What are identityservicesd and imagent on Mac?

What identityservicesd and imagent are

Apple’s platform-security guide describes Apple Identity Service, or IDS: it associates public messaging keys and device addresses with a person’s phone number or email address. That service helps devices address iMessage communications. It is broader infrastructure than a single conversation window.

On the Mac checked here, identityservicesd ran from /System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/IDS.framework/identityservicesd.app/Contents/MacOS/identityservicesd. imagent ran from /System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/IMCore.framework/imagent.app/Contents/MacOS/imagent. Both belonged to the signed-in account on macOS 27.0.1, checked 23 October 2026.

There were no local manual entries for those two names. Apple’s public security description does not document every operation of these particular executables. It would therefore be too strong to say that a busy row proves an attachment download, a particular sign-in request or a damaged conversation.

What about callservicesd?

The same process check found /System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/TelephonyUtilities.framework/callservicesd under the signed-in account. Its local Apple manual describes a daemon maintaining call state and says users should not run it manually.

Call state, messaging identity and message storage are different jobs. Similar timing does not make the processes interchangeable, and a call-related daemon appearing beside Messages does not prove a call is in progress. Treat the actual failure—messages not sending, a missing number, failed FaceTime sign-in or sustained system load—as the starting point.

Check the account and service symptom

• A phone number is missing: check Messages › Settings › iMessage and FaceTime › Settings › General. Apple’s number-setup instructions require the appropriate Apple Account and number choices on each device.
• History differs between devices: review Messages in iCloud settings. Apple says devices must use the same Apple Account and have Messages in iCloud enabled for that history to stay up to date.
• A sign-in error is visible: write down its exact text. Check the account, network and Apple’s service status before resetting local data.
• Only CPU is high: confirm which process is busy and which account owns it before changing communication settings.

Signing in or making a history available can involve background work, but the process name alone does not prove that this is the current job. Look for progress or errors in Messages. A large history is context to investigate, not a documented universal explanation for high identityservicesd CPU.

For storage rather than identity, use the Messages attachments guide. It explains deletion and sync consequences. Removing a conversation to make an account daemon quiet can destroy the very information you are trying to restore.

Investigate persistent CPU use

1. Save work. Open Activity Monitor › View › All Processes and search each name separately.
2. Watch % CPU across several updates. Note whether the load follows an active call, sending a message, signing in or some other repeatable action.
3. Quit Messages and FaceTime normally after ending any call. The background services may remain; their continued existence is not itself a failure.
4. Restart once if the behavior persists. Then test the same symptom before changing multiple settings.
5. While the process is busy, select More › Sample Process and keep the report for Apple Support.

A sample shows where time was spent, not an automatic diagnosis. Include the macOS version and the behavior you can reproduce. For broader load or memory pressure, the slow Mac workflow helps separate a communications issue from another busy app.

Avoid database and credential resets

Do not delete the executables, Keychain entries or system frameworks. Do not empty a Messages database folder or run a generic “reset IDS” script. Those changes have a wider effect than closing a stuck app and can interrupt working account relationships or remove local data.

Signing out and back in is also a real account change, not a harmless refresh button. Use it only for the specific failure Apple’s instructions address, after checking that you can sign back in and that important history is available elsewhere. If the Mac belongs to work or school, ask its administrator before altering the managed account or network.

If messages or calls still fail with current software and a working connection, ask Apple Support rather than trying progressively broader deletion commands. A reproducible error and process sample preserve evidence that an improvised database cleanup would lose.

Where Tend fits

The three processes checked here ran in the current account, so they are eligible for Tend’s free app sampling. identityservicesd and imagent have their own app bundles; Tend’s grouping follows the outermost bundle path. It does not automatically add their cost to the Messages window simply because they support messaging. callservicesd can remain a separate executable row.

Free CPU, memory and estimated watts help identify current load; energy totals cover 24 hours, with 7 and 30 days in Pro. Tend does not repair messaging identity or infer which conversation caused work. Use Activity Monitor’s process reference for individual inspection.

Questions

Related guides

Sources

• Apple, iMessage security and Apple Identity Service.
• Apple, phone numbers in Messages and FaceTime and Messages in iCloud setup.
• Local man callservicesd, manual-entry checks, read-only owners and executable paths on macOS 27.0.1, 23 October 2026; Tend grouping checked in ProcessMonitor.swift.
• Apple, process sampling and diagnostics.

Sources checked 23 October 2026. Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we'll fix it.