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iPhone 15 Pro iMessage and FaceTime will not activate

  • 25 September 2023
  • 15 replies
  • 9190 views
A
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Userlevel 1

iMessage worked while I was syncing iCloud from my old iPhone to my new, and iMessage was working fine until I erased my old iPhone (ready for trade in). Now, iMessage & Facetime wont activate; I’ve tried literally everything Apple (or any forum) suggests; turning iMessage on/off, signing out/in of iCloud, activating Airplane mode, restarting the phone, resetting network settings, removing & re-inserting the sim… literally everything.

I still receive/can make SMS and calls. When looking in my iCloud account, it says my SIM is not associated with an Apple device?

I don’t know any way to contact an agent for help… so here I am.

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Best answer by AliceRR 27 September 2023, 13:52

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15 replies

L
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Userlevel 1

I am having the exact same issue and am this close to cancelling my id mobile contract.

The livechat doesn’t seem to be working and I can’t get into the app as it doesn't recognise my number. When I put in the number idmobile assigned before my number ported over, that’s accepted but the verification number doesn’t of course come through as it’s not the right phone number! 

 

Someone please put us out of our misery here. 

andewhite
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Userlevel 8
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Hey @AliceRR, it sounds like your mobile number might not be linked to your new iPhone.

Have you checked the correct number is shown in the following settings:

  • Settings > AppleID > Name, Phone Numbers, Email
    (check the EMAIL & PHONE NUMBERS section)
  • Settings > Messages > Send & Receive
    (check YOU CAN RECEIVE IMESSAGES TO AND REPLY FROM section)
  • Settings > FaceTime
    (check YOU CAN BE REACHED BY FACETIME AT section)

According to the Apple support article https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT201422, it can take up to 24-hours for iMessage & FaceTime to activate.

andewhite
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Userlevel 8
Badge +9

I am having the exact same issue and am this close to cancelling my id mobile contract.

The livechat doesn’t seem to be working and I can’t get into the app as it doesn't recognise my number. When I put in the number idmobile assigned before my number ported over, that’s accepted but the verification number doesn’t of course come through as it’s not the right phone number! 

​​​​​Someone please put us out of our misery here. 
 

Hey @LizB43, if the iD Live Chat is being difficult, it’s possible to contact iD support by private message using Facebook Messenger, or X (Twitter) DM. 

The agents work until 8pm on weekdays. 

L
Rank
Userlevel 1

I have tried adding my phone number to my Apple ID but again it wants a verification code that never comes through.

My old number, now ported over, is showing under Phone > My Number and also under Apple ID > Device Info > Phone Number 

And under YOU CAN RECEIVE IMESSAGES TO AND REPLY FROM and YOU CAN BE REACHED BY FACETIME AT, my number is there but there’s a constant spinning wheel next to it. 

andewhite
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Userlevel 8
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I have tried adding my phone number to my Apple ID but again it wants a verification code that never comes through.

 

Sounds like you’re using two-factor authentication to protect your AppleID - Apple normally send verification messages using the Internet, not SMS. Not sure why you don’t get the verification code.

Usually Apple give you the option to change the way you receive the verification code.

...

And under YOU CAN RECEIVE IMESSAGES TO AND REPLY FROM and YOU CAN BE REACHED BY FACETIME AT, my number is there but there’s a constant spinning wheel next to it. 

The Apple support article https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT201422, it can take up to 24-hours for iMessage & FaceTime to activate, which might explain the spinning wheel.

 

L
Rank
Userlevel 1

I’ve not been receiving any verification codes, nor on my banking app, which should be going to my ported-over number. And it’s also why I can’t access the idmobile app, but then this is because it won’t accept my ported-over number.

I feel like something hasn't happened at idmobile to properly sync my mobile number to my new phone. 

andewhite
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Userlevel 8
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What was the scheduled date for your number transfer to iD @LizB43?

 

L
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Userlevel 1

Well I submitted my PAC code when I bought the phone through mobiles.co.uk on Saturday, 23rd September. The transfer happened yesterday, though, the 26th – i.e. that’s when my old network shut off on my old phone. At first my ported number didn’t show under Phone > My Number and Apple ID > Device Info > Phone Number on my new phone, but as of this morning they were both showing correctly. 

andewhite
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Userlevel 8
Badge +9

Can you call, text (SMS only) and use mobile data normally @LizB43? 

Sometimes verification codes from banks etcetera don’t initially work after a number port, and can take 24-48 hours to resolve themselves.

This probably happens because routing of your SMS messages has changed after you changed service provider. UK banks etcetera normally use an SMS bulk service provider to give them an SMS gateway to mobile networks, from their own banking systems. 

L
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Userlevel 1

Yep, all that’s working fine.

A
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Userlevel 1

Hey both,

So apparently my verification issues triggered something with iD and when I eventually got through to an agent on live chat (I typed ‘speak with agent’, it eventually got me through), it turned out they had already sent out a replacement sim in the post without any notification.

However, another 8 hours after submitting this post, it magically connected and verified without the replacement sim (it hadn’t arrived at that point). I can’t say what was wrong, but I believe it has sorted itself out. My sim is 5 years old so I was suspecting that to be the issue, but now it’s working all ok, I’m guessing it’s something to do with iD and Apple.

In response to andewhite, I had already tried what you suggested and it still wasn’t playing ball. Thanks for taking your time to respond.

 

Best of luck, hope you get through to an agent.

A
Rank

I have tried adding my phone number to my Apple ID but again it wants a verification code that never comes through.

My old number, now ported over, is showing under Phone > My Number and also under Apple ID > Device Info > Phone Number 

And under YOU CAN RECEIVE IMESSAGES TO AND REPLY FROM and YOU CAN BE REACHED BY FACETIME AT, my number is there but there’s a constant spinning wheel next to it. 

This is exact same as what’s happening to me, the sim worked fine on my old iPhone but not the 15. Apple are convinced it’s IDs issue, managed to get through in the live chat and they were useless. No idea what to do next 

Tom
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Userlevel 7
Badge +4

Hi @LizB43, @AliceRR & @ahfraz 

 

Please try the following;

 

1) Turn off iMessage (Settings > Messages)
2) Restart your phone (by pressing and holding the on/off button)
3) Tap Settings > Phone > My Number and confirm that it is correct. 
4) If it is not correct, please enter the correct number
5) Turn iMessage back to On (Settings > Messages)
6) Finally, go to Settings > Messages > Send & Receive and see if the correct number is displayed under "Start new conversations from:"

 

If you are having issues with step 4 please reset network settings and try again.

 

Settings > General > Transfer or Reset [Device] > Reset > Reset Network Settings.
 

Tom

I hope I was able to help you with your question. If my answer resolved your issue, then please mark my answer as ‘Most Helpful’ using the button below the message with the answer.
Joe Barlow
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Hi there, I am having the exact same issue on the iPhone 15 pro. I have ported my number over from EE with no issues but have not seemed to change anything in regards to iMessage. My number is showing but when clicked it comes up with “iMessage activation, activation unsuccessful” I have restarted multiple times and my number was ported over on the 9th November so should be working by now surely? 
 

please help

Kash
Rank
Userlevel 7
Badge +7

Hi @Joe Barlow,

Welcome to the Community!

Is iMessage deactivated on an old handset?

If not it may be worth deactivating it on the old handset then retrying again on the new handset.

 

Kash

I hope I was able to help you with your question. If my answer resolved your issue, then please mark my answer as ‘Most Helpful’ using the button below the message with the answer.

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