Several users have reported an issue in which they are having issues with iMessage not activating. Users have reported they are getting this message “Waiting for activation…” and after a while users get this message ”Activation unsuccessful. Turn on iMessage to try again’. It has been also reported that this issue also occurs with FaceTime.
How to fix:
Try each step until you resolve your problem:
- Ensure that you are using a valid Apple ID at myinfo.apple.com.
- Make sure that you have a valid cellular or Wi-Fi data connection.
- Make sure that your date, time, and time zone are set correctly.
- Turn iMessage off and on in Settings > Messages.
- Open iMessage, under the message settings, a popup message will appear saying your carrier may charge for SMS messages and select “cancel”. iMessage activates itself after you have clicked cancel. But this would not fully activate itself. Instead, you activated iMessage via e-mail, so you can only send messages with your e-mail address.
- Try restarting your device. To do this simply, press and hold the Sleep/Wake button until the red “slide to power off” slider appears, and then slide the slider; and then Press and hold the Sleep/Wake to turn on.
- Turn off iMessage and FaceTime. Go to Settings > Phone. Check if your number is reflected in My Number and restart your device.
- Settings -> General -> Restrictions > Accounts and make sure that you selected “Allow Changes” and enable the FaceTime to work.
- Reset your network settings: Settings > General > Reset > Reset Network Settings
- Settings->General->Reset->Erase All Content and Settings. But please note that this option will delete all your data and media.
Related:
June 4, 2012 at 2:42 AM
non of the above listed procedures worked for me.
my imessage still shows my old no.
June 24, 2012 at 9:17 AM
It didn’t help me!!!!
July 3, 2012 at 7:16 AM
Guys, there is only ONE solution for this problem, if you are using a wifi network it must be superfast, you must be near the router so it can work, otherwise you will need a constant 3 G network connection
August 31, 2012 at 9:09 AM
DUDE i have a 4G wifi network but still when i sign in, it does from the sign in screen to the verification screen then goes back to the sign in screen in less than 3 seconds…HELP!
July 8, 2012 at 7:59 AM
This didn’t work either way, on my network over the phone or even wiping out all my settings??
What’s next?
July 17, 2012 at 2:53 PM
None of this stuff worked for me. I’m so annoyed /: I’ve tried absolutely everything! And resetting my phone is NOT an option!
July 21, 2012 at 9:30 PM
It does not work who wrote this lie it does not work and come up with a new idea
July 22, 2012 at 4:57 AM
I’m having the same problem.
I’d love to hear if anybody finds a fix!!!
July 22, 2012 at 8:24 AM
None of these worked. I think the server is down, that’s the problem.
July 23, 2012 at 8:16 AM
My face time just disappeared, and I tried to turn ‘on’ at FaceTime, it says varifing my phone, but each occasion it is unsuccessful. All other emails for FaceTime were varified, but not my phone #. Any suggestions to fix this crap will be appreciated. Thanks!
July 28, 2012 at 11:59 PM
This surprisingly worked for me! I went to iMessage in settings and clicked on send and receive at… then I signed out of my apple ID. After, I turned off and on iMessage. While that was attempting to activate, I reset my network settings. Once it reset, I got a bunch of messages that I hadn’t received before and checked iMessage and it was finally activated! Hopefully this helps someone else to.
August 22, 2012 at 9:45 AM
Where do you see “send and receive at…” I don’t even have that under messages? Is it an Ipad thing? I’m having the problem with my iPhone
August 9, 2012 at 10:36 AM
It also worked for me…just sign out from your apple ID in the message setting…then enable/on your iMessage back…
September 6, 2012 at 10:32 AM
got my new ipad 3 and i cant activate my imessage.theres no turn off/on botton just asking to sign in my apple id but everytime i try to sign in it says could not sign in.please check your network connection and try again.wat should i do ?help…
September 21, 2012 at 8:08 AM
I was having the same problem with my phone not sending iMessages (iphone 4S), so I went into settings > messages and turned on iMessages. It still gave me that error message, but I left iMessages on and now I’m sending texts as iMessages and not SMS. Just dismiss the error message in settings, leave iMessage on, and continue on your way. See if that helps!
