Using iMessage, both my iPhone and iPad can send any type of messages fine. On my Macbook, iMessage can only send text messages. If I try sending a photo or video through it, it hangs on the progress bar for a few minutes before finally giving me the red exclamation mark next to the not delivered photo/video. This has become so regular and consistent, I have to airdrop anything I want to send others, from my Mac to my iPhone and send it that way, and then delete the file back off my camera roll. It's a convuluted process. Something is broken. I've signed out of iMessage on my computer and back in. I've went into the Library and deleted the .db files. Restarted the computer. Nothing is fixing this. Has anyone else experienced this, and more importantly, have you discovered a solution to what should be one of the most basic functions on this computer?
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iMessage on Mac unable to text photos and videos
- Thread starter FrankieTDouglas
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I have the same problem which started last week, up until then I was able to send photos and attachments, then after a Catalina crash overnight, iMessage would not send attachments. Just hangs at the end of the progress bar and then gives error alert that message was not sent.
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The work around is unacceptable. Another example of some Apple software hacker changing software without any configuration control or doing regression testing to see if the change they did broke something. Apparently there is NO Software Engineering Management or discipline at Apple anymore. Seems like a bunch of kids just messing around and making whatever change THEY want without regard to the drastic consequences for the end users who have spent millions of man hours learning and depending on the MacOS GUI and functionality. Someone should be in charge of Requirements and Configuration Management to prevent gratuitous changes to the system.
[automerge]1595779141[/automerge]
The work around is unacceptable. Another example of some Apple software hacker changing software without any configuration control or doing regression testing to see if the change they did broke something. Apparently there is NO Software Engineering Management or discipline at Apple anymore. Seems like a bunch of kids just messing around and making whatever change THEY want without regard to the drastic consequences for the end users who have spent millions of man hours learning and depending on the MacOS GUI and functionality. Someone should be in charge of Requirements and Configuration Management to prevent gratuitous changes to the system.
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Sending photo's from external drive via iMessage
I just tried 3 different tests to send a picture from messages. First one from an external hard drive, second one from a second partition on the internal drive, and last one from the main partition on the internal drive. All failed as Not Delivered. I did some searching and someone mentioned...
forums.macrumors.com
For me, trying to send a photo or even a file from my Desktop also hangs and errors out with a failure to send.
I have the same problem which started last week, about 7/22/2020, up until then I was able to send photos and attachments, then after a Catalina crash/restart overnight or an auto update to the system, iMessage would not send attachments when drag and dropped to the iMessage window. Tried copy and paste and that doesn't work either.
I have a 2019 iMac 27" with Catalina MacOS 15.5.6. These are files from an external HD, NOT a NAS drive, which have always worked up until last week. Just hangs at the end of the iMessage send progress bar and then gives error alert that message was not sent. I have restarted which did not fix it. I created a new user and logged in as new user which did not fix it either. SO it is a Catalina 15.5.6 update issue. I got a notice from Drive Genius that system files had been changed from the last log in. One of the was a new apple.com iMessage file: com.apple.installer.osmessagetracing.plist
Tried the suggested workaround of dragging the file to the desktop first and then to the iMessage text box and that worked. So iMessage can't access external HDs apparently. This is unacceptable.
I have a 2019 iMac 27" with Catalina MacOS 15.5.6. These are files from an external HD, NOT a NAS drive, which have always worked up until last week. Just hangs at the end of the iMessage send progress bar and then gives error alert that message was not sent. I have restarted which did not fix it. I created a new user and logged in as new user which did not fix it either. SO it is a Catalina 15.5.6 update issue. I got a notice from Drive Genius that system files had been changed from the last log in. One of the was a new apple.com iMessage file: com.apple.installer.osmessagetracing.plist
Tried the suggested workaround of dragging the file to the desktop first and then to the iMessage text box and that worked. So iMessage can't access external HDs apparently. This is unacceptable.
