When this error occurs, you may also see one of these messages:
iMessage Activation: An error occurred during activation. Try again.Waiting for activation…An error has occurred during activation.iMessage is Signed Out. An error occurred and your account is signed out of iMessage. You may miss messages as a result. Please go to settings and address this issue.
What Causes iMessage Activation Errors?
When you experience an iMessage activation error, you’ll typically find that iMessage won’t work and that you’ll only be able to send and receive normal text messages. When you experience an iMessage activation error, you’ll typically see one or more of these things happen:
You can’t send or receive text messages at all.You can send and receive messages, but your blue text bubbles are green.Messages show up in the wrong order.iMessage says that text messages haven’t been delivered.
How to Fix an Unsuccessful Activation in iMessage
To fix an unsuccessful activation in iMessage and other iMessage activation errors, attempt each of these solutions in order: If you still see an iMessage activation error a full day after attempting these fixes, there could be a problem with your device or your carrier. The exception is that if Apple’s servers are still having problems after 24 hours, all you can do is wait for those problems to resolve.
iPhone X and later: Press and hold the Side and Volume Down buttons, then swipe the Power Off slider.Earlier models: Press and hold Sleep/Wake, then swipe the Power Off slider.
If iMessage is listed as unavailable or down, wait until it’s listed as available and then try to activate again. You may need to restart your phone after the servers have come back up. This fix is unlikely to be necessary if you received an iMessage activation error, which indicates that it is turned on, but it’s important to check before you attempt the next fix. If you do find that it was off, open Settings > Messages, and check the iMessage toggle. If it’s gray, tap it to turn it on. Start by opening Settings > Messages, and tap the iMessage toggle to turn it off. Then restart your phone, open Settings > Messages again, and tap the iMessage toggle to turn it back on. Open Settings, tap your name, and tap Sign Out. Then restart your iPhone, open Settings, and tap Sign in. Navigate to Settings > General > Date & Time, and verify that the information is correct. If it isn’t, you can tap the Set Automatically toggle to turn it off and set the time and date manually. If Apple’s servers are up, and none of the fixes worked for you, then you’ll need to contact Apple support or your cellular service provider for additional assistance. The problem is more likely to be due to an issue with your carrier if you’re unable to send text messages at all.
