's done you will have a fresh install of iMessage on your laptop.
NOTE: If you have an older install disk that came with your Macbook you can alternatively use that to install a fresh copy of the operating system.
You must meet the following requirements to install the latest version of OS X onto your Mac:
- iMac (Mid-2007 or newer)
- MacBook (Late 2008 Aluminum, or Early 2009 or newer)
- MacBook Pro (Mid/Late 2007 or newer)
- MacBook Air (Late 2008 or newer)
- Mac mini (Early 2009 or newer)
- Mac Pro (Early 2008 or newer)
- Xserve (Early 2009)
Your Macbook also requires:
- OS X Mavericks, Mountain Lion, Lion, or Snow Leopard (v10.6.8 or later) already installed
- 2 GB or more of RAM memory
- 8 GB or more of available disk space on your hard drive
3. Fresh Install of OS X
If the options above do not work to download iMessage for MacBook then you may want to try to do a fresh install of your computer. This will wipe everything from your computer so you will certainly want to make sure you backup everything beforehand on an external hard drive. This should be the last option to get the app back onto your laptop. To do a fresh install follow these steps.
- Restart your computer and while it's restarting hold down the Command + R keys while the computer is restarting
- Select Disk Utility from the menu and hit continue
- Select your hard drive on the left hand side and click the Erase tab
- Make sure Mac OS Extended (Journaled) is selected and choose a new name for your hard drive then hit Erase
- Once it's erased, you can quit out of the Disk Utility
- You will need to reconnect to your local WiFi to continue
- Choose Reinstall your Mac OS X and go through the step by step guide. This will install a fresh copy of the operating system not your laptop.
Once you're finished with the fresh install, you will certainly have iMessage on the computer. You can now plug in your external hard drive that you used to backup your computer and from there you can bring everything back onto your laptop either manually through dragging and dropping or you can use the 'Restore From Time Machine' option.
Do this by restarting your laptop and again holding down Command + R. You will see the option to restore from Time Machine. Click it, then select your external hard drive you used to backup and go through the restore steps.
Test-Driving iMessage
Now that you have iMessage set up on your MacBook, it's not a bad idea to try it out. If you also have an iPhone or an iPad, your contacts from those devices may already be synced up with with your Macbook. (If so, they'll appear in the App conveniently named 'Contacts.') Send messages to a friend who also has iMessage to see the messages come up blue. Send to someone without iMessage to see them come up in green. Either way, if you also have an iPhone or iPad, fire up iMessage in either device to see the message you wrote on your Macbook already appears in your iMessage conversations with those contacts on all your devices.
Note: Depending on your carrier, Wifi signal, or your iOS version number, it may take a moment for iMessages composed on one device to appear on another. Don't worry; they'll show up. Sending another message from the device you're checking may force them to appear sooner: For instance, if you sent a first message from your MacBook, and it isn't appearing on your iPhone right away, send another messager from your iPhone, and the backlog of messages should appear!
Congratulations! You now have your MacBook (which is most likely a more powerful device than either your iPhone or iPad) connected to iMessage! If you like to send particularly long messages, iMessage won't split them up into 160 character fragments like other instant messagers. Bear in mind that instant messaging has come a long way since its early days; you are no longer bound to just text, but can also easily send images, audio files, and animated .gifs to communicate very specific thoughts and moods—all without saying a single word.
iMessage on Your Mac – Troubleshooting in 2020
We're back again, readers! Fortunately, not much has changed in the iMessage world since we last visited the topic. The popular messaging service is still an Apple proprietary software, meaning it's still only available to Apple users. While this may burn Windows users a little bit, Mac owners can continue to be safe and sound in the warm comfort of having iMessage readily available on their computers by default.
Since we've already extensively covered the methods you'd use to install iMessage on a Mac, we'll add a little bit of troubleshooting advice that many users have found helpful. Even though this feature has been around for quite a while, user-end problems still crop up from time to time. Thanks to the friendly nature of the Mac operating system, the solutions are often easily found.
Problems Syncing iMessage
One of the most common problems that people encounter when syncing messages between their mobile device and their Mac is just that–the syncing isn't working! It can be a frustrating occurrence when the messages you're sending on your iPhone or iPad aren't actually reaching the matching iMessage app on your Mac, but a few simple steps will get it in working order again.
- On your iPhone or iPad, go to Settings and then the Messages menu.
- First, ensure that iMessage is on, and then tap on Text Message Forwarding.
- As long as your mobile device and your Mac are on the same Apple ID, you should see the name of your Mac.
- Toggle the option to on. Alternatively, if it's already on and not working, then reset it.
- You'll be prompted for a code. Open iMessage on your Mac to retrieve the code and input it on your iPhone or iPad.
Voila! Mission accomplished! If your messages weren't syncing (or if they were having problems syncing, this solution should have you up and running.
