iCloud Messages Downloading to New Mac

[fromgophonetoiphone]

I'm struggling with iCloud here, particularly in terms of Messages. I got a new laptop, but I wanted to set it up fresh and clean. Instead of using Migration Assistant I wanted to set it up as a new Mac, install only the apps I want.

1. I copied Documents/Downloads/Pictures over, which are mostly personal files using Target Disk Mode.
2. For iCloud stuff, I assumed everything just downloads from the Cloud. Drive/Files really aren't a concern as they're easily accessible via a Finder Location.
3. However for Messages, I assumed everything would just download and migrate over smoothly. I looked at my 5 years of iMessage history, and it seems I migrated everything 2017-2019 and then there's this huge gap of messages where mid 2019 - early 2022 is missing and then the last month of messages.

To verify these messages exist, I've checked my old Mac, my iPhone, and my iPad. All 3 devices show a pretty full copy of messages from 2017-2022. But somehow my new Mac just DOES NOT download the new messages. I thought maybe it was this Mac, so I pulled a spare iPad out, wiped it and booted up and had it download iMessages from iCloud, and same issue. It doesn't pull all the messages. I pulled out my spare Mac (2017 non TB MBP), wiped it and logged into my iCloud Same deal.

I've tried all combinations of turning off and on iMessages in iCloud on my existing devices to get these other devices to download the full message history, but it's simply not happening. I'm now wondering if my iMessage history is just now corrupted on iCloud or something despite these 3 daily driver devices (previous Mac, iPad, iPhone) being daily drivers for all my messaging.

Question #1: Is there no way to force a FULL download of all my Messages from iCloud?

Now, the more I toggle on and off iMessages in iCloud on these 3 existing devices, the more convoluted things get. Both iPad and iPhone, while showing a full 5 years of iMessages, did not take up any more than 4gb in space. But after toggling things on and off it seems to have downloaded the full iCloud backup where the sizes are now as follows:

• Old Mac: 18gb in ~/Library/Messages
• iPad: 22.7gb in Messages
• iPhone: 18gb in Messages
• (iCloud backup is 22gb of Messages)

On both the iPad and iPhone, even though I've plugged them in, let them sync overnight, and iMessages in iCloud are on, both devices now show iCloud backups in the 20gb size (up from 1-2gb). It's now treating the devices as iMessages locally and then backing them up using tons of space. And even though the Next Backup Size says it will be much smaller, forcing a backup doesn't result in a smaller Backup at all. Again, turning off and on iMessages in iCloud doesn't help either.

Question #2: How come sometimes iCloud wants to backup my whole device image including Messages but other times it recognizes I'm using iMessages in iCloud and backs up a much smaller image?

 

[fromgophonetoiphone]

It's been a pain in the butt but most of my discrepancies between the new Mac and my old Mac are in the ~/Library/Messages/chat.db file. The old Mac is much larger, whereas the new Mac has maybe only half the size, and maybe that explains why I am missing so many historical messages.

Through a combination of turning on and on Messages in iCloud on both old Mac, iPad, and new Mac, I see the new Mac's chat.db slowly grow in size as if it's downloading something from the cloud. The gap in the messages as I mentioned used to go from mid 2019 til March 2022. Now, I've narrowed it down to late 2020 thru March 2022.

One thing I cannot figure out is if my new Mac is simply downloading more from iCloud, or if the old devices are actually uploading chats to iCloud that were previously not there.

This whole Messages syncing is so frustrating--Photos, iCloud Drive, etc syncing are so much more straightforward because you can actually view the content and understand what has been saved online whereas Messages is a black box.

 

[BigBlur]

One thing I cannot figure out is if my new Mac is simply downloading more from iCloud, or if the old devices are actually uploading chats to iCloud that were previously not there.

I suspect it’s probably uploading and syncing. You could go to your iCloud settings -> Manage Storage, and see if the Messages storage space is increasing or staying the same.

 

[Sheepish-Lord]

First off, that is an insanely unnecessary amount of messages to keep so maybe rethink your reasoning on that ha.

Secondly, anytime you add a new device that supports iMessage each one has a message history that automatically deletes them. However, because you have to set this on every device signed in it will often default back to deleting messages older than 30 days so you have to go back into every device a change them to the same settings.

No idea if this helps but it’s the best I got.