iMessage or FaceTime says "Waiting for activation" or won't sign in on your Mac
Quick answer
Make sure Wi-Fi works and the date and time are set automatically. Then sign out in Messages > Settings > iMessage (or FaceTime > Settings > General), restart your Mac and sign in again.
Why it happens
Messages and FaceTime have to check in with Apple's servers before they work. If your Mac can't reach those servers, or its clock is off, or the Apple Account sign-in has gone stale, the check fails. You then see "Waiting for activation", "could not sign in" or an unknown error.
How to fix it
First check the internet itself. Open a website in Safari. If it won't load, sort out the Wi-Fi or cable before anything else.
Open General, then Date & Time, and make sure Set time and date automatically is on. A clock that's even a few minutes out can stop the sign-in.
General›Date & Time
Open Messages, choose Messages > Settings… from the menu bar and click iMessage. Click Sign Out and confirm.
Messages›Settings…›iMessage
If FaceTime is the one failing, open FaceTime, choose FaceTime > Settings… and click General. Click Sign Out there too.
FaceTime›Settings…›General
Restart your Mac from the Apple menu.
Apple menu›Restart…
Open Messages again and sign in with the same Apple Account your iPhone uses. Do the same in FaceTime. Activation often finishes in a minute or two, but it can take longer, so give it a little while before trying again.
Still not fixed?
Try a different network, such as your iPhone's Personal Hotspot. Work, school and hotel networks, VPNs and some security apps can block Apple's messaging servers.
Check the Apple Account at the top of System Settings. If it asks you to sign in again or confirm your password, do that first, then sign in to Messages.
On your iPhone, open Settings, then Apps, then Messages, and check that iMessage is on. Under Send & Receive, make sure it uses the same Apple Account as your Mac. On older iOS versions, Messages sits directly in Settings.
Install any waiting macOS update, then try signing in once more.
General›Software Update
If it still won't activate after a day, contact Apple Support. Sometimes the block is on the account side, and only Apple can clear it. This isn't a hardware fault, so a repair shop can't help here.
Questions people ask
How long does iMessage activation take on a Mac?
Usually a minute or two. If it's still waiting after you've checked the network and clock, signed out, restarted and signed in again, give it some hours, then contact Apple Support if nothing changes.
Why does FaceTime say it could not sign in?
Your Mac couldn't reach Apple's servers, often because of the network or a wrong date and time. Fix those, then sign out in FaceTime > Settings > General and sign in again.
Do I need an iPhone to use iMessage on a Mac?
No. You can sign in to Messages with any Apple Account. With an iPhone on the same account, your messages and phone number show up on both.
Related fixes
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