Remove Your Number from Mac
Alternatively, maybe you want to remove your phone number from your iMessage account on your Mac. No matter your reasoning, the process is actually quite simple to perform.
- Open iMessage on your Mac.
- From the Menu bar, select Preferences and then Accounts.
- Your number should appear below. If it's checked, you can be reached. To remove it, simply uncheck it.
Easy stuff, right? Thankfully, the user-friendly nature of Macs extends to the account management and setup for iMessage.
I hope this guide has helped you get iMessage back on your Macbook Pro or whatever Mac you may have. Let us know below in the comments if you have any other tips or suggestions on how to make this process easy and quick.
Try these steps first
Make sure that iCloud Contacts, Calendars, and Reminders are available. If there's an issue, try again after it's fixed. If there isn't an issue, try these steps.
Remember to back up your contacts, calendars, and reminders, so you don't lose anything.
Important: Upgraded reminders aren't compatible with earlier versions of iOS or macOS. Shared reminders are also not accessible to users with earlier versions of iOS and macOS, until they upgrade.
After each step, see if you still need help:
- Check for updates to your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac, or PC. To use iCloud, your devices need to meet the system requirements.
- See if the date and time settings on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac, or PC are correct.
- Make sure that you're signed in to iCloud with the same Apple ID on all your devices and check your settings.
- On your iPhone, tap Settings > [your name] > iCloud. Check your Apple ID and make sure that you turn on what you want to update (Contacts, Calendars, or Reminders).
- On your Mac, choose Apple menu > System Preferences, click Apple ID, then click iCloud. If you're using macOS Mojave or earlier, choose Apple menu > System Preferences, then click iCloud. Check your Apple ID and make sure that you select what you want to update (Contacts, Calendars, or Reminders).
- On your PC, open iCloud for Windows. Check your Apple ID and make sure that you select what you want to update (Mail, Contacts, Calendars, and Tasks).
- If you sign in to third-party apps with your Apple ID, protect your account with two-factor authentication and use an app-specific password. If you don't have devices that can be updated to iOS 9 or OS X El Capitan or later, you can set up two-step verification instead.
- Open Safari and go to www.apple.com to check your connection. If you can't open the page, get help connecting to the Internet.
- Open a secure website, like your Apple ID account page, to see if you can access port 443. If the website won't open, contact your Internet service provider for help. Safari needs access to port 443 to update your information in iCloud.
- Keep your data within the limits. If you go over the limit, your data won't stay up to date.
If you still need help, try the steps for your device below.
Try the steps for your device
iOS 13 and iPadOS
After each step, check your contacts, calendars, or reminders.
Refresh your contacts and calendars
To refresh your contacts, open Contacts and swipe down on the list.
To refresh your contact groups:
- Open the Contacts app.
- Tap Groups in the upper-left corner.
- Swipe down on the list to refresh your groups.
To refresh your calendars:
- Open the Calendar app.
- Tap the Calendars tab.
- Swipe down on the list to refresh your events.
Set iCloud Contacts, Calendars, or Reminders as your default
If your contacts, calendars, and reminders are in iCloud, then iCloud automatically updates your information. See if your information is in iCloud or a third-party account, like Google or Yahoo. Then change your default account to iCloud. Changing your default account to iCloud will not move your existing information from a third-party service to iCloud.
To see which account your contacts are in:
- Open the Contacts app and tap Groups in the upper-left corner.
- Deselect the All [account] option for any third-party account, like Gmail or Yahoo.
- Make sure All iCloud is selected.
- Tap Done to see your list of contacts. If you don't see the contact you're looking for, it's stored in another account.
- If you have a copy of your contacts from a third-party service in vCard format version 3.0 or later, you can import the contacts into iCloud.
Set iCloud as the default account for your contacts in iOS 8 or later:
- Tap Settings, then Contacts.
- Tap Default Account.
- Select iCloud.
To see which account your calendars are in, open the Calendar app, then tap the Calendars tab.
Set an iCloud calendar as the default calendar:
- Tap Settings, then Calendar.
- Tap Default Calendar.
- Tap a calendar under iCloud to make it your default.
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Set an iCloud reminders list as the default list:
- Tap Settings, then Reminders.
- Tap Default List.
- Tap a list under iCloud to make it your default.
Check your app settings
Make sure your iCloud Contacts and Calendars are set to appear in the Contacts or Calendars app:
- Open the Contacts app and tap Groups in the upper-left corner. Make sure that All iCloud is selected.
- Open the Calendar app and tap the Calendars tab. Make sure that all iCloud calendars are selected.
Make sure your Reminders appear:
- Tap Settings, then [your name].
- Tap iCloud.
- Slide to turn on Reminders.
Change how often your calendars update:
- Tap Settings, then Calendar.
- Tap Sync.
