Suppose you access your iCloud account on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac, and see that no data is available from the iMessage app. On top of that, you’re getting the “Messages in iCloud not available” error. Want to fix this right now and get back to your work? Read this article now!
iMessage is a convenient messaging app for Apple device users. It’s available on most Apple devices like MacBook, iMac, Apple Watch, Apple iPod Touch, iPhone, and iPad. It allows you to communicate with text, media, and animation with another Apple device user with an active iMessage account. Also, you can use it for mobile number-based messaging.
Ultimately, you converge all your short messages in one secure cloud and are accessible from any supported Apple device all the time. Let’s say you didn’t bring your iPhone to work and need to access today’s grocery list sent to you by your partner via iMessage. You can easily access the same from your MacBook, iMac, or iPad at work by just using your Apple ID.
However, this convenience can turn into a disaster if you repeatedly see the “Messages in iCloud not available” warning. Read on to learn the quick methods to fix this.
What Is the Messages in iCloud Not Available Error?
When you try to access messages from iCloud on a compatible device, you may get any of the following error messages:
A screenshot for Messages in iCloud not available error on iPad
Messages in iCloud not available as iCloud and iMessage accounts do not match
Message in iCloud not available
Messages not available in iCloud
The reason for these errors could be anything from the following:
There’s an account mismatch between the iCloud and iMessage apps
Apple’s services aren’t working temporarily
iCloud is unable to sync iMessage data.
Now that you know the basics behind the “Messages in iCloud not available” error, let’s explore some sureshot troubleshooting methods here:
1. Check Apple Services
Before scratching your heads, head over to the Apple Services status portal and check if iCloud and iMessage services are in working condition or not. Any temporary service downtime could be causing the error. To rule out such probabilities, try these steps:
Check statuses for Apple ID, iCloud, iMessage, etc.
If the status is green or Available, Apple Services isn’t the cause of the error.
2. Confirm Matching Apple IDs on iCloud and iMessage
You must sign in to iMessage and iCloud using the same Apple ID. Suppose, your Apple ID logged in to iCloud is johndoe@johndoe.com, and for iMessage it’s johndoe1@johndoe.com. Then, the Apple device won’t be able to sync iMessage data to your iCloud account.
Here’s how you can check your Apple IDs for both services:
Go to Settings and tap your Apple ID, avatar, profile picture, initial, or Memoji.
The email you see either on the right side (iPad) or below the profile picture (for iPhone) is your Apple ID for the iCloud portal.
Now, go back to the main screen of Settings on your iPhone and scroll down to the iMessage option and tap it.
For iPad, simply look at the left side pane, scroll down to find the iMessage option, and tap on it.
Find out the logged-in Apple ID on the right side of the Send & Receive option on your iPad.
For iPhone, you must tap Send & Receive to discover the linked Apple ID.
If both iMessage and iCloud Apple IDs are the same, go to the next troubleshooting option.
Sign out and sign in using the right Apple ID to fix Messages in iCloud not available
If the Apple IDs aren’t the same, tap the Apple ID email just below the iMessage email and select Sign Out.
Then log in using the current iCloud Apple ID.
Toggle off and on Sync this iPad for Messages
Go to Settings > Apple ID > iCloud > Show All > Messages > toggle off and on the Sync this iPhone/iPad option.
This should instantly fix the “Messages in iCloud not available” error due to iCloud and iMessage mismatch.
3. Sync From MacBook or iMac
Open the iMessage app on your Mac and perform these steps:
Click the Messages menu on the Mac toolbar.
Select Preferences on the context menu that pops up.
You should see the General tab of iMessage.
Sync iMessage from macOS to fix Message in iCloud not available
Navigate to the iMessage tab and click the Sync Now button.
This method will sync all previous iMessage texts, if any, from Mac. Thus, you should now be able to access previous iMessage conversations on your iPhone or iPad that gives the “Message in iCloud not available” warning.
4. Perform a Forced Check In With iCloud
You need to turn off iMessage across settings on your iPhone or iPad. Then, reboot the system and re-enable iMessage to perform a hard sync with Apple iCloud servers. Here are the simple steps you can follow along on your own device:
Go to Settings on iOs and find iCloud from the Apple ID section.
