Why are my text messages not syncing across my apple devices

iMessage and Facetime remain two prime reasons to stay invested in the Apple ecosystem. It works seamlessly among all Apple hardware, including iPhone, iPad, and Mac. There can be times when iMessage fails to sync between iPhone and Mac, leading to confusion and mistakes in conversations. Here’s how you can fix iMessage not syncing on iPhone and Mac.

Why are my text messages not syncing across my apple devices

iPhone and Mac users swear by just how useful the Apple ecosystem can be during day-to-day operations. iMessage not syncing the latest messages between iPhone and Mac can be frustrating as your latest conversations from iPhone don’t appear on Mac and vice versa.

On iPhone, open the Settings app and go to the Profile menu. Check your current Apple ID. On Mac, you need to open the System Preferences menu and load the Apple ID menu.

Why are my text messages not syncing across my apple devices

If Apple ID is different on either of the devices, you need to log out and ensure both Mac and iPhone have the same ID.

Why are my text messages not syncing across my apple devices

Step 1: Open the Settings app on iPhone.

Step 2: Scroll down to Messages.

Step 3: Disable iMessage toggle.

Why are my text messages not syncing across my apple devices
Why are my text messages not syncing across my apple devices

Enable it again and check iMessage sync is working or not.

Step 1: Open the Messages app on Mac.

Step 2: Click on Messages at the upper left corner.

Step 3: Select Preferences.

Why are my text messages not syncing across my apple devices

Step 4: Slide to the iMessage menu.

Step 5: Click on Sync Now button.

Why are my text messages not syncing across my apple devices

Step 1: Open Messages on Mac.

Step 2: Click on Messages in the Menu bar.

Step 3: Open Preferences.

Step 4: From the iMessage menu, disable Messages in iCloud.

Why are my text messages not syncing across my apple devices

Enable it again and restart the app.

Apple also offers a dedicated System Status page to let you check services status in real-time. You can visit the page from the link above and check iCloud and iMessage status.

Step 1: Open the Settings app on iPhone.

Step 2: Go to the General menu.

Step 3: Scroll down to Transfer or Reset menu.

Why are my text messages not syncing across my apple devices
Why are my text messages not syncing across my apple devices

Step 4: Select Reset Network Settings from the following menu.

On iPhone, you can go to Settings and open the General menu. Select Software Update and install the latest OS build on iPhone.

Why are my text messages not syncing across my apple devices

Mac users need to use the System Preferences menu and go to Software Update to install the newest macOS version.

This arrangement can lead to syncing issues on iPhone and Mac as both the Messages apps don’t have feature parity. You need to remove the beta profile on iPhone and Mac and go back to the stable public version.

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  • Enabling Message Syncing
  • |
  • Troubleshooting

Once both your iPad and iPhone are logged in with the same Apple ID and Messages in iCloud has been enabled, your iMessages should sync across your Apple devices automatically. However, there have been issues in iOS 13 that may cause errors as you try to do this. This wikihow will show you how to enable messages in iCloud and troubleshooting steps you can take to resolve software issues.

Things You Should Know

  • Open settings and navigate to the iCloud menu.
  • Under ‘Apps Using iCloud,’ toggle on ‘Messages’ to turn on iCloud syncing.
  • If this doesn’t sync your iPhone and iPad messages, try toggling off ‘Messages,’ waiting a few seconds, and turning it back on.

  1. Why are my text messages not syncing across my apple devices

    1

    Open Settings

    Why are my text messages not syncing across my apple devices

    . You'll find this grey gear app icon on one of your Home screens or inside the Utilities folder.

    • You'll need to repeat these steps for both your iPhone and iPad to enable Messages on each device.

  2. Why are my text messages not syncing across my apple devices

    2

    Tap your name. This is next to your profile picture at the top of the menu.

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  3. Why are my text messages not syncing across my apple devices

    3

    Tap

    Why are my text messages not syncing across my apple devices

    iCloud. It's next to an icon of a cloud in the second grouping of menu options.

  4. Why are my text messages not syncing across my apple devices

    4

    Tap the toggle next to "Messages" to turn it on

    Why are my text messages not syncing across my apple devices

    . The iPhone and iPad menus will be similar, and you need to turn this switch on to sync your iMessages between your iPhone and iPad.[1]

    • If you follow these steps and your iPhone and iPad messages don't sync, continue to the troubleshooting method.

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  1. Why are my text messages not syncing across my apple devices

    1

    Reset Messages in iCloud. Go to Settings > Your Name > iCloud and switch "Messages" off, wait a few seconds, then switch it back on.

    • You can try this on just your iPhone, just your iPad, or both devices. If your messages still aren't syncing, continue to the next step.

  2. Why are my text messages not syncing across my apple devices

    2

    Reset your iPhone or iPad. For iPhone and iPads older than iPhone X, you can just hold the sleep/wake button on the side of the device until a slider appears and drag it to power off the device. For an iPhone or iPad newer than the iPhone X, you'll need to hold the wake/sleep button and press one of the volume buttons for the slider to appear.

    • Turn your device back on by pressing and holding the wake/sleep button until the Apple logo appears.
    • If your messages still won't sync, continue to the next step.

  3. Why are my text messages not syncing across my apple devices

    3

    Sign out of your Apple ID then sign back in. On both your iPhone and iPad, you'll go to Settings > Your Name > Sign Out, then go back to Settings and tap Sign in.[2]

  4. Why are my text messages not syncing across my apple devices

    4

    Make sure iMessages is enabled. On your iOS devices, go to Settings > Messages > iMessages. Switch "iMessages" on so both your iPhone and iPad can send/receive iMessages.

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About This Article

Article SummaryX

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap your name.
3. Tap iCloud.
4. Tap the toggle next to "Messages" to turn it on.
5. Repeat on your iPhone and iPad.

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Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 87,678 times.

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How do I sync text messages between Apple devices?

In the Messages app on your Mac, choose Messages > Preferences, then click iMessage. In the Settings pane, select Enable Messages in iCloud. The messages from your other devices that use the same Apple ID appear on your Mac.

Why are my Apple devices not syncing Messages?

Go to Settings > Messages, turn off iMessage, turn it back on, tap Send & Receive, tap Use Your Apple ID for iMessage, then sign in with the same Apple ID used on your other devices." If the settings look correct you'll then want to try restarting both of your devices.

Why are my texts not syncing between iPhone and iPad?

On your iPhone: Settings > Messages > Text Message Forwarding - set to ON - and verify that you have explicitly enabled your iPad from the list of devices.

How do I get my iPhone and iPad to sync text messages?

Go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud, then turn on Messages (if it's not already turned on). Every message you send and receive on your iPad is saved in iCloud. And, when you sign in with the same Apple ID on a new device that also has Messages in iCloud turned on, all your conversations show up there automatically.