How to fix Messages app crashing after macOS Ventura update

I had an issue where the Messages app kept crashing after updating to macOS Ventura. Sometimes, Messages won’t start, it tries to start (icon jumping) for long time and after that it just freezes and becomes unresponsive. We recently wrote an article on how you can fix common Ventura-related problems. From the users’ emails we get, it appears that many users, who recently upgraded to macOS Ventura, are experiencing Messages crashing issue. In this article, I list several tips you can try to fix Messages app crashing in macOS Ventura problem.

It can be annoying when the Messages app hangs or crashes after upgrading to macOS Ventura because you can’t read or send messages on your Mac. The Messages app on your Mac can enable you to send and receive SMS, MMS, iMessage texts. If the Messages app freezes after Ventura update, check out the steps below to fix the issue.

How to fix it if Messages app is crashing in macOS Ventura

Regardless of whether you own a MacBook, MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, Mac mini, iMac, or Mac Pro, you can follow these basic troubleshooting methods if your Messages app hangs or crashes after Ventura update.

Basic troubleshooting tips to fix crashing Messages

You should try these steps first. One of them can fix your Messages app crashing in Ventura problem.

• Restart your Mac. Go to the Apple menu and select Restart.
• Quit the Messages App and then open it. Yes, it is crashing but it may be running in the background. Find its icon in the Dock and right-click it. Then select Quit.
• Make sure that your Mac is connected to the Internet. See this article if Wi-Fi is not working in macOS Ventura.
• Update your Mac to the latest version of macOS Ventura. There may be an upgrade addressing this issue specifically. Go to System Preferences > Software Update to check for updates and update if necessary.
• Apple servers may be experiencing iMessages issues or outages. Open the Apple System Status page to check this.
• On your Mac, go to System Preferences > Date and Time. Then ensure that Time Zone and Date and Time settings are correct. I recommend that you check the “Set date and time automatically” box so that your Mac does this. If the section is locked, click the Lock icon to unlock it. You will need to enter your admin password.
• On your Mac, open Messages and click Messages > Preferences > iMessage. Then sign out, restart your Mac and then sign back in again.
• You can also use Safe Mode (restart it in Safe Mode and exit and test), reset the PRAM (or NVRAM) and the SMC.

Delete addressbook preference file

The steps below seem to work for some users. If one of the above steps does not fix your Messages problem, you can try this. Follow these steps:

1. Quit the Messages app.
2. Go to the Finder on your Mac.
3. Click the Go in the menu bar then choose Go to Folder.
4. Enter this folder pathname: ~/Library and hit Enter.
5. This will open your Library folder.
6. Click the Application Support folder.
7. Click the AddressBook folder.
8. Locate the AddressBook-v22.abcddb file.
9. After you find this folder, you have two options:
   You can delete this by dragging to the Trash.
   Or, I recommend this, you can drag this to your Desktop. This way you will have this file. And if this fix does not help you, you can put it back to restore.
   Then, restart your Mac.
   Open Messages to see if it is still crashing.

Delete Messages plist files

The steps below are a little extreme. You will likely lose your settings and messages. You may want to back up first. If you are sure, proceed:

1. Open your Library folder (as I explained below go to the Finder > Go > Go to Folder and enter ~/Library and hit enter).
2. Click the Preferences folder. And delete any files that says Messages and iMessage. You can use the search field to find them.
3. Then restart your Mac.
4. And open Messages to see if it is working now.

Messages crashing on macOS Ventura? Problem fixed!

We hope the problem of Messages app crashing after macOS Ventura is now behind your back. If Messages keeps crashing even after working your way through the above fixes, seek extra help from Apple Support.

Messages App crashing on macOS Ventura? Problem fixed!

It can be annoying when the Messages app hangs or crashes after upgrading to Ventura because you can’t read or send messages on your Mac. However, dealing with a faulty built-in macOS app, such as Messages, can be tricky because you can’t just uninstall then re-install it. If you try moving Messages to the Trash, you’ll get an error message saying that you can’t uninstall the app because it is a critical part of the macOS system.

Instead of waiting for Apple to fix this bug, you can try the workarounds suggested above to get your Messages app working smoothly again. If Messages app keeps crashing even after working your way through the above fixes, seek extra help from Apple Support.