Error occur when activating iMessage or FaceTime on Mac

Let’s see what to do when an error occurs while activating iMessage or FaceTime on Mac? In the past few weeks, after updating macOS on my Mac, I have not been able to log in to iMessage or FaceTime with my Apple ID. After logging in, I still see the message “An error occurred while activating. Try again. Unable to access iMessage (or FaceTime).

And I knew it was only a problem with my Mac. My Apple ID worked everywhere else, like on my iPhone and iPad, but iMessage and FaceTime don’t work on my Mac! And when I follow the tips to try again, it continues to happen and I still can’t log in to iMessage or FaceTime with my Apple ID!

I have tried to log in more than 50 times, at any time of the day and every day of the week, including weekends. But I had no luck! Still nothing. But in the end, after a million attempts, I found the solution that saved me. And now I have both iMessage and FaceTime working perfectly on my MacBook.

Did an error occur when activating iMessage or FaceTime on Mac? What to do?

Have you updated macOS or OS X?

Unfortunately, I’m not the only one whose Mac continues to appear with “an error occurred during activation” every time I try to access iMessage or FaceTime. This problem appears to be of particular interest to people who have updated macOS. Many readers tell us that iMessage (or FaceTime) worked a few days ago, but after updating the Mac, it stopped working!

Error activating iMessage or FaceTime on Ma, here are some quick tips

Try these quick tips to solve with iMessage and FaceTime activation on your Mac

• Verify that your Apple ID account in the Messages and FaceTime apps is enabled
• Connect to your WiFi faster or via Ethernet and try again
• Make sure there is no disruption to Apple’s system services
• Check the date and time on your Mac, making sure the time zone is accurate from your current location
• Update macOS or Mac OS X to the latest version for Mac
• Verify that your Apple ID is correct by logging in to your Apple ID through a browser
• Reset NVRAM or PRAM
• Temporarily disable any third-party firewalls or security software
• Open iMessage or FaceTime from your Mac’s application folder, not from the Dock or Launchpad
• If you have migrated a user account, remove the AuthToken IDs from your keychain access Apple ID
• Turn off the iCloud keychain
• Delete the keys of your iMessage and FaceTime passwords on the Keychain
• Delete the push notification apsd file from the preferences library
• Contact Apple support and ask them to check if there is a padlock (also called spamblock) on the iMessage servers with your Apple ID and your Mac

Error activating iMessage or FaceTime on Mac, here is what to do

1. Enable your Apple ID for messages

• Open messages
• Go to Preferences> Accounts from the main messages menu
• Select iMessage from the left sidebar
• If your Apple ID information appears, check the Enable this account box
• If it’s already checked, uncheck it, wait 30 seconds and check that box again

2. Check for Apple service outage

Check the Apple system status page for any service outages affecting iMessage or FaceTime. If you see the yellow next to iMessage or FaceTime, it means that there is a problem and that Apple is working to resolve it. The only solution? Wait.

3. Check the date and time settings

• Go to the Apple menu> System Preferences> Date and Time and check that the date, time and time zone are correct
• Check the “Set date and time automatically” box.
• If the checkbox is already selected, deselect it, wait 30 seconds, and then select it again
• If the checkbox is disabled, click on the lock icon and enter an administrator password

4. Verify your Apple ID

We confirm that the Apple ID and password are correct.

1. Visit your Apple ID account page in a browser and sign in with the same Apple ID you are using with Messages and FaceTime
   1. If you can log in go to step 2
   2. If you are unable to start the session, try again and, if necessary, follow the instructions on the screen to reset your password or visit the Apple iForgot website
2. On the Mac, open Messages> Preferences> Accounts
   1. Select your iMessage account and click Disconnect if necessary
   2. Try logging in again with the same Apple ID that you used to log in to your Apple ID account
3. Once again, on your MacBook, open FaceTime> Preferences> Settings
   1. Select Disconnect if necessary
   2. Log in again with the same Apple ID that you just used to log in to your Apple ID account

5. Reset NVRAM

Sometimes the error while activating iMessage or FaceTime on Mac are related to the settings stored in your Mac’s NVRAM (also called PRAM on older Macs). So let’s restore it! Settings stored in the NVRAM include sound volume, screen resolution, boot disk selection, time zone, and recent kernel information.

How to reset NVRAM on your Mac

1. Turn off your Mac, then turn it on and immediately hold these four keys together- Option, Command, P, and R
2. Release these keys after about 20-30 seconds. Your Mac may restart while you press the keys
   1. If your Mac generally plays a startup sound, release the keys after the second startup sound
   2. For iMac professionals, release the keys after the Apple logo appears and disappear a second time
3. If you are using a firmware password, you must first disable the firmware password to reset the NVRAM
4. After resetting NVRAM, update this setting to your personal preferences
   1. Sound volume
   2. Screen resolution
   3. Boot disk selection
   4. Time zone