Your Mac keeps receiving messages you already read on your phone, and you want them to stop. Signing out of Messages turns off iMessage for that account on the Mac. If the interruptions are the problem, you can silence alerts while keeping your messages available.
Sign out of iMessage on your Mac
Start here if you want to stop receiving messages through your iMessage account on this Mac. Signing out in Messages leaves your other Apple services signed in.
Open Messages.
Choose Messages > Settings > iMessage.
Click Sign Out.
Confirm the sign-out. Your Mac stops receiving messages through that account.
On macOS Sequoia 15, Sonoma 14, or Ventura 13, open the additional Settings tab at Messages > Settings > iMessage > Settings.
Click Sign Out there.
Confirm the sign-out.
For keyboard access, press Command-Comma with Messages active to open its settings.
Select iMessage.
Click Sign Out.
Confirm the sign-out. Command-Comma only opens settings; it does not disable messaging by itself.
The older Enable this account checkbox belongs to Apple's macOS Mojave instructions. Current settings use Sign Out.
If you only want the notifications to stop
Keep iMessage active if you still want to read messages on the Mac without the alerts. Open System Settings > Notifications.
Under Application Notifications, select Messages.
Turn off Allow notifications. Messages continue arriving and remain available in the app, but the app's notifications stop.
Quiet a single conversation
Select the conversation in Messages.
Click its contact or group icon.
Turn on Hide Alerts. Messages in that conversation continue arriving.
To stop mention alerts too, open Messages > Settings > General.
Deselect Notify me when my name is mentioned. Leaving this enabled allows mention notifications even when the conversation's alerts are hidden.
For a quicker toggle, press Option-Command-M with a conversation selected to hide or unhide its alerts.
Stop Messages from syncing through iCloud
This stops cloud synchronization, not iMessage delivery.
Open Messages > Settings > iMessage.
Deselect Enable Messages in iCloud.
When prompted about scope, choose the option to disable syncing only for this Mac.
Click Sign Out as well if you want to stop receiving messages on the Mac.
Confirm the sign-out. Apple recommends both disabling Messages in iCloud and signing out of Messages when limiting messaging to selected devices.
When iPhone texts also reach your Mac
Text Message Forwarding carries SMS, MMS, and RCS messages from your iPhone to your Mac. Its control is separate from the Mac's iMessage account.
If the Mac uses Messages in iCloud, first deselect Enable Messages in iCloud in Messages > Settings > iMessage. Apple keeps forwarding enabled for devices using Messages in iCloud.
Choose to disable syncing only for this Mac when prompted.
On your iPhone, open Settings > Apps > Messages > Text Message Forwarding.
Turn off the switch for your Mac.
If iMessages still arrive, use Sign Out in the Mac's Messages > Settings > iMessage settings and confirm to stop receiving them through that account.
Remove account access when the Mac is out of reach
A Mac left signed in to Messages retains its account connection even when you no longer have access to the computer.
Sign in at account.apple.com in a browser on another device.
Select Devices.
Click View Details if authentication is requested.
Select the Mac.
Choose Remove from Account. This removes access to Apple services broadly, so it affects more than iMessage.
Review the removal details.
Confirm the removal.
If the Mac remains signed in locally, it can reappear in your account's device list. For permanent removal, sign out on the Mac itself when you regain access.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I stop messages sent to one address without signing out?
Yes. Open Messages > Settings > iMessage. Under You can be reached for messages at, deselect the phone number or email address you want to stop using on this Mac. Other selected addresses remain active.
Does quitting Messages turn off iMessage?
No. Command-Q quits Messages, and Command-W closes its window. Neither disables the account. Use Sign Out in Messages settings to stop receiving messages through that account.
Can I sign out of all Apple services on the Mac at once?
Yes. Open Apple menu > System Settings > your name > Sign Out. Select any iCloud information you want to retain, then click Keep a Copy. Click Sign Out, or Sign Out and Remove Cards if you use Apple Pay. This also signs out iMessage, iCloud, FaceTime, and other Apple services.
Do I need to deregister my phone number to stop iMessage on one Mac?
No. Sign out in Messages on that Mac. Apple's phone-number deregistration procedure is for people switching to a non-Apple phone and affects the number across iMessage. Messages addressed to your Apple Account can still reach other Apple devices.