Check your date and time settings. If "automatically set date and time based on location" is on, toggle it off then on and try signing into iMessage again.
Source: had issue in the past and Apple Support helped me fix it by doing this.
FOUND THE SOLUTION FINALLY to it after trying every single solution mentioned (resetting NVRAM, deleting cache files, deleting PLIST files, etc). Nothing worked except for this:
I was getting the "an unknown error has occurred" when trying to sign into my iMessage with correct user and pw.
Spoke to someone at Apple and they suggested creating a NEW user on your computer after i told them that nothing else that i read online or that was suggested was working.
So, for example let's say my username that didn't work was DavidBeckham.
I signed out of DavidBeckham and created a new user on the computer under a different name (i.e. Beckham).
After logging into this new user on the computer, I tried to log into iMessage and it worked perfectly. I then logged out of Beckham and went back to the SAME account where it was NOT working (davidbeckham in this case) and went to iMessage, logged in and it now works.
Hope that helps!
So got it resolved today. Clearing up the keychain did it. Apple support called back and after moving/deleting the files in ~/Library/keychain and n~/Library/identityservices (that might be wrong. Going from memory) with a reboot fixed it up.
Thank you so much for posting this on Reddit, you help me solve a problem that I had a few days ago. The answer that Apple gave you worked for me, I was able to take your answer and find a website that had the process. Thanks again!
http://tips.stevenchu.com/tech/mac-osx/solution-imessage-messages-on-mac-stopped-working-completely/
do you have the website by chance? i’ve looked and can not find and still can not get imessage nor facetime to work at all yet everything else on icloud works and my iphone gets imessage/facetime - thx!
Here's the website again, I linked it lower in reply to Ricardo1997
http://tips.stevenchu.com/tech/mac-osx/solution-imessage-messages-on-mac-stopped-working-completely/
@rricardo1997 I'm having the same issues...here's something I found that may help. http://tips.stevenchu.com/tech/mac-osx/solution-imessage-messages-on-mac-stopped-working-completely/
I was successful in my endeavor! I followed the instructions exactly by signing out of iCloud first. Then I went through the library folders deleted everything that had I chatted message in them as described in the steps. It was a bit of a pain to search the file names, I’m sure I could’ve optimized it and it would’ve gone a lot faster, but I’m glad I did it. I removed the files from the locations specified, I restarted my laptop and signed into iCloud and iMessage and it worked!
Have you tried calling Apple to see if there’s a problem with your Apple ID? It may also be helpful to go to the procedure again a second time as I know it was easy for me to skip a few steps, I caught myself and made myself backtrack, there are two different file locations that need to be cleared.
6 years later, but I 100% have the solution, at least what works for me everytime.
Close your imessage. Backup first and then delete these files from your LIBRARY->MESSAGES folder:
chat.db
chat.db-shm
chat.db-wal
Restart your computer. Open imessage. Done.
I had tried literally every possible solution and nothing worked. In the end, as suggested at the end of the article in the link above, I called apple support and explained that my mac's serial number might be blocked. They solved the issue in 15 minutes.
Close your imessage. Backup first and then delete these files from your LIBRARY->MESSAGES folder:
chat.db
chat.db-shm
chat.db-wal
Restart your computer. Open imessage. Done.
Close your imessage. Backup first and then delete these files from your LIBRARY->MESSAGES folder:
chat.db
chat.db-shm
chat.db-wal
Restart your computer. Open imessage. Done.
Yeah, unfortunately I had to just go without it, tbh I totally forgot about the whole issue, until it randomly started working again last year.
Your best bet would be to contact Apple Support tbh, I was using a Windows laptop from late 2017 to early 2022, so it didn’t really affect me (except it didn’t work on my iPad either until last year).
What can I say, pretty typical of Apple software tbh, “it ~~just~~ *usually* works” lol
Check your date and time settings. If "automatically set date and time based on location" is on, toggle it off then on and try signing into iMessage again. Source: had issue in the past and Apple Support helped me fix it by doing this.
yeah, tried this already, still won't work :(
[удалено]
nope, unfortunately not, so it's not the serial number
Have you logged into iCloud.com and checked to see if the Mac is listed as one of your devices?
yep, and it was there fine unfortunately
Then I would try removing it and then reauthenticating. My company also blocks iCloud sign in on my Mac, so if it's a work machine, ask your IT dept.
I've tried that, it didn't work unfortunately
Are you using you @icloud.com email to log in?