- If All Events is selected, choose a specific timeframe instead, like Events 1 Month Back. If a specific timeframe is selected, choose All Events instead.
- Return to your Home screen.
- Wait a few minutes, then open the Calendar app. Tap the Calendars tab, and swipe down to refresh.
Since the iCloud Birthdays calendar updates daily, you might not see changes to birthdays in the Calendars app until the next day.
Restart the Contacts, Calendar, or Reminders app
- Close the app.
- Return to your Home screen.
- Wait a minute, then open the app again.
Turn off iCloud Contacts, Calendar, or Reminders and turn it back on
- Tap Settings, [your name], then iCloud.
- Slide to turn off Contacts, Calendars, and Reminders.*
- If you see your calendars or reminders on iCloud.com or any of your devices, you can choose Delete from My [device]. If not, choose Keep on My [device].
- Wait a few minutes, then turn on Contacts, Calendar, or Reminders again.
* Local reminders will be deleted from your device, but your information won't be deleted from iCloud. Once you turn Reminders back on, your reminders will be re-synced to your device.
Restart your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch
Restart your device. Here's how to restart your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch.
iOS 12
After each step, check your contacts, calendars, or reminders.
Refresh your contacts, calendars, and reminders
To refresh your calendars and reminders:
- Open the Calendar app.
- Tap the Calendars tab.
- Swipe down on the list to refresh your events and reminders.
To refresh your contacts, open Contacts and swipe down on the list.
To refresh your contact groups:
- Open the Contacts app.
- Tap Groups in the upper-left corner.
- Swipe down on the list to refresh your groups.
Set iCloud Contacts, Calendars, or Reminders as your default
If your contacts, calendars, and reminders are in iCloud, then iCloud automatically updates your information. See if your information is in iCloud or a third-party account, like Google or Yahoo. Then change your default account to iCloud.
See which account your contacts are in:
- Open the Contacts app and tap Groups in the upper-left corner.
- Deselect the All [account] option for any third-party account, like Gmail or Yahoo.
- Make sure All iCloud is selected.
- Tap Done to see your list of contacts. If you don't see the contact you're looking for, it's stored in another account.
- You can import the contact from a third-party service into iCloud.
Set iCloud as the default account for your contacts in iOS 8 or later:
- Tap Settings > Contacts.
- Tap Default Account.
- Select iCloud.
See which account your calendars are in:
- Open the Calendar app.
- Tap an event to open it.
- Tap the calendar name to see if the event is in an iCloud calendar.
Set an iCloud calendar as the default calendar:
Why Wont My Macbook Pro Download My Messages Windows 10
- Tap Settings > Calendar.
- Tap Default Calendar.
- Tap a calendar under iCloud to make it your default.
See which account your reminders are in:
Why Wont My Macbook Pro Download My Messages Automatically
- Open the Reminders app.
- Tap the list name in the upper-left corner to view all your lists.
- See if the list is stored on your device or iCloud. Open a list and tap Edit. If you see Sharing, then your list is in iCloud.
When you create a reminder, you can choose to store it in iCloud or on your iOS device.
Check your app settings
Make sure that your iCloud Contacts and Calendars are set to appear in the Contacts or Calendars app:
- Open the Contacts app and tap Groups in the upper-left corner. Make sure that All iCloud is selected.
- Open the Calendar app and tap the Calendars tab. Make sure that All iCloud is selected.
Change how often your calendars and reminders update:
- Tap Settings > Calendar, or tap Settings > Reminders.
- Tap Sync.
- If All Events or All Reminders is selected, choose a specific timeframe instead, like Events or Reminders 1 Month Back. If a specific timeframe is selected, choose All Events or All Reminders instead.
- Press the Home button.
- Wait a few minutes. Open the Calendar app, tap the Calendars tab, and swipe down to refresh.
Since the iCloud Birthdays calendar updates daily, you might not see changes to birthdays in the Calendars app until the next day.
Restart the Contacts, Calendar, or Reminders app
- Double-click the Home button to see your open apps.
- Find the app, then swipe up to close it.
- Press the Home button to return to your Home screen.
- Wait a minute, then open the app again.
Turn off iCloud Contacts, Calendar, or Reminders and turn it back on
- Tap Settings > [your name] > iCloud.
- Slide to turn off Contacts, Calendars, and Reminders.*
- If you see your calendars or reminders on iCloud.com or any of your devices, you can choose Delete from My [device]. If not, choose Keep on My [device].
- Wait a few minutes, then turn on Contacts, Calendar, or Reminders again.
* Local reminders will be deleted from your device, but your information won't be deleted from iCloud. Once you turn Reminders back on, your reminders will be re-synced to your device.
Restart your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch
Restart your device. Here's how to restart your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch.
Force sync Calendar data on Apple Watch
To force sync Calendar data on your Apple Watch:
- Open the Watch app on your iPhone and tap the My Watch tab.