Not only Catalina. They knocked down the service in every macOS - from 10.9 to 10.14.6 which I know because I run those. No SMS, in Mojave messages not sending (red circles and all that jazz), non-iPhone contacts assigned iMessage labels and naturally "this contact isn't signed up with iMessage service". "Grandiose, Detrimental and Progressive", so to speak.
I'm having a similar problem. I recently got a new iMac and the machine came with Catalina installed and it would not deliver photos/videos to my recipient through Messages but they look delivered on my side - no errors. I can see the photo thumbnails on my end within the Messages window but the recipient can't see or open the files. They only get a bubble on their end. I also wasn't able to open images or videos I received. I could see the thumbnail in Messages but Preview wouldn't open the file. I had to control click and open in Photoshop. I've just upgraded the OS to Big Sur and now I can see and open received photos but my recipients still are not receiving my photos. Any help would be appreciated.
I was having the same problem, started a couple of OS versions ago with my iMac and has continued with my Mac Mini. I've tried everything discussed on these forums, no luck. iPhone, iPads, everything else worked fine. Last night, I was going over some settings and I'm pretty sure I've got the fix. At least it worked for me...
In System Preferences, Security and Privacy, Privacy, Accessibility. It says Allow The Apps Below To Control Your Computer.... I added iMessage and then checked it. It's working, all attachments. Too much of a coincidence to think that's not a fix. I'm using MacOS Big Sur 11.1
In System Preferences, Security and Privacy, Privacy, Accessibility. It says Allow The Apps Below To Control Your Computer.... I added iMessage and then checked it. It's working, all attachments. Too much of a coincidence to think that's not a fix. I'm using MacOS Big Sur 11.1
I just tried it and unfortunately it's still not working. I'm running Big Sur 11.0.1 though. I haven't upgraded yet. I run design applications and the last time I upgraded, my QuarkXpress wasn't compatible and I had to wait days for the update. Any other suggestions are welcome! Also now the recipient doesn't see anything - no bubble.
I HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO SEND EVEN SMALL JPEGS via iMessage from my newly-purchased-from-Apple iMac 27," OS X 10.15.7. I tried every which kind of FIX for that problem.
THE FIX FOR ME: I discovered each time attaching a jpeg to iMessage did fail that the image was on an external SSD drive with a USB3 connection. When I moved the images to the internal SSD, there were not a single problem sending at all. Hope this is your answer too.
THE FIX FOR ME: I discovered each time attaching a jpeg to iMessage did fail that the image was on an external SSD drive with a USB3 connection. When I moved the images to the internal SSD, there were not a single problem sending at all. Hope this is your answer too.
Thank Jimmie-Mac but everything I try to send is directly on my hard drive. I tried Kevensticks' suggestion and that fixed my issue with opening files sent from others but not with me sending photos or attachments from my Mac. I can send links and text just fine but photos and videos don't go thru at all now, not even a bubble.
beccaann, I hate to say this because I know it is not a good answer for you. But, ”it works on my computer.” Sorry. There may be file size issues within some apps including iMessage but I’ve never delved into that or did any testing personally. Just an old, retired designer handling little frustrations of which I have many. Good luck.
I have just started to have this happen, seems too coincidental that it has started after Apple, Twitter, FaceBook and Google started censoring Free Speech and blocking apps they don't like politically.
I found that if the photo/image/video I’m attempting to send via iMessage is on an external disk/drive/flash, it will not be delivered. If I move the file to the INTERNAL hard drive of my iMac, it is sent exactly how I expect it too. Perhaps it is a Apple/Mac/Catalina problem, I don’t know. But this work around is much easier since I make a “junk” folder on my desktop and mindlessly delete those files periodically. I know this works on MY 2020 iMac with OS 15.7.
Well I'm glad this wasn't my imagination! If someone finds a fix for photo, video attachments from desktop Messages I hop the post it here. On my computer I have noticed that very small image files (less than 100k) do seem to go out without any issues.