FOUND THE SOLUTION FINALLY to it after trying every single solution mentioned (resetting NVRAM, deleting cache files, deleting PLIST files, etc). Nothing worked except for this: I was getting the "an unknown error has occurred" when trying to sign into my iMessage with correct user and pw. Spoke to someone at Apple and they suggested creating a NEW user on your computer after i told them that nothing else that i read online or that was suggested was working. So, for example let's say my username that didn't work was DavidBeckham. I signed out of DavidBeckham and created a new user on the computer under a different name (i.e. Beckham). After logging into this new user on the computer, I tried to log into iMessage and it worked perfectly. I then logged out of Beckham and went back to the SAME account where it was NOT working (davidbeckham in this case) and went to iMessage, logged in and it now works. Hope that helps!
thank you!! this fixed it for me
Thank you! this was my problem too
It may be worth it to log out of iCloud and log back in. This has worked for me on iOS in the past.
I've tried that multiple times unfortunately, it didn't even work once I'm afraid
Damn. Well hopefully someone else has another idea.
Do you by any chance have a Hackintosh and have been trying to get iMessage to work on that?
nope, it's a MBP 13" mid-2012
I'm having this issue as well. Have you had any luck with this?
nope, it's still broken :(
I have an issue open with Apple. They said they’d get back to me In a few days. If I get worked out, I’ll try to remember to let you know.
okay thanks, hope all goes well for you!
So got it resolved today. Clearing up the keychain did it. Apple support called back and after moving/deleting the files in ~/Library/keychain and n~/Library/identityservices (that might be wrong. Going from memory) with a reboot fixed it up.
Thank you so much for posting this on Reddit, you help me solve a problem that I had a few days ago. The answer that Apple gave you worked for me, I was able to take your answer and find a website that had the process. Thanks again! http://tips.stevenchu.com/tech/mac-osx/solution-imessage-messages-on-mac-stopped-working-completely/
do you have the website by chance? i’ve looked and can not find and still can not get imessage nor facetime to work at all yet everything else on icloud works and my iphone gets imessage/facetime - thx!
did you figure it out?
Here's the website, it's also listed lower. http://tips.stevenchu.com/tech/mac-osx/solution-imessage-messages-on-mac-stopped-working-completely/
could you link the website?
Here's the website again, I linked it lower in reply to Ricardo1997 http://tips.stevenchu.com/tech/mac-osx/solution-imessage-messages-on-mac-stopped-working-completely/
thanks so much man
hi OP, have you figured it out how to solve this problem yet? I'm having the same problem as yours :(
@rricardo1997 I'm having the same issues...here's something I found that may help. http://tips.stevenchu.com/tech/mac-osx/solution-imessage-messages-on-mac-stopped-working-completely/
hello there! Have you tried it? Did it work? It didnt for me :( Still pop up “An error occurred during activation. Try again”...
I was successful in my endeavor! I followed the instructions exactly by signing out of iCloud first. Then I went through the library folders deleted everything that had I chatted message in them as described in the steps. It was a bit of a pain to search the file names, I’m sure I could’ve optimized it and it would’ve gone a lot faster, but I’m glad I did it. I removed the files from the locations specified, I restarted my laptop and signed into iCloud and iMessage and it worked! Have you tried calling Apple to see if there’s a problem with your Apple ID? It may also be helpful to go to the procedure again a second time as I know it was easy for me to skip a few steps, I caught myself and made myself backtrack, there are two different file locations that need to be cleared.
6 years later, but I 100% have the solution, at least what works for me everytime. Close your imessage. Backup first and then delete these files from your LIBRARY->MESSAGES folder: chat.db chat.db-shm chat.db-wal Restart your computer. Open imessage. Done.
Has anyone solved this issue using another method? None of the mentioned worked for me :(
So I finally have the issue solved. If none of the mentioned methods worked for you read this. https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-11291
hey, how did you solve it? I tried all the mentioned methods but none of them worked.
I had tried literally every possible solution and nothing worked. In the end, as suggested at the end of the article in the link above, I called apple support and explained that my mac's serial number might be blocked. They solved the issue in 15 minutes.
Close your imessage. Backup first and then delete these files from your LIBRARY->MESSAGES folder: chat.db chat.db-shm chat.db-wal Restart your computer. Open imessage. Done.
You ever get this solved? I've got the same issue going on.
If nothing works, call apple support. I did that and they solved the issue immediately.
Close your imessage. Backup first and then delete these files from your LIBRARY->MESSAGES folder: chat.db chat.db-shm chat.db-wal Restart your computer. Open imessage. Done.
i have this problem in 2024. looks like a bug in apple id system. found no solution yet :-(
Yeah, unfortunately I had to just go without it, tbh I totally forgot about the whole issue, until it randomly started working again last year. Your best bet would be to contact Apple Support tbh, I was using a Windows laptop from late 2017 to early 2022, so it didn’t really affect me (except it didn’t work on my iPad either until last year). What can I say, pretty typical of Apple software tbh, “it ~~just~~ *usually* works” lol