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Mac users may encounter a pop-up error originating from the Messages app in Mac OS which informs them “your message could not be sent”. Often when this error dialog appears, it’s seemingly out of nowhere or when a Mac wakes from sleep or has rebooted.
While it’s possible to encounter the “your message could not be sent” error for legitimate sending failures, or because iCloud or iMessage is down (very rare), it’s also possible the error can appear due to a syncing issue in which case there is nothing to adjust, and the solution in that case is a bit goofy.
1: Check iMessage & iCloud Settings
Before anything else, make sure iMessage settings and iCloud are enabled as expected on the Mac. It’s possible to encounter this error message when an iMessage or text message has actually failed to send from the Mac, in which case you can almost always resolve the issue by double-checking Messages app preferences and making sure the Mac is configured to send messages, text messages, and has iCloud enabled and logged in.
Check the “iCloud” system preference panel and make sure iCloud and Messages are enabled and logged in as expected.
From the Messages app, pull down the “Messages” window and choose Preferences, and make sure account settings are configured and enabled as expected.
2: The Repeatedly Cilck “Ignore” Solution
Yes, it’s just as dumb as it sounds! If you continuously encounter the “Your message could not be sent” error when turning a Mac on after it has been off for a while, or waking a Mac from sleep after it has been asleep for a while, the error could be due to a curious syncing issue with the Messages app, and not an actual message send failure. The solution in this case is to repeatedly ignore the dialog window, which seems to reappear for about the total number of messages which need to sync with another iOS device or Mac using the same Apple ID.
So, what do you do? Click the “Ignore” button. Click it many times. The dialog window keeps reappearing, so keep clicking “Ignore”. Yes I know, this sounds goofy because it is goofy.
Eventually, the error message goes away, presumably because all of the unsynced iMessages will have synced properly between all same-Apple ID Apple devices and things will work again as expected.
Do you have another solution to this error? Perhaps you know another cause? Let us know in the comments