Long wait for imessage activation. IMessage waiting for activation

Quite often, iPhone users encounter problems activating iMessage. The smartphone may report that it is waiting for iMessage to be activated, write that it cannot connect to the iMessage server, or simply not send messages, even if all the settings seem to be made correctly. This guide tells you what to do if iMessage is not activated.

Note: in the instructions we have listed various ways to fix the error with the inability to activate iMessage, starting with simple methods and ending with rather non-standard ones. If you have already tried one or more of these methods, just move further down the list - something will definitely help!

Updated May 18, 2018!Due to Roskomnadzor blocking, many Beeline subscribers. The problem in this case can only be solved in one way - using a VPN, for example, here this free application or a verified application. It is expected that the problem with iMessage for Beeline subscribers will be temporary.

Reboot your iPhone

Let's start with the simplest one - a way to solve the problem by forcing a reboot, which helps reset iOS software errors. Hold down the buttons Nutrition And Home(Volume Down button on iPhone 7/7 Plus) and hold them until the Apple logo appears on the screen.

Top up your account

Activation of iMessage occurs after sending a service message that costs several rubles. Make sure you have funds in your phone account and top up your balance if necessary, then try activating iMessage again.

Very often, users are faced with the fact that iMessage randomly “falls off”, which is why multiple debits from their mobile phone account occur. If you came across this instruction in order to find a solution to this particular problem, then try the methods listed below - they may help get rid of the problem.

Reset network settings

Go to menu " Settings» → « Basic» → « Reset" and press " Reset network settings" This operation is often a lifesaver in case of various iMessage-related problems. Please note that when you reset your network settings, saved passwords for Wi-Fi points will be deleted.

Enter your information in settings

Not everyone knows, but the correct operation of iMessage can be hampered by the lack of specified data about the iPhone owner in the smartphone’s settings. For this:

Step 1: Fill out your contact in your iPhone contact book to the maximum.

Step 2. In the menu " Settings» → « Mail, addresses, calendars» → « My details» select your contact.

Activate automatic time setting

And another simple but extremely effective way to solve problems with iMessage activation. Go to menu " Settings» → « Basic» → « date and time" and turn the switch " Automatically» to active position. Also make sure that " Timezone» in the same menu is indicated correctly.

Activate iMessage from another SIM card

If none of the above methods solve the problem, try activating iMessage from a different SIM card. According to reviews on, after successful activation, iMessage starts working without failures even after installing the iPhone owner's SIM card.

Wait a few days

And one more addition from forum visitors. In most cases, the problem with activating iMessage by phone number occurs after installing a new version of iOS or changing the Apple ID password. And very often it resolves itself after a few days.

Link iMessage to mail

If all else fails, and sending iMessage is vital, linking the messenger to your email box, which will begin to act as your number, will help out. For this:

Step 1. Go to menu " Settings» → « Messages" and turn off iMessage.

Step 2: Remove the SIM card from your iPhone and connect to a Wi-Fi network.

Step 3. Go to " Settings» → « Messages"and turn on iMessage.

Step 4: From the same menu, select “ Sending/receiving" and in the section " Your iMessage address» Check the box next to the email address, which should be your iMessage login.

After completing these settings, iMessage is successfully activated and you can continue communicating via the messenger.

After the release of mobile version 5 of iOS, Apple offers users free messaging through the internal iMessage utility. It is not activated due to the fact that each gadget holder must independently turn on and configure the program. You can use the messenger on most gadgets: and Read below about how to activate.

Enabling and setting

How to set up iMessage? Nothing could be simpler. You need to go to the “Settings” menu and select “Messages” here. Then you need to find the messenger itself in order to check the box next to the action for further use. But to prevent all mobile device holders (not even iPod Touch) from connecting to the system without rights to do so, Apple ID requires entering a special password.

In some cases, the mobile phone holder will receive a warning that the operator may charge for the message with the password. But if there is one, it will be symbolic. In any case, subsequent use of the messenger will cost users much more profitably. Only traffic will be spent for sending messages. Accordingly, if something is missing, the program will not work.

As for the settings, users will have to figure it out on their own. You can customize the utility's color scheme, font, and so on. Finding such settings is easy, everything is clear on an intuitive level.

Using the utility

Messages via iMessage are sent instantly. The interlocutor, if he is connected to the Internet, will be able to read the message immediately. The user can see those people who are online. If he has the “Read Report” function configured, then notes are received indicating that the interlocutor has read the message.

