Messages App Missing Phone Number Under Apple Account

Mindwatering Incorporated

Author: Tripp W Black

Created: 10/03/2017 at 03:10 PM

 

Category:
OS X Tips & Hints
Other Apps

Issue:
Text messages by e-mail (MMS = blue, vs SMS=green), but phone SMS messages don't arrive on Mac, just on the iPhone.


Solution:
Messages app --> Preferences --> Accounts tab --> Click Sign Out button.

This is actually fixed on the iPhone. Open up Messages sessings on the phone:
Settings --> Messages --> iMessage --> Enable radio button

Still on the phone, ensure:
Send as SMS is enabled below.
MMS Messaging is enabled below.
Group Messaging is enabled below.




Similar Issue:
SMS Text messages do not arrive on a Macbook Prod, Mac Mini, or Mac Pro. They may still work on another Mac workstation, though.
By the thin sending line at the top of the chat, any messages being sent appear to stall about 90% being sent.
In addition, the name will show with a red background when Messages is closed and reopened.


Solution:
In short all Macs (not the phone) must Sign Out of the Messages app, including the Mac workstation(s) still working. Then you disable the iMessage option/field on the phone, enable back on the phone and then sign back in on the problem workstation first.


Detailed steps:
1. On all the Mac workstation(s), sign out of Messages:
Messages (app on top menu) --> Preferences --> iMessage (tab) --> Sign Out (button)

Repeat this step above on other Macs.

2. On the iPhone (primary device):
Settings (gear) --> Messages (way down the list of apps) --> iMessage (on/off toggle) --> toggle Off.

< stay on this screen on the iPhone>

3. On the iPhone, still, still in the Messages app settings.
iMessage (on/off toggle) --> toggle On/Enabled/Green.

Verify that:
Send as SMS is Enabled/Green.
MMS is Enabled/Green.
Group Messaging is Enabled/Green.

< stay on this screen on the iPhone>

4. Back on the Mac, which had the issue with Messages and "red background" contacts:
Messages (app) --> Preferences --> Sign In
Enter Name
<password doesn't show up in Big Sur until you enter the name and continue/next>
Enter Password
Click Sign In button.

5. Back on the iPhone, see if at the moment you clicked Sign In, an option appeared:
Click Text Message Forwarding --> Verify the new Mac is now listed.

If it is not, repeat steps 1 and 4 again on the Mac workstation. Return to the Messages settings, and check the Text Message Forwarding option.

Additional Notes:
- We repeated this 3 times for one problem Messages app, and it never showed up in Text Message Forwarding, until we happened to change the iPhone settings on how long to keep messages (Message History --> Keep Messages) from Forever to 1 Year.
- In addition, we also had to restart the Messages app on the affected Mac after the Sign On was done. Afterward the Messages app was restarted, we could not find the "red background" people and some of the individual chats. They had disappeared. We had to start a new message from the person's Contact entry in the Contacts app.
- Also, after the problem Messages app on the Mac's SMS messaging is restored, the Text Message Forwarding option disappeared. It wasn't seen again, unless we Signed Out of all Mac workstation(s) again, and toggled the iMessage enable option on the iPhone.













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