September 28, 2012 at 2:56 PM
Thanks it worked for me, just after I restarted my phone
October 14, 2012 at 5:02 PM
Just bought a second hand iPhone, my iMessage wouldn’t work. I don’t have a SIM card or service yet, but after I turned iMessage off and then back on again it started working.
My iMessages come through with my email address instead of my phone number, and FaceTime still doesn’t work yet.
I assume that will all clear up when I activate service.
November 18, 2012 at 5:04 PM
It worked after I signed out of my apple Id.
Step 1 go to settings
Step 2 go to messages
Step 3 touch n e of the settings n turn it off. Just not the activation one
Step 4 it should now say where ur receiving it from click it and if u have a phone and or email (s) it’ll pop up
Step 5 click sign out of account
Step 6 sign back in
It should work then cuz I’ve tried everything everyone else said n nothing.
Btw I have an iphone4
Sorry if I wasted ur time n didn’t help.
November 23, 2012 at 4:31 AM
After trying the above, and getting rather annoyed, I called my service provider (o2 uk) and they gave me a code to input to the dialler. Texts, and iMessage and FaceTime seem to work as they should afterwards. apparently iPhones on pay and go keep forgetting this code and it has to be input occasionally when text messages stop sending.
Hope that helps anyone else before they get too frustrated.
December 5, 2012 at 4:43 PM
My iMessage shows another phone number other than mine. Can not get it to show my number it shows a totally different number and I can not get it to work. I have tried every ones ideas and nothing.. HELP
December 24, 2012 at 12:33 PM
me 2 imessage dosnt work
January 4, 2013 at 11:51 AM
Problem fixed! What you need to do is go to Settings > FaceTime > Apple ID: *** > View Account. After you have sign in, FaceTime should be working!
January 4, 2013 at 12:48 PM
Try this link: http://www.thejtsite.com/blog/single/imessage-and-facetime-waiting-for-activation-on-iphone-5
My iPhone used the wifi to set up iMessage and FT so I could only use my email address. But following the steps in the link above solved all problems.
Good luck!
January 25, 2013 at 10:48 PM
This is stupid it does not work BOO!!!!
February 2, 2013 at 8:55 AM
The facetime is missing in my settings page iphone 5
February 5, 2013 at 12:38 PM
I had the same problem with locked Sprint Iphone 5. Im using R-SIM7 for unlock and couldn’t activate my phone, sms, 3G, imessages and facetime wasn’t working(Waiting for activation). Long story short, I managed to fix:
1. To fix this you need to jailbreak with evasi0n and download iFile from cydia(or you can just use ifunbox).
2.Go to (CarrierLab.bundle or 00101 folder) /System/Library/Carrier Bundles/iPhone/00101/carrier.plist
-back up the file carrier.plist (just in case)
Go to the following line and add +011 so it looks like +011447786205094
PhoneNumberRegistrationGatewayAddress+011447786205094
SAVE
3.Now go to /System/Library/Carrier Bundles/iPhone/Unknown.bundles/carrier.plist
ADD -> “+011″ To all the 10 numbers you see.
PhoneNumberRegistrationGatewayAddress+011447537410207
SAVE
4.Now go to /System/Library/Carrier Bundles/iPhone/*carrier that your phone is locked to*/carrier.plist
Find SMS perfix under international and delete “011″ value so it looks like
SAVE
5. To fix 3G go to /System/Library/Carrier Bundles/iPhone/Unknown.bundles/carrier.plist find SIMs and copy all those “xxxxx” number from there and now go to /System/Library/Carrier Bundles/iPhone/*carrier that your phone is locked to*/carrier.plist4. and find this line intldataroamingallowed *paste here*
SAVE then reboot.
If 3G still not working change to correct APN using unlockit.co.nz
Hope this helps anyone having the same issues.
February 28, 2013 at 3:48 PM
apple your imessage is a joke. Fix the bugs. Going to go to the samsung 3 avoid all this frustration and be able to contact anyone with a different smart phone.. Hmmmm Smartphone Hmmmmmm Iphone not so smart….
March 11, 2013 at 4:06 AM
here is the Only way to get your push notification , Facetime & iMessage work properly
http://allaboutapplehere.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-only-way-to-get-push-notifications.html
March 18, 2013 at 7:33 PM
Non of this works and it so damn annoying oh and wiping my phone is not an option