Stop messages coming to your Mac

Why it happens

Messages on the Mac uses the same Apple Account as your iPhone, so every iMessage lands on both. Ordinary SMS texts only reach the Mac when your iPhone forwards them. Signing out stops the iMessages, and turning off forwarding stops the texts.

How to fix it

1. Open Messages on your Mac.

2. Choose Messages > Settings…, click iMessage at the top, then click Sign Out and confirm.

   Messages›Settings…›iMessage

3. On your iPhone, open Settings > Apps > Messages > Text Message Forwarding and turn off your Mac. On older iPhone software, Messages sits directly in Settings.

4. Ask someone to send you a message. It should now arrive on your iPhone only.

Still not fixed?

1. Want to keep Messages on the Mac but stop the interruptions? Turn off Allow notifications for Messages instead of signing out.

   Notifications›Messages›Allow notifications

2. Phone calls ringing on the Mac are a separate setting. In FaceTime, choose FaceTime > Settings… and turn off Calls from iPhone.

   FaceTime›Settings…›Calls from iPhone

3. If messages still appear, quit Messages with Command-Q and open it again to check you're signed out. Another Mac signed in to your Apple Account will keep getting messages too.

4. If messages keep arriving after you've signed out on every Mac and restarted, contact Apple Support. They can check where your Apple Account is still signed in.