Messages shows "1 Conversation Selected" in right pane instead of the actual messages?

Hi Tim Hill1,

We appreciate you reaching out to us.

We’d like to gather additional details that may help us be in a better position to assist you.

Have you had the chance to restart your device?

Are you using the latest version of macOS Ventura? Update macOS on Mac - Apple Support

If you answer yes to both questions, let’s test if the issue persists on a newly created user account. 

1. On your Mac, choose Apple menu > System Settings, then click Users & Groups  in the sidebar. (You may need to scroll down.)
2. Click the Add Account button below the list of users on the right (you may be asked to enter your password.)
3. Click the New Account pop-up menu, then choose a type of user.
4. Enter a full name for the new user. An account name is generated automatically. To use a different account name, enter it now—you can’t change it later.
5. Enter a password for the user, then enter it again to verify. Enter a password hint to help the user remember their password.
6. Click Create User.

You can use the article below as a reference.

Add a user or group on Mac

If you are experiencing the issue when signed in on a different user account, please check if the issue persists while on safe mode.

Performing this step may help resolve the issue, or further isolate the issue.

Below is an article to help guide you through the process.

How to use safe mode on your Mac

Take care!

Close messages completely on the Mac. Hold down the left shift key and click on messages in your taskbar to open. Keep holding shift until messages is completely open. That should have done a safe load of the app without any cached settings. Usually what causes this is double-clicking on a group conversation which causes it to open in a new window. After that, even if you have closed that second window, it tries to retain that setting forever (unless you safe launch). I have not noticed it on messages with a single recipient, and if I recall correctly I'm not sure that it has to be the left shift key - that's the one I've always used and it works. Feel free to experiment, I just tested and it still works for me on Ventura... this method has existed at least as far back as Mountain Lion as it used to be a more common issue. (Mail and Safari could get garbled due to plugins and the safe launch also disables things like that for that launch.)

I am having the exact same issue on Ventura new MacBook pro. Continual issue with messages. Have turned off, tried syncing etc. Does not remedy.

On the phone side, the message shows with the name of contact, photo and complete conversation thread.

On the MacBook Pro shows a blank grey circle for the contact, no thread in the right hand pane. It shows 1 conversation selected. I really feel this is a software issue in messages. It keeps happening randomly. Hoping some patch or something can resolve.

Tim Hill1,

As it's happening on the latest macOS version and across multiple Mac devices, you may try reaching out to Apple Support to have the issue investigated further.

This link can help out with starting the support request: Apple Support

Cheers.

Same thing happened to me. I had a text message group with 3 friends, one didn’t have an iPhone so we all got the disgusting green messages. My peasant friend finally got an iPhone and started the group text again but now with blue messages. Once I deleted the identical group text with green messages, I no longer got the “1 message selected” message.

I’m having strange issues with Messages, or is it iMessage? Group conversations. Some messages go to my iPad, some go to iPhone. But, not all go both places. Have not yet tested my MacBook.

On my MacBook, I get 1 Conversation Selected in Messages (which seems to be labeled iMessage elsewhere) and am forced to double-click to read it.