There is also a "Send as SMS" function. It is used when there is no Internet connection. She sends messages in standard mode. Naturally, the operator charges a fee corresponding to the nominal value for this.

You can familiarize yourself with the remaining options yourself, since they are not so significant. They are found quickly, they are placed so that the user can easily understand where to look for them. These include counting characters, adding the interlocutor to the “Black List”, deleting and adding a new dialogue.

If an error occurs during iMessage activation, the service cannot be used. If everything is done correctly, no problems will arise. It should be noted that the capabilities of the program have been significantly expanded in version 8 of the mobile operating system. Even experienced users will not be able to quickly master all the new functionality.

Activation problems

Despite the fact that setting up the program in question is not accompanied by difficulties, most users often encounter activation problems. This often occurs in several cases:

After the firmware. The company believes that the device holder is trying to use the program from another gadget that does not correspond to the concept of application.
After changing your mobile device. Since a particular user's name and password were entered on another gadget, the company is trying to protect personal information. She suspects that attackers could use the data.

iMessage will not activate if there is no Internet connection. Therefore, it is recommended to check this item first.

The most common type is when the user receives an error message.

Standard user errors

Firstly, when iMessage is not activated, you need to check in the appropriate settings whether the user has entered their Apple ID correctly. You should also look at how correctly the e-mail was specified and whether the phone number was included in the list. To do this you need to do the following:

Open Settings on your phone.
Go to the “Messages” item.
Find the name of the program.
Carry out the above check.

If there are inconsistencies or errors, they must be corrected. After this, you need to try connecting to the service again.

You should pay attention to the fact that you need to check the correct spelling as carefully as possible, since each activation attempt spends money from the balance on the phone, because you need to send messages to a European number.

Sometimes the device gets too overloaded. Then you need to turn off the gadget, wait a few minutes, and then turn it on again. Very often these actions are enough for successful activation.

Error "Waiting for activation" and how to resolve it

It is very common for iMessage to freeze. The wait for activation is delayed indefinitely. In this case, you first need to check if you have an Internet connection. If everything is in order, but the error remains, you need to use one of two options.

First, you should go to “Settings”, go to the “Mail, addresses, calendars” item. Here you need to find “Contacts”, where you should select your number. Usually it is set automatically, but sometimes it is necessary to correct the situation by marking your email and phone as your own. Often this is enough for the program to become stable again.

Secondly, if iMessage is waiting for activation, then you can use the reset function, as in the previous option. But this doesn't always help. Sometimes the problem is fixed after the user resets to factory settings. By the way, this procedure takes quite a lot of time, it can even take an hour. It all depends on how much the user changed the device to suit himself.

Activation cost

The biggest annoyance of users when iMessage activation error occurs is the waste of funds. The message itself is sent to the European server for free, the company does not charge money for it. However, the operator withdraws a decent amount.

The fact is that sending SMS to Europe costs a few cents. When the situation is one-time, the expenses are not particularly noticed. But during activation errors, messages have to be sent several times, or even dozens. Therefore, expenses increase significantly. If possible, it is recommended to check everything right away so that you don’t have to spend your balance on SMS to Europe later.

What if the problem is not with the user?

If iMessage does not work when upgrading to iOS 7, then it is likely that the problem is not with the user. The fact is that Apple's server is overloaded because many people install this OS. Therefore, there are too many applications for activation. Accordingly, the server does not have time to respond to all requests, so half of the users either have to wait too long or try to connect several times.

When an error occurred during iMessage activation and the user received a corresponding message, it is recommended that you familiarize yourself with its code, if any. This way, you can identify a specific problem so that it can be fixed faster, since the gadget holder will know exactly what needs to be fixed.

Sometimes it is enough just to wait a few minutes or hours for the activation to be successful. It is likely that at this moment the server is carrying out maintenance, troubleshooting, or trying to expand. This is done in order to subsequently satisfy the needs of more users.

Conclusion

Thus, when iMessage does not work, it is not necessary to immediately contact specialists. It is enough to use some of the listed tips. You should not rush to send a new message, as it will spend money from your balance, and activation may not happen at all. But if the user has double-checked everything carefully, then SMS cannot be avoided.

iOS 11/12 lets you experience a more intuitive app drawer, custom bubble effects, and the Apple Pay app in the Message app. To satisfy their curiosity, many iPhone and iPad users cannot wait to update their version of the system and be able to enjoy new features. Unfortunately, many iPhone/iPad users have found that iMessage/messages are not working after updating the new iOS system. In this article, we list the most common iMessage problems and fixes on iPhone XS/XR/X/8 (Plus)/7 (Plus)/SE/6s (Plus)/6 (Plus)/5s and iPad.