- Tap General, then tap Reset.
- Tap Reset Sync Data.
Mac
After each step, check your contacts, calendars, or reminders.
Refresh your calendars and reminders
You can refresh your calendars and reminders from the Calendars app:
- Open the Calendar app.
- Choose View.
- Refresh Calendars.
Since the iCloud Birthdays calendar updates hourly, you might not see changes to birthdays in the Contacts or Calendars app for an hour.
Check your default Calendar, Reminders, and Contacts account
If you store and edit your events in iCloud instead of another place, like On My Mac, Exchange, or Google, then iCloud automatically updates your calendars. If you use multiple accounts on your Mac like iCloud, Gmail, and Yahoo, make sure that iCloud is your default Calendar account:
- Open the Calendar app.
- Choose Calendar > Preferences.
- On the General tab, make sure that one of your iCloud calendars is the default.
After you set up iCloud Reminders, you might need to quit and reopen Reminders on your Mac. Then make sure that you set up your account correctly in Reminders:
- Open the Reminders app.
- Choose Reminders > Accounts.
- Click the iCloud tab and make sure that you're signed in with your Apple ID.
If you store and edit your contacts in iCloud instead of another place, like On My Mac, Exchange, or Google, then iCloud automatically updates your contacts. If you use multiple accounts on your Mac like iCloud, Gmail, and Yahoo, make sure that iCloud is your default Contacts account:
- Open the Contacts app.
- Choose Contacts > Accounts.
- Click the iCloud tab and make sure that you're signed in with your Apple ID.
Turn off iCloud Calendar and iCloud Reminders, then turn it back on
- Quit the Calendar and Reminders apps.
- Choose Apple menu > System Preferences, click Apple ID, then click iCloud. If you're using macOS Mojave or earlier, choose Apple menu > System Preferences, then click iCloud.
- Deselect Calendars and Reminders.*
- Close System Preferences and wait about a minute.
- Choose Apple menu > System Preferences, click Apple ID, then click iCloud. If you're using macOS Mojave or earlier, choose Apple menu > System Preferences, then click iCloud.
- Select Calendars and Reminders.
- Open Calendar and Reminders.
* Local reminders will be deleted from your device, but your information won't be deleted from iCloud. Once you turn Reminders back on, your reminders will be re-synced to your device.
Restart your computer
After you restart your computer, see if you fixed the issue.
iCloud.com
If you don't see all your updates or have another issue, try these steps on iCloud.com:
- Update your browser and clear the cache.
- If you don't see updates from other devices, open another app on iCloud.com, like Mail. Then go back to the Contacts, Calendar, or Reminders app.
- Sign out of iCloud.com, then sign back in.
- Clear your browsing history. Choose History > Clear History.
Since the iCloud Birthdays calendar updates daily, you might not see changes to birthdays in the Calendars app until the next day.
If you get a spam iCloud Calendar request
If you get a calendar request that you think might be spam or junk, let us know. Sign in to iCloud.com with your Apple ID and go to the Calendar app. Open the event that you wish to mark as Junk, click Report Junk, then click OK. We'll automatically delete the event from your Calendar on all your devices signed in with the same Apple ID.
You can also go to the invitation from your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or Mac and choose Report Junk > Delete and Report Junk.
Microsoft Windows
After each step, check your contacts, calendars, or reminders.
Reminders are called Tasks in iCloud for Windows.
Refresh Outlook
Turn off iCloud Contacts, Calendar, and Tasks, then turn it back on
- Open iCloud for Windows.
- Deselect Mail, Contacts, Calendars and Tasks, then click Apply.
- Wait a few seconds, select Mail, Contacts, Calendars & Tasks, then click Apply.
- Open Outlook.
Make sure the iCloud Outlook Add-in is active
In Outlook 2010 and later:
- Click the File menu.
- Click Options in the left panel.
- Click Add-Ins in the left panel of the Outlook Options window.
- Look at the list of add-ins in the Active Application Add-Ins section.
- Select the iCloud Outlook Add-in.
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In Outlook 2007:
- From the Tools menu, select Trust Center.
- Select Add-ins from the left column.
- In the list of add-ins in the Active Application Add-Ins section, select the iCloud Outlook Add-in.
Learn how to manage Add-ins with Microsoft Outlook.
Check your default account in Outlook
- In Outlook 2010 and later, select File > Info > Account Settings > Data Files. If iCloud is the default account in the Comments column, select a different account, and click Set as Default.
- In Outlook 2007, select File > Data File Management > Data Files. If iCloud is the default account in the Comments column, select a different account, and click Set as Default.
Restart your computer
After you restart your computer, see if you fixed the issue.
If you still need help
If you still need help, contact Apple Support. You can also use these steps to remove duplicate contacts or calendars.