If there is one extremely convenient tool that the Mac has that many users use frequently it’s the iMessage app. It’s basically a native messaging tool that can be used on any Apple device, be it iPad, iPhone or Mac, which means they synchronise across any devices you have for convenience. And while this tool often works without any major hitches or issues, there are a few times when it may start to give your problems, especially on Mac.
Some of these common issues could be a lack of sending messages, lack of receiving messages, a crashing app, can’t send message errors, etc. In such instances, there are some methods that you can try to fix the problem. However, we should point out that one of the biggest causes of unresponsive apps in Mac is an overly-full storage system. This is because when you do not have enough space left over in your Mac this can lead to a number of system app crashes, freezing, buffering, etc.
In such instances, you should try deleting any unnecessary files that you have stored on your Mac. Alternatively, you can use a usb-c sd card reader to transfer some of those files to an external storage device like an SD Card, instead.
#1. Establish A Working Internet Connection
While regular texts only need a cellular network connection, when sending an iMessage you will often need to connect to the internet before you can send a message. It could be that the reason the app is not responding or sending/receiving messages is because there is an issue with your Mac’s internet connectivity. When this happens, you should check to confirm that you are able to fully browse on your Mac without any issues whatsoever. It could be that your WiFi signal is down or not strong enough, for example.
In such cases, you should try restarting your router and reconnecting your Mac to the router to establish a fresh connection. If this doesn’t work, try connecting your Mac directly to the router using a usb-ethernet adapter, instead. This should help confirm whether or not the internet is the problem or if it’s something else entirely.
#2. Restart your Mac.
There are times when a simple restart could fix any and all problems that your Mac may be causing you. It’s possible the app has had too many cache files packed up that are interfering with how it works properly. In which case, performing a system restart should reset everything afresh, and make the iMessage app work seamlessly once again. However, before restarting take care to remove any external peripheral that you may have plugged into your Mac. Many Mac users often use a usb c to usb hub to connect multiple devices to their Mac’s at once, eg. keyboards, mouse, speakers, microphones, etc. You can also make sure that they aren’t causing the problem to begin with by checking if the iMessage app works fine without them.
#3. Activate Apple ID.
If you recently got a new Mac, you need to realize that for it to synchronize with all your other devices, you will need to sign up for an Apple ID. SO, if you have tried to use iMessage for the first time, you need to first sync it before you can send any messages. You can do this by heading to “System Preferences” > “Apple ID”. From there, you can sign in to your Apple account and/or make sure that the one you are signed into on your Mac is the same one that you have signed into on your iPhone.
#4. Sign out from iMessage.
In some cases, it could be there is an issue with your Apple ID account that may be affecting the responsiveness of your iMac. In which case, the best thing you can do is to try and disable the app then re-enable it. This should refresh your account and you can do this by opening iMessage > Preferences > iMessage > Sign Out. You can then close the app, re-open it and sign back in to get the app working normally again.
#5. Check if iMessage is responding on iPhone
There are times when your Mac may not actually be the issue, but your iPhone instead. In such cases, you need to ensure that the app is working properly in your iPhone so that it is able to effectively relay any messages to your Mac. Alternatively, it is possible that there is a synchronicity problem happening with your Mac, in which case you can also try connecting your device to your Mac using the best usb c hubs to help sort this out.
Also, it could be that the problem is neither your iPhone or Mac, but instead it could be a server issue with Apple that is causing the problems. In which case, you can try again after a few hours to see if that sorts out the problem.
