An Error Occured During Activation Try Again

Are y'all having problems sending or receiving text messages using your iPhone, iPad or Mac? Accept your ordinarily blue speech bubbles turned green? Are messages non showing up in the correct order? Is iMessage telling y'all that your text hasn't been delivered? Are you wondering why iMessage is not working?

In this feature nosotros look at causes of iMessage failure and offer straightforward troubleshooting tips to help y'all set the messages app on your iPhone, iPad or Mac. Observe out how to tell if iMessage is downwards, what to practise if iMessage stops working on your iPhone, and what to do if iMessage is not working in your Mac. Nosotros will assist you gear up all your iMessage problems.

If you just want to fix the service, run into How to ready iMessage on iPhone.

Why is iMessage non working?

At that place are lots of reasons why iMessage can stop working: it could be an issue with Apple tree's iMessage server, a problem with the Messages app, or your settings could need adjusting.

Before nosotros move on to specific difficulties, let's piece of work through ix simple troubleshooting steps that will solve the near common bug with iMessage.

one. Cheque if iMessage is down

The first possibility is that the server that iMessage is run from is down – which could mean that iMessage isn't working for anyone. This is rare, only it does happen occasionally.

You can check if any of Apple tree'southward online services are experiencing outages by checking the Organization Condition page.

On this spider web page Apple gives you a heads-upwardly about any services with planned maintenance work, along with a report of any recently resolved issues in any of its services. Nonetheless, if your issue has merely just appeared, deport in mind that the website'due south update frequency tends to be measured in minutes, non seconds – perhaps as many as 30 on occasion – and so the trouble may not have been spotted yet.

Even if Apple's System Status site suggests all is well, in that location could be an outage that's local to you. As an alternative to Apple'southward page, yous could try Down Detector, which provides a graph detailing outage reports from the past 24 hours, and even an outage map to run into whether you're in an afflicted area.

You could also search for the discussion iMessage and related terms on Twitter; if lots of people are talking about the trouble and then information technology's clearly not but y'all.

The prepare

The good news is that even if iMessage is downwards, you should nevertheless be able to communicate with your friends via normal texts.

If iMessage is failing, your bulletin should automatically be pushed into green-bubble texts instead of blue-bubble iMessages. Green indicates that the message is beingness sent as a text, rather than an iMessage). (Hither's how to tell an iMessage from a standard SMS text.)

If this isn't working for y'all, read our guide to sending texts when the recipient isn't getting your iMessages. If an iMessage isn't sending if you hard printing on the bulletin you should see an option to "Send as Text".

2. Make sure you've got a connectedness (and enough information)

iMessage needs a data connexion to work, then yous need to make certain you lot've got 3G or 4G (or 5G) available, or a practiced WiFi signal. Without WiFi or a cellular information connectedness your iMessage won't send.

Cheque you lot can access the spider web by performing a quick search in Safari. If you meet no results you've identified the root of your problem.

If you don't have a good cellular connection yous could try turning Airplane Fashion on and off to meet if you can amend your reception. Depending on your iPhone either swipe in from the top correct or swipe up from the lesser of your iPhone or iPad screen, and select and deselect Airplane Mode – the plane icon.

Fifty-fifty if the cellular connection is great, y'all might not have enough data. Is there a chance y'all've used up all your data for the month? Are you fifty-fifty sure that information is included in your contract? Contact your network provider to bank check. (Read near how to save data on your iPhone here.)

The prepare

If you are out of data, or the 3G/4G connection is poor, try one of the following:

• In improver to switching the aerials on and off using Airplane Fashion, turning your iPhone on and off over again may also aid it find a stronger signal.
• Log onto a nearby Wi-Fi network to send your iMessage. To find a nearby network, go to Settings > Wi-Fi and have a wait to meet if there is a free Wi-Fi network nearby.
• If your Wi-Fi connection is the trouble and so plough off Wi-Fi and utilize 3G/4G.
• If none of those tips works you may need to reset your network settings. Tap Settings > General > Reset > Reset Network Settings and see if this fixes the problem.
• If you still don't go a data connection, and in that location is no WiFi bachelor, you should exist able to printing and hold on the undelivered message and choose to 'Send equally text message' from the options that come up up. A text message should become through even over a GPRS connectedness.

three. Make sure iMessage is on and fix upwardly correctly

Check you're fix to send and receive iMessages by going to Settings > Messages and checking that iMessage is turned on.

If when you get to this page you see a message suggesting that iMessage is "Waiting for activation" or "Activation unsuccessful", and then read this article: What to do when iMessage won't actuate on your iPhone.

If iMessage is switched on and there is no message virtually activation, cheque that your phone is ready correctly to receive iMessages: Go to Settings > Messages and check the addresses and mobile number you accept listed in Transport & Receive.

The fix

Assuming information technology's not an activation issue, run through the post-obit:

1. Plow off your mobile number or email address in the list of places where you lot tin can Send & Receive from. Nosotros propose trying a process of elimination to meet if iMessage works with simply your mobile number or simply an email address.
2. Check there is a tick abreast your phone number in the Offset New Conversations From section if you're using an iPhone.