Top 12 iMessage and Message crashes and general fixes

Errors and methods for iMessage and message on iOS 11 are listed. You can click the item of interest from the table of contents:

Top 1. iMessage Error “Waiting for Activation”

When you get an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch in your hand, switch phone number or carrier, or even update your mobile system to a new iOS system, iMessage activation error may occur. Since iMessage activation was unsuccessful, you cannot continue using the app at all. The prompt line contains:

1. Waiting for activation.

2.Activation failed. Turn on iMessage to try again.

3. Error during activation. Try again.

4. Your carrier may charge you for the SMS message you use to activate iMessage.

How to Fix: Try these methods and check whether iMessage is good or not.

Turn off iMessage and restart your Apple device.
Sign in and sign in with your Apple ID.
Turn off airplane mode and turn it back on after 30 seconds.
Make sure the date and time are set correctly.
Erase all content and settings on your iPhone and set it up as a new device.
Make sure you are connected to Wi-Fi or cellular data.
Check if there is a software update available.
Contact Apple Support after waiting 24 hours.

Top 2. Messages app closes/interrupts/won't open after update

Since updating to iOS 11/12 from a lower version, the Messages app launches every time you try to open or type a message. You will be annoyed when iMessage freezes on launch in iPhone X/8/7/6+, just like using Twitter as shown below.

How to fix: Here are measures that work for most users.

If you can't visit them, this post written on how to fix app freezing and crashing on iPhone shows more details.

Top 3. How to recover messages on iPhone

Sometimes you may delete messages carelessly, but they are of great importance to you, so you hope to recover deleted iMessage one day. Or you want to get rid of some cold messages to free up memory on your mobile phone, however you want them back for a specific reason. Such circumstances occur for many of us.

How to Fix: All the methods below are possible choices to make iMessage disappear. You can also try them until the problem is resolved

Recover deleted message/iMessage on device via no backup.
Retrieve lost SMS with iTunes backup after iOS 11/12 update.
Recover missing text message on iPhone, iPad or iPod touch via iCloud backup without computer.

You can even intuitively watch this video demonstration on how to recover deleted message from iPhone/iPad with one click:

Top 4. Message Keyboard Closes Last Message

Some iPhone/iPad users with one hand simply hide the entire screen and cannot see what they are typing by typing iMessage and switching to the emoji keyboard in the messaging app. The most recent messages are overlapped/hidden by the keyboard in chat.

How to fix: Get the possible methods in the following content.

Disable Apple Keyboard from device settings.
Enable the Split Keyboard option if you are using an iPad.
Press and hold the keyboard key in the lower right corner, select Docked Keyboard.
Convert to emoji keyboard and then return to normal keyboard.
Switch to another working third-party keyboard.
Wait for the official software update and install the iOS version.

Top 5. Emoji on Keyboard is Missing/Gone/Not Showing

Lately, a group of customers have been experiencing the issue that the globe and emoji icon has disappeared from the keyboard next to the microphone icon or space bar on iPhone after updating to iOS 11. Other users are reporting that the emoji is not showing up after sending.

How to fix: Follow the tricks to solve new emoji not appearing in predictive text.

Hard reboot your Apple device using hardware buttons.
Turn on the built-in emoji keyboard by going to Settings > General > Keyboard > Keyboards > Add a new keyboard > Emoji.
Please update to iOS 11.1+ because the new emulator has not been released yet.
Contact your keyboard developer for help.

Top 6. New Notifications/Alerts Notification Disappears from Lock Screen

Various users claim that they are having problems with SMS and iMessage messages on the screen. No sound/vibration detected after updating their Apple device. They seem to be able to see the text on the lock screen, but as soon as a new notification is received, it removes the text message from the screen.

How to Fix: Check out the below approaches to fix the lock screen style notification error.

Top 7. iMessage and Screen Effects Not Working/Playing

The iMessage effects feature is invented since the release of iOS 11, however, some users complained that the iMessage/message effects are not working after updating them from iOS 11 to iOS 12. With the help of this funny and special animated bubble and full screen effects, iMessage becomes more expressive. Now users will be frustrated and frustrated whenever this problem persists.

How to fix: Here is a brief description of the methods. You can try any of them.

Don't miss this helpful article on how to fix iOS 11/12 iMessage effects not working with screenshots.

