Cannot log in or log out of Messages after MacOS update

Give this a try: boot into Safe Mode according to How to use safe mode on your Mac and test to see if the problem persists. Reboot normally and test again.

NOTE 1: Safe Mode boot can take up to 3 - 5 minutes as it's doing the following; 

• Verifies your startup disk and attempts to repair directory issues, if needed

• Loads only required kernel extensions (prevents 3rd party kernel/extensions from loading)

• Prevents Startup Items and Login Items from opening automatically

• Disables user-installed fonts 

• Deletes font caches, kernel cache, and other system cache files

NOTE 2: if you have a wireless keyboard with rechargeable batteries connect it with its charging cable before booting into Safe Mode. This makes it act as a wired keyboard as will insure a successful boot into Safe Mode.

barry.peavy wrote:

I cannot log out, or log in, to iMessage or Facetime after updating to Ventura 13.6 --- this issue every single time following MacOS updates. Why? Very frustrating. I'm on an M1 Macbook Pro.

Have you shut down and restarted more than once since you "updated" ? always recommended to sort issues...

If you can't sign in to your iMessage account or FaceTime on ...

Did Messages work correctly when you rebooting normally? If not then you may have some 3rd party software that is interfering with Messages.

Download and run Etrecheck. Be sure to give it Full Disk access before running.

Copy and paste the results into your reply. Etrecheck is a diagnostic tool that was developed by one of the most respected users here in the ASC and recommended by Apple Support  to provide a snapshot of the system and help identify the more obvious culprits that can adversely affect a Mac's performance.

Copy the report

and use the Additional Text button to paste the report in your reply.

Then we can evaluate the report to see if we can determine the cause of the problem.

OK, Mr. Toad,

Booting in Safe Mode got Messages to work correctly on my M1 Mac Studio, OS 14.1. How do I figure out what’s causing the issue? Way back in the Stone Age, we used InitPicker to turn things back on one at a time. Anything like that in OSX?

Thanks, Mr. Toad! Booting in Safe Mode and re-booting did the trick. But I’ll download EtreCheck for future needs.

Bob (Who once told one of those “we’ll fix your Windows” scammers that I was running an Fortran on an IBM 370)

👍