4. Turn it off and on again and restart Letters

As in all expert troubleshooting articles one essential piece of advice is to turn it off and on over again. Y'all could start off by double-pressing the Habitation button and swiping up on the Messages app, before relaunching it. If the app was hanging this may well set the problem.

The set

If things all the same aren't working you could endeavor the following:

1. Reboot iMessage past going to Settings > Messages and turning off iMessage, then turn off your iPhone by pressing and holding the on/off switch, slide to power off, then wait for your iPhone to start upwards again.
2. One time you lot've rebooted, render to Settings > Messages and turn iMessage back on.
3. Sign out of your Apple tree ID and then sign in again. You tin do this from Settings > Messages then tap on Ship & Receive and at the acme of the page tap on your Apple tree ID and choose Sign Out.
4. Then sign in once again and run across if this has fixed the trouble.

For related advice you may also like to read How to send and receive text messages on Mac and How to use Letters on the iPhone.

v. Delete some messages

If your Messages app has a lot of photos and videos information technology might ho-hum downward a bit. Deleting some of your iMessages – peculiarly the ones with lots of photos might solve the trouble (just annotation that images sent via iMessage won't automatically appear in your Photos app).

The fix

In that location are a few ways to reduce the size of your iMessage library.

• To delete messages you tin swipe from correct to left on a message in the Letters list and cull Delete.
• Or you can tap the Edit button in the top left-hand corner of Letters and delete messages that way.
• There is also a 'Go on Messages' option in Settings > Messages. Expect for Bulletin History and tap Go on Messages – you can select Forever, ane yr or 30 days. Before y'all decide to delete letters later 30 days, be sure y'all aren't most to lose some important messages! (For related advice, nosotros have a feature nigh how to recall deleted text letters.)
• While you're here, y'all can besides alter your settings so that y'all send low-res images, which accept upwardly less infinite. Go to Settings > Messages and toggle Low-Quality Image Mode on. (It's the last option, right at the bottom of the page.)

6. Bank check iOS is up to appointment

If your software isn't up to engagement there may be a bug stopping it from working properly.

The fix

To check if an updated version of iOS is available (and download and install it if so), go to Settings > General > Software Update.

For more than item on the updating procedure and the issues it may entail, see How to update iOS.

7. Bank check Network settings

Make sure it'due south not a problem with your Network settings.

The fix

Hither'south how to reset your Network settings if Messages aren't sending.

1. Become to Settings > General > Reset > Reset Network Settings. You'll have to enter your passwords again after you exercise this.
2. You could also try turning off Wi-Fi Assist. Wi-Fi Assist will switch to a cellular signal when it is stronger than your local WiFi network. Turning it off has worked for some people. Become to Settings > Mobile Data and whorl down to WiFi Aid and switch it off if it'southward on.

eight. Check Fourth dimension Zone settings

Some users have establish that they had problems sending Messages when the time zone wasn't set to update automatically. It's not clear what was causing the problem, perhaps it'south to do with the carrier settings.

The fix

Here'southward how to modify your time zone settings:

1. Go to Settings > Full general > Appointment & Fourth dimension and make certain your fourth dimension zone is set automatically.
2. Set Automatically to ON.

9. Reset all Settings

Every bit a last resort, you could do a full Reset…

In Settings go to General > Reset.

ten. Ask Apple tree

If you are still having problems so it's probably time to become an appointment with a genius at the Apple Shop, here's how.

Specific problems with iMessage

Below we look at some specific problems with iMessages – let us know if yous experience any issues with the service, or if you observe a fix of your own.

iMessage activation unsuccessful

Setting upwards iMessage on an iPhone or iPad should exist a simple process, just it tin sometimes be problematic. In some example people are seeing an mistake bulletin when they try to actuate iMessage (or FaceTime) on their iPhone.

Yous may see i of the following error messages:

• Activation unsuccessful.
• An fault occurred during activation.
• Waiting for activation.
• Could non sign in, please cheque your network connectedness.
• Unable to contact the iMessage server.

The fix:

We offer lots of advice almost how to set up this consequence here: What to do when iMessage won't activate on your iPhone.

In summary:

• Check if iMessage has been deactivated in Settings > Messages.
• Turn Messages off and on over again in Settings > Messages. Do the same with FaceTime. Then turn your iPhone off and on once more. In one case your iPhone is on once again go dorsum to Messages and turn it back on.
• Contact your mobile network near the problem.
• You may merely have to wait – information technology can take 24 hours to be activated.

Why isn't my friend receiving iMessages?

If you lot know your friend has an iPhone, iPad or Mac, they should be able to receive iMessages – just they may non accept the iMessage feature activated, or non be registered for it.

It's as well possible that they have recently changed networks and need to actuate iMessage.