Top 8. Message Icon Back/Arrow Button Not Responding

Several customers have reported that they hit the back button during messaging but don't respond properly unless they hit it three or four times. Other users are unable to see the message icon and hope to lose the icon on their phones again. They reach to get back to messaging messages by restarting the Message app. This particular and unusual error has occurred on their iPhone since updating to the latest iOS 12.

How to Fix: Follow these workarounds to resolve your issue.

Double-click the Home button and close all apps, then open Message again to force the app.
Restart your mobile phone, iPad or iPod Touch.
Reboot, update or remove iOS 12 on your device.
Check out the effects of auto-playing messages in the Settings app.

Top 9. iMessage/SMS Message/Group Texts Not Sent (Talking), Sent or Received

iMessage doesn't say "delivered" and sends a message saying the message was not delivered or sent to the recipient and sender's device. This failure to send a message can be caused by: the mobile phone is not available with Wi-Fi or cellular data network, the phone is in Do Not Disturb mode, etc. The situation can be divided into several specific cases:

1.iPhone does not send/receive iMessage or message after installing iOS 11.

2.SMS text message “Access Access Denied” from “Unknown”.

3.iMessage sends the same message multiple times.

4.Photos are not accepted with iPhone group text messages.

5.iPhone does not send/receive texts to Android phone.

6. The message is delayed.

How to fix: Choose one of the following scenarios to resolve the issue.

Wait a while and resend the message again.
Check your wireless connection and cellular network.
Disable and enable the iMessage app on your computer.
Send iMessage as a text message if you want.
Enable SMS messaging and disable MMS by tapping Settings > Messages.
Turn off Voice & Data in iPhone settings as follows: Settings > Cellular > Cellular Data, then turn on LTE, uncheck Voice & Data, and select Off. Or "Data only".
Enable text messaging for a device: Settings > Messages > Text Message Forwarding, then switch to device.
Check your Apple iMessage system status if it shows an incorrect delivery report or a status with a red exclamation point.

Reset your iPhone/iPad's network settings and try again.

Top 10. iMessage Contact Name Missing/Blank

Some people have reported that the iMessage contact name has disappeared after updating to iOS 11 and only phone numbers are shown there. This type of name issue is not annoying because if the name doesn't show up, you don't know who you're sending the message to. Is it your friend or strangers? It's rare that any of us can read a phone number without checking our contact list.

How to fix: Select the tips below until the iMessage appears showing the phone number rather than the contact names issue.

Top 11. Message keyboard autocorrection error

A lot of users have encountered an annoying autocorrect issue in the Message app with iOS 11, which also messes up the last part of the message. They expressed their disappointment over these incredible errors on forums and on Twitter online. Such annoying errors include:

Enter the letter "A" showing the strange symbol "A?"

How to fix: Follow the practical tips to fix the predicted text error automatically.

Set up manual text replacement for lowercase letters "A".
Turn off the auto-correct keyboard feature.
Change another keyboard instead of Apple keyboard.
Update your iDevice to iOS 11.1.1 or later.

Top 12. iMessage Not Syncing on Mac

With iMessage on Apple devices that have the same Apple ID, you can access the same iMessage threads on your mobile device and Mac. However, iMessage failed to sync iPhone, iPad and Mac after iOS 11 update in some situations. You may be wondering how to fix message delay bug in High Sierra/Sierra or other macOS.

How to Fix: Follow the below tactics to sync iMessage sessions between iPhone and Mac.

Make sure iMessage is enabled on both iPhone and Mac platforms.
Make sure you sign up for the same Apple ID on both your mobile phone and your Mac.
Confirm your correct mobile number and address
email using Apple ID.
Turn off iMessage on iPhone and Mac and turn it back on.
Check your network settings and Wi-Fi connection.
Delete your previous iMessage chat history.

Part 2. Methods: iMessage/Message not working on iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch

Freezes or doesn't work on iPhone. This workable and reliable software allows us to fix all iPhones stuck (message problem) without data loss. Let's focus on the user manual as below:

Step 1: Download and install the free one on Windows/Mac, launch it and connect your device to that computer using a USB cable.

Step 2: Click "Fix All iOS" and then "Fix Now" on the next screen, follow the instructions to repair your system.

Step 3: Tenorshare ReiBoot will download the latest firmware package for you. If you decide to downgrade this version to a lower version, click Select to import it.

Step 4: In the end, most of the above message and stuck iMessage error will be fixed successfully.