Inside iCloud, touch Show All.
Disable sync for Messages on iCloud
Now, tap the Messages option and toggle off Sync this iPhone/iPad option from iCloud Messages section.
Then, go to Settings > Messages.
Disable and re-enable iMessages to fix Messages not available in iCloud
You should see the iMessage toggle button with a green background.
Tap on the radio button to disable the feature.
Go to Settings > FaceTime and use the toggle button on the FaceTime option to disable the service.
Now, restart or reboot your iPhone or iPad.
To do this on iPad, try these steps:
Press and release the volume up button
Quickly press and let go of the volume down button too
Now, keep pressing the top button until the Apple logo pops up.
Let go of the top button and wait for the iPad to restart to its Home Screen.
The device restart process in iPhone is similar. Here, follow the volume up and volume down steps as outlined above. Then, press and hold the side button until you see the Apple logo.
Once the device goes to Home Screen, open Settings. Activate Messages in Settings > iMessage option. Also, start the FaceTime option from Settings > FaceTime. Allow five minutes for the system to normalize. Now, activate Messages on Settings > iCloud. This should fix the “Messages in iCloud not available” pop-up.
5. Apply All Pending iOS Updates
Frequent iOS updates ensure your device can troubleshoot any open bugs and fix those so all Apple Services, Apps, etc., can work smoothly. If the iMessage issue isn’t fixed yet, follow these instructions to install updates:
Open iOS settings and go to the General section.
Inside General, just below the About option, you should find Software Update.
If you see any pending updates, touch Download and Install.
Once the device restarts itself and comes back to the Home Screen, go to Settings > Apple ID > iCloud > Show All > Messages and check if you’re getting the error pop-up or not.
If no pop-up, it means you’ve successfully fixed the issue.
Sometimes iCloud cache on the iPhone or iPad could get corrupted and cause the iMessage data sync issue. In such a situation, you must try out these steps on your Apple phone or tablet:
Go to Settings and tap on the Apple ID profile picture.
Inside the Apple ID screen of your iPhone, scroll to the bottom to find Sign Out.
Touch Sign Out and authenticate the action with your Apple ID PIN or Passcode to complete the process.
For an iPad, the Sign Out option will be available on the bottom of the right-side navigation pane of Settings > Apple ID. Tap on it.
Enter the password and confirm the Apple ID removal process on your iPad.
Now, follow the device force restart steps mentioned earlier to reboot the iPad or iPhone.
When it’s online, it’ll show you the Apple ID setup wizard.
Follow the onscreen guidance to sign back in with the same Apple ID.
Now test if the iMessage conversation backup is working or not. In Settings > Apple ID > iCloud > Show All > Messages > tap Manage Storage and you’ll see more data about iMessage.
7. Reset Network Settings
If the “Messages not available in iCloud” error is the result of the 4G, 5G, or Wi-Fi internet network configuration issue, try the following steps. Ensure, you remember the password of your home or work Wi-Fi before performing a network reset.
Open the iOS Settings app and select the General option from the left side.
Now, scroll down the list on the right side until you find Transfer or Reset iPhone/iPad option. Tap on it.
Learn how to reset network settings on iOS and fix Messages in iCloud not available
Touch the Reset link and then tap Reset Network Settings.
Validate the action with your iPad or iPhone passcode.
iOS will fix configuration issues with the 4G, 5G, and Wi-Fi transmitters. If you’re on mobile Internet, try activating 4G or 5G internet and test iMessage backup. For Wi-Fi, you must connect to the home or workplace Wi-Fi again by enabling the Wi-Fi feature from Control Panel. Then, long tap on it to find the Wi-Fi network and connect.
So far, you learned several troubleshooting options to fix the “Message in iCloud not available” error. Mostly, logging in to iCloud and iMessage using the same Apple ID should resolve this pressing issue.
Don’t forget to comment if you know other cool tricks to fix this ongoing iMessage issue on iPhones and iPads. Also, share the article with friends, fans, followers, and colleagues to help them out.
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