This worked for me:
- Sign out from iMessage
- Finder, Go > Library (Hold option)
- Locate Messages folder
- delete everything ends with .db
- restart the computer
- open iMessage and sign in again
Hi Watakoola--This is NOT working on my new iMac Catalina going to my new iPhone 12 with 14.4 or to friends' iPhone with earlier software. Screenshot png's on desktop are attaching fine and showing up along with blue bubble text on the iMac implying a successfully sent photo, but the iPhones are only showing text--no image.
Does not work for me at all. New iMac running Catalina 15.7 sending from photos from desktop to 3 different\iPhone 12's (not as a group message but individually) running 14.4 and earlier software. iMac iMessage shows photo and text sent in blue bubble, but iPhones show only text--no image.
A separate issue is trying to send photos from my iPhone to friends on Android phones via SMS. That's where I get the re exclamation mark. Sometimes "trying again" works, but most of the time it does not.
Additional issues with synching music from Library on iMac to iPhone 12.
Apple has some very serious software issues going on. For a top priced product, this is just not acceptable.
My response was from July 2020, so I've moved on to Big Sur and having no issues. Sorry I can't assist.
Are you using Adobe cc, too—for Photoshop, for example? I long ago had to abandon Quark because client bean counters fur Ed internal designers to use InDesign fir cost reasons. I have held off the switch from Catalina 10.15.7 to Big Sur because there are known issues with Adobe Creative Suite.
Are you having any issues with Photoshop, Illustrator, or Lightroom in Big Sur?
I have had the issue of not being able to send images/video/files since snow leopard. I have 2 Macbook Airs running High Sierra, A couple Mac Mini machines running High Sierra, A MacBook Pro running Mojave, an iPad and 3 iPhones. The only devices that can send images/Video/Files are the phones. Everything else says it sent the file but the receiving party just gets a file of 0 bytes that just says downloading forever. The only way I can send anyone something is to airdrop it to a phone and then send it from there. That is a real PITA. I was able to delete all but the most critical messages on one of my Airs and that allows me to send files from it occasionally. Best I can tell, there is an issue with the database (Corrupted?) used on these machines for iMessage as all had my user data migrated to them as I got a new machine. Prior to the profile migration, iMessage worked on the machines.
For me, I can't delete the database and start fresh as there are some information that is needing to be retained and all machines are still used.
Is there a way to export the messages and attachments out to say an rtf or other type of file? If so, I could wipe the db files on all these machines and hopefully be able to resolve the issue.
For me, I can't delete the database and start fresh as there are some information that is needing to be retained and all machines are still used.
Is there a way to export the messages and attachments out to say an rtf or other type of file? If so, I could wipe the db files on all these machines and hopefully be able to resolve the issue.
I had the hanging progress bar issue with images. I tried the solutions of deleting all the associated iMessage files and it still happened. For me the issue seems to be sending to a non Apple device. As soon as I removed that person from the text message it went through. I am running Big Sur.
I have the exact same problem. On the MacBook Air Sending the image seems to be working, but the receiver gets an empty bubble. When I check on my iPhone it also shows i sended the empty bubble.
Is there a solution?
Thank you! Maarten.
This worked for me as well. Previously when it suddenly stopped working, I would attach an image in iMessages on my MacBook Pro (dragged an image from Finder or my desktop over to the iMessages type box) and it would send fine, show the thumbnail on iMessages on my MBP, but the recipient would receive an empty bubble...Tried texting myself to test it and experienced same thing.
I went into the Messages folder per the instructions above (you have to click on GO and simultaneously hold the OPTION key for "Library" to appear in the drop down menu. I then went in and deleted anything that had a *.db*(which was pretty much everything there I think). Restarted and signed back in...took a while for iCloud to upload all the messages and history, but after that was done, I sent myself an image via iMessages on my MBP and it worked...showed up on my iPhone...
I'm running Catalina 10.15.7.