Imessage Unsuccessful

| Posted on by



Imessage Unsuccessful

In all our years of iOS updates that cause Message App problems, the following quick tips fix most issues. When you share an Apple ID all your separate threads now become one potentially very large thread, featuring different people. IOS 12 combines all shared Apple ID Messages into a single conversation thread and into a single grouped notification. Go to Settings Messages and turn off iMessage. Go to Settings FaceTime and turn off FaceTime.

  • Ensure That Airplane Mode is Turned Off. As we all know that the iPhone will not be connected with.
  • IMessage is turned off on your device or on your recipient’s device. To check if iMessage is turned on for your device, go to Settings Messages iMessage. IMessage is temporarily unavailable on your device or on your recipient’s device. Learn the difference between iMessage and MMS/SMS messages.
  • The iMessage activation process requires you to use a solid internet connection for the process to be successful. Therefore, the first thing to do is to ensure that you are connected to a reliable Wi-Fi connection or at least have a strong cellular connection. You can check through Wi-Fi or Cellular data settings on your iPhone.
Imessage Unsuccessful

For those who are unfamiliar with the term, iMessage is a service that was developed by Apple and launched back in 2011. It’s supported by the message application in iOS version 5 and later. iMessage was a hit almost from the first moment it got to the market as a built-in iPhone feature. It allows you to send messages, but also pictures, videos, contact information, etc. You’ve probably been using it for years if you’ve been an iPhone owner. But what can you do if you’re trying to set up iMessage on your phone, and you’re getting an activation error message?

When Are You Likely to Encounter an iMessage Activation Error?

The times that you are most likely to get an iMessage activation error notification is when you’re either setting up a new iPhone that you just purchased, or else when you’ve switched phone numbers or carriers. The most common reason for the problem is a software issue rather than a hardware one.

What iMessage Activation Error Notifications Might You Get?

Your device might display several different iMessage activation errors. For instance, it might say “waiting for activation,” but then it doesn’t activate. You could get one that says “activation unsuccessful.” “An error occurred during activation” is another one. There’s also one that says “could not sign in, please check your network connection.” The phrasing with each of these is a little different, but the result is the same: your iMessage feature hasn’t been activated successfully.

Connect to Wi-Fi or Cellular to Get Rid of an iMessage Activation Error

The first thing worth trying if you’ve got one of these messages is to make sure that you are connected to either a stable Wi-Fi or cellular network. If you’re at home and you’re trying to connect to your Wi-Fi network, you can check to see that you’ve got a steady signal by going to Settings, then Wi-Fi. If you’re not connected, put in your password, wait for your device to display the Wi-Fi symbol, and see if that makes a difference.

If you want to set up iMessage when you’re using cellular data, that’s fine too. Go to Settings, then Cellular. Next, toggle Cellular Data on. You know you’ve done it right if the slider goes from clear to green.

Airplane Mode for an iMessage Activation Error is Possible

You can also turn your Airplane mode feature on and off a couple of times. Do so by going to Settings. Under your name, Apple ID, iCloud, etc., you will see the Airplane mode switch. Toggle it to the right so that it goes from clear to green. Then, toggle it back the other way so that it goes from green to clear. Do that a few times, then see if you can set up iMessage. If you still can’t, keep reading.

Checking the Time for an iMessage Activation Error

Checking the time for an iMessage activation error might not seem like it would do a lot of good, but you might be surprised. Apple tries to authenticate your device for iMessage as part of the setup process. The activation server needs the time between them and your device to be in sync. If they aren’t, then you could get an error message.

To be sure that they match up, go to Settings, General, then Date and Time. Look to see that the time and date are on Set Automatically. Make sure that the time zone is correct, as well.

Turn Off iMessage and Restart the Device

In the Settings app, go to Messages. Hit Turn Off iMessage. Next, you will need to reboot the iPhone. To do that if you have an iPhone 8 or an earlier model, press and hold the Top or Side button until you see the Slide to Power Off slider. Slide it to the right, turning off the phone. Then you must press and hold the Top or Side button till you see the Apple logo on the display. That means the phone is starting up again.

If you own an iPhone X or later, then you’ll need to press and hold the Side button and either the Volume Up or Volume Down button. The Power Off Slider will come up. Slide it to the right, turning off the device. Next, press and hold the Side button again until you see the Apple logo on the screen.

Now, turn iMessage back on and see if you can get through the setup without seeing an error message.

No Cell Plan SMS? You May Get an iMessage Activation Error

If you are trying to activate the iMessage feature on your phone, then Apple will try to send you an SMS. SMS means Short Message Service. It is a way for you to send short, text-only messages from one phone to another.