FaceTime is an extremely convenient service for iPhone, iPad and PC on Mac OS, with which users make voice and video calls, completely free of charge. To use the service, you must link it to your Apple ID. And this is where difficulties arise. Let's look at the reasons why isn't it activated?FaceTime, and options for eliminating the error.

Reasons for failure

To begin with, we will indicate that further narration will concern errors when the application is first launched. If you have any difficulties with its further use, for example, the inability to make calls, then read the following material.

There are three main reasons why an error occurs when the service is first launched:

Problem with SIM card.
Incorrect operation of the mobile device.
Failures on Apple servers.

Each case has its own solution. Let's go through each of them sequentially.

Case 1: SIM card problem

This could be the reason why FaceTime may fail to wait for activation. Check if you can make calls. The personal account balance must be positive, and in the terms of service, SMS sending abroad must be enabled. Sometimes it is worth contacting the service provider directly and asking a question regarding network operation.

Case 2: Incorrect operation of the mobile device

The first step when experiencing any problems on iOS is to restart your device. Often this is the only solution to a particular problem. If this still doesn't help, try the following:

Case 3: Failures on Apple servers

In rare cases, FaceTime stops working due to a problem with the server. This happens very rarely, but it does happen. What can the user do? Unfortunately, the only option is to wait for the problems to be fixed. There is no way to influence this. But we note that, as a rule, troubleshooting this kind of problem takes the company no more than one hour.

From time to time, many iOS users find that Message/iMessage does not work on iPhone, especially the new iPhone X/8/7/7 Plus. There are many reasons, such as the latest iOS 12/ iOS 11 update.

Common iMessage problems include: can't send or receive messages, no iMessage effects, iMessage won't activate, can't connect to iMessage server, iPhone iMessage games not working, or others. When you encounter this, you won't be too worried after reading this post. Here we will provide you with 5 effective ways to fix iMessage errors on iPhone and iPad.

What to do if iMessage is not activated?

Method 1: Reboot your devices

On iPhone 6 and earlier: Hold the Sleep/Wake and Home buttons until the Apple logo appears on the screen.

For iPhone 7 users, press the Sleep/Wake button and the Volume Down button to do this.

For iPhone8/X users: Press and quickly release the Volume Up button, then press and quickly release the Volume Down button, finally press and hold the Side (Sleep/Wake) button until the Apple logo appears.

Method 2: Turn off iMessage and turn it back on

iMessage doesn't send messages. When requesting iMessage from iPhone 7 waiting to be activated, you can use a simple trick to restart the iMessage service.

1. Go to Settings > Messages > iMessage. Turn off iMessage on your iPhone if it's already turned on.

2. Switch to "On" mode And wait a while. Send an iMessage to an iPhone/iPad/Mac user on an active network to check if iMessage can work normally now.

3. If iMessage still doesn't work, you may need to display Apple ID in iMessage. Go to "Send and Receive" below and log out of your account, then try logging in again.

Method 3: Check your Internet connection

iMessage not working after iOS 11 update. iMessage only works over Wi-Fi or cellular data, so it is important to have a stable internet connection.

If the attempt fails, resetting the network settings will be helpful. Go to Settings > General > Reset and select Reset Network Settings from the menu.

Method 4. Activate automatic time setting

Effects do not work in iMessage on iOS 11/12. Go to Settings → General → Date and Time and toggle the Automatic switch to the active position. Also make sure that “Time Zone” in the same menu is correct.

Method 5. iMessage stopped working on iPhone, fix the problem using Tenorshare ReiBoot

After trying these methods above, if you still can't fix this iOS 11/12 message problem, then you can give a free trial which is capable of 1-click to fix iPhone all kinds of problems effortlessly and for free!

Step 1: Download the program and connect the device to your computer using a USB cable.

Step 2: The program will gain access to the device, then the “Enter Recovery Mode” button will be displayed. Click this button and start entering recovery mode.

Step 3: After successfully entering Recovery Mode, you can click "Exit Recovery Mode" to save your iPhone from having to restore and reboot it successfully.

If the above methods did not help solve the problem, click the “Solve All Freezes” button, and then you will be taken to the recovery page, click “Fix Now”.

Now you will be in the "Download Firmware Package" interface, click the "Download" button to download the firmware package online.

Once the firmware package has been successfully downloaded, click the "Start Recovery" button to begin restoring the system.

When the restore is complete, your iOS device turns on. The data and settings are saved and the problem is fixed.

Hope these methods would be helpful to solve the problem of iMessage/Message not working after iOS 11/12 update. If you have any other questions, please share with us in the comments section below.