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Klschmann

macrumors member
Original poster
Jan 21, 2020
45
59
Washington, DC
I've been having a weird issue with iMessage since updating to Big Sur last week. I am currently not using Messages in iCloud for any of my devices.

If my MacBook is up and open, messages sync between all my devices and my Mac just fine.

If my MacBook is closed, messages seem to sync for a short while between all my devices but then eventually stop syncing to the Mac only (iPhone, iPad, Watch are all fine).

The only way I have been able to force a sync is to select and unselect the "Messages in iCloud" checkbox. When I do this, the messages that I received since last opening my Mac appear, but I see a "Downloading messages from iCloud" note at the bottom that never goes away until I toggle this off.

After I do this I will then see messages syncing properly to the Mac until I repeat the steps outlined above.

I don't use Messages in iCloud for any of my other devices, and I wasn't having any sync issues at all on Catalina.

Is this a bug or is there something I can do? Has anyone else run into this issue as well?

Thanks!
 
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Between2Birds

macrumors newbie
Feb 18, 2021
2
0
Same issue here on my MacBook Pro running Big Sur version 11.2.1 (20D74). Confirmed issue not present on iPhone or iPad or Watch. The toggling on and off of "Messages in iCloud" on my Mac temporarily resolves the issue for me also.

Anyone else also not seeing the names of known contacts when they get a new message notification on your Mac? I just see the phone number instead.
 

lllusion

macrumors newbie
Jul 19, 2013
23
19
Anyone else also not seeing the names of known contacts when they get a new message notification on your Mac? I just see the phone number instead.
The phone number showing instead of name is an old bug that's been around for a couple OS's.
 

lllusion

macrumors newbie
Jul 19, 2013
23
19
Weird, it only started happening for me after the last incremental update to Big Sur. Any known fixes, temporary or otherwise?
No know actual fixes. It started for me when I did the last major upgrade. Oddly enough, BigSur upgrade seems to have fixed it.
 

Phantom iCloud tabs

macrumors 6502
Feb 2, 2021
311
303
I've been having a weird issue with iMessage since updating to Big Sur last week. I am currently not using Messages in iCloud for any of my devices.

If my MacBook is up and open, messages sync between all my devices and my Mac just fine.

If my MacBook is closed, messages seem to sync for a short while between all my devices but then eventually stop syncing to the Mac only (iPhone, iPad, Watch are all fine).

The only way I have been able to force a sync is to select and unselect the "Messages in iCloud" checkbox. When I do this, the messages that I received since last opening my Mac appear, but I see a "Downloading messages from iCloud" note at the bottom that never goes away until I toggle this off.

After I do this I will then see messages syncing properly to the Mac until I repeat the steps outlined above.

I don't use Messages in iCloud for any of my other devices, and I wasn't having any sync issues at all on Catalina.

Is this a bug or is there something I can do? Has anyone else run into this issue as well?

Thanks!
Sending an iMessage from the Mac will force the resyncing/update of messages. The contact names not appearing on notifications is also a bug I never experienced until 11.2.
 

Phantom iCloud tabs

macrumors 6502
Feb 2, 2021
311
303
Nevermind on my previous message. I just had the same issue described by the OP, where I woke my MacBook up and messages I had sent from other devices while the MacBook was asleep simply did not show up at all until I unchecked and then rechecked messages in the cloud.

I am curious: does anybody else here in this thread who is having this problem also have a problem with iCloud tabs syncing in Safari?

It seems clear at this point that Big Sur has numerous iCloud syncing issues that still need to be ironed out.
 
Last edited:

Demovx

macrumors member
May 12, 2015
65
64
Hi, anyone found a solution to these problems? I am not syncing imessage very well. After deleting the message on the iPhone, it is still visible on the computer - if the computer was asleep or turned off. If the computer is still on, deleted messages also disappear from the computer.
This system should be called the BIG PROBLEM, no Big Sur.
 
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