Get Cash For Your Used iPhoneWe buy used and broken iPhones for top dollar! Get free shipping, a 14-day price lock, and our highest price guarantee.GET A FREE QUOTE

The SMS that Apple sends you is invisible to the user. It happens “behind the scenes” with your iPhone. Apple is sending the SMS to verify its status. The problem might come about because your carrier service is not set up to receive these sorts of messages. That would be unusual, but it is not impossible. To make sure that’s not what is happening, you’ll have to reach out to your carrier to see if your phone can receive SMS messages. If it isn’t set up to get them yet, tell them to activate that feature, then try to set up iMessage one more time.

Prepaid User? That Might Be What’s Causing the iMessage Activation Error

The issue in this scenario is if you have a prepaid phone plan. There’s nothing inherently wrong with that; it’s just that you might not have enough credit to receive the SMS text message that Apple is trying to send you to verify your phone. This SMS protocol has to happen for activation to occur successfully. You’ll need to add enough money to your plan to get text messages if you want to stop getting the activation error notification and finish setting up iMessage.

Reset Network Settings if You Get an iMessage Activation Error

Next up, you can try resetting your network settings. A Wi-Fi or cellular network issue might be preventing the SMS message from getting through to your device. Go to Settings, then General. Hit Reset Network Settings. Once the reset is done, you should enter your Wi-Fi password again. You will be operating with a clean slate, and that might get rid of whatever the issue was.

Updating iOS Might be the Answer to Your Activation Error Issues

You can also try updating to the latest version of iOS if there’s a new one out. To check on that, go to Settings, then General. See if there is a Software Update. If there is one, tap it to get it started. Once it’s finished, try setting up iMessage on your phone again.

Try Waiting 24 Hours

The last thing that we can suggest is to sit back and wait for 24 hours to see if the problem resolves itself. This is the least proactive thing that you can do, but it’s one of the options that Apple suggests for this particular issue. If you have attempted everything else on this list and nothing has worked, then there is no harm in giving it a try.

If that failed to solve the problem, then the time has come to either reach out to Apple Support online or take the device to an Apple Store with a Genius Bar. It’s probably better to get the professionals to look at the device in person since there are limits to what you might be able to accomplish through Live Chat.

A number of iPhone 6 Plus users, especially those running iOS 8.x or iOS 9 have complained about a common issue while trying to activate iMessage on their device. The problem is manifested by an error prompt saying 'Waiting for Activation,' and or 'An error occurred during activation. Try again.'
This article contains a working solution, which you too can try if ever you encounter the same problem while trying to activate iMessage on your iPhone 6 Plus. Though we can't guarantee that this method works for everyone, many have claimed it does wonder on their end. So if you haven't done this yet, I suggest you might as well give it a try this time.
Important things you need to do before you start:
  • Verify and ensure your phone number is listed in the Phone app. To check, launch the app and then see on top of Contacts and you should see your number listed as My Number. If your phone number isn't there, go to your phone Settings->Phone->My Number, and then enter your number.
  • Also check the date and time on your phone are properly set. Just go to Date & Time under General section. To ensure the Time Zone is correct and the iPhone got the right time, better select the option to Set Automatically.
  • Another thing you need to check is that your iPhone is connected to an active Wi-Fi network. Sometimes Wi-Fi issues can also trigger activation problem on iMessage unless you've enabled cellular.
  • Furthermore, make sure iMessage is supported by your carrier. If you're unsure, contact your carrier and verify relevant information such as limiting condition on your iMessage, filters, or blocks on SMS.
User-defined Solution

If all the aforementioned factors are verified and still you can't activate iMessage on your iPhone 6 Plus, then you can resort to this workaround. The solution that I'm talking about has something to do with your iPhone's Airplane mode settings. You may think it's a bit irrelevant but mind you, this has helped others get rid of the activation failure message and successfully activated the service on their device.
Here's how they did it:
1. On your iPhone, go to Settings.
2. Once you're in the Settings menu, scroll to and tap on Messages.
3. Turn off or disable iMessage.
4. Turn off or disable FaceTime.
5. Enable AirplaneMode. Doing so will automatically disable Wi-Fi.
6. Enable Wi-Fi.
7. Go back to Imessage UnsuccessfulMessages.
8. Enable iMessage.
9. If you haven't yet added an Apple ID/account, you will be prompted to do so. Otherwise, proceed to the next step.
10. Go back to Settings.
11. Disable Airplane Mode.
12. If prompted with the SMS charging notification, read and review the information and then tap OK to proceed.Activation unsuccessful
13. Go to Messages.
14. Disable iMessage

Imessage Activation Unsuccessful Verizon

and then enable it again.

Activation Unsuccessful Imessage Iphone 5

15. Wait for a short while until iMessage gets activated.

Imessage Unsuccessful

A grayed out number and an email ID will be displayed, and then a little later that number should be checked.
This solution has done wonders to a number of iPhone 6 Plus users who have encountered problems while attempting to activate iMessage on their device.