Alternatively, information technology'due south possible that your friend has switched to using an Android or Windows device? They may withal be able to receive iMessages on their iPad and Mac, but they won't receive them on their new handset. If they no longer desire to receive iMessages they demand to deregister from iMessage.

The Fix

If you know your friend has an iPhone, information technology may but be that they need to plough on the service. In which instance, tell them:

• Become to Settings > Messages.
• Plough on iMessage.

All the same, information technology may not exist that simple, and so we accept a separate tutorial about the steps they need to have to make sure iMessages volition go through.

If your friend no longer has an iPhone it's nevertheless possible that you tin can transport iMessages – but they won't exist delivered to their new handset. If they would adopt to turn off iMessage to avert missing out on texts, they tin can do the following:

1. If they even so have the onetime iPhone they can go to Settings > Messages.
2. Switch off iMessage.
3. It's likewise possible to conciliate iMessage using a spider web tool here.

Afterward turning off iMessage, the text messages y'all transport on an iPhone volition be green rather than bluish.

iMessage visual effects aren't working

Back in iOS 10 Apple introduced some fun animated effects that yous can employ to enhance your iMessages.

For case, y'all tin can press and hold on a speech bubble to add a thumbs upwardly or a heart, you tin can send sketches, and if you press and concur the arrow that you usually tap to send a message you lot volition become access to fun furnishings like Send with Echo, Spotlight, Balloons, Confetti, Love, Lasers, Fireworks, Shooting Stars, and Celebration.

The ready

If the problem is that some of these visual effects aren't being received by your recipient, try the post-obit:

1. Check that your recipient has installed iOS 10 or iOS 11.
2. Some effects as well won't piece of work if your friend has Reduced Move activated on their iPhone (they may have inverse the setting to salvage battery power as per the communication in this feature). In that case, they demand to Become to Full general > Accessibility > Reduce Motion > Off.

Annotation, your effects won't work if they're non sent as an iMessage; if your friend doesn't have an iPhone iPad or Mac they won't meet them.

Tin can't ship a group iMessage

If y'all're having trouble sending letters to groups of people, ane reason could be that one of your contacts no longer has an iPhone.

When you send a group message in iMessage all your contacts will show up as blue, until you add someone who doesn't have iMessage, then they will all turn green as the iMessage grouping will non be supported.

If you had a grouping iMessage and ane of your contacts stopped using their iPhone this would break the grouping iMessage. To find out if this is the case, start a new group message rather than continuing with the old ane.

Information technology'southward besides possible that you can't send a grouping message to an existing thread because you left the conversation.

The ready

If you think you've shut yourself out of a grouping message, as nosotros described above, you will demand to practise the post-obit:

1. Open the Letters app and tap the group message you lot're trying to reply to.
2. If you've left the conversation a message will tell you and then.
3. You can't unilaterally rejoin a conversation: you'll need to have one of the remaining participants add together you once again.
4. Alternatively, you lot could just start a new conversation with notwithstanding participants and go from there.

What if you are intent on group messaging your friends and not all of them take iPhones? In that instance, your best choice is to use Whatsapp. We accept this tutorial nearly using Whatsapp here.

Lost or accidentally deleted Messages

If you've accidentally deleted important letters, or if yous've updated your iPhone and realised that some messages take disappeared, don't worry: you may be able to get them back.

The set

There are five main ways of getting back lost or deleted iMessages:

• Call up from an iCloud backup.
• Retrieve from the iCloud website.
• Contact your phone provider.
• Recollect from an iTunes fill-in.
• Call up using a third-party app.

We cover all of these in a separate article: How to retrieve deleted text letters.

Messages on iPhone not appearing (or out of gild) on Mac/iPad

The matching Messages apps on iOS and Mac should allow you to easily and conveniently carry on iMessage conversations beyond the two platforms. But sometimes the two apps fail to sync properly, and iMessages sent from (or received on) the iPhone fail to appear on the Mac, or vice versa.

The ready

Practise not worry. This is such a common complaint that Apple tree has made it possible to store all your in iCloud – which ways that they will always be in sync on all your devices. For more information, nosotros have this tutorial about using iMessages in iCloud.

If yous aren't peachy on turning on iMessages in iCloud (it may touch on your available storage) you could endeavour the post-obit:

1. Get to Settings > Messages > Send & Receive. Brand sure all the email addresses (not just phone numbers) that you want to associate with that iMessage account have been ticked. (You lot may need to tap 'Utilize your Apple ID for iMessage' at the top to make the addresses announced.)
2. Now open up the Messages app on your Mac. Click Letters in the pinnacle menu bar, then Preferences. Click Accounts, then tick the appropriate email addresses in one case over again. You may demand to enter more details for some of them.
3. Finally, restart Messages on each device and (hopefully) you'll find that the issue is solved.

For more than detail, run across How to sync iMessage conversations on iPhone, iPad and Mac.

leonstes1978.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.macworld.com/article/672629/imessage-not-working-how-to-fix-imessage-on-iphone-ipad-mac.html

Share this post