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Question

imessage and facetime activation error

  • March 3, 2026
  • 8 replies
  • 20 views

Recently ported over to ID, i can’t get my imessage and facetime to activate, any ideas? 

i have tried all the suggestions on the ID page here, reset network settings, turned imessage off/on facetime off/on etc etc, it’s just saying my number cannot be used for imessage and facetime as i need a sim associated with an apple device for my number….! 

 

Please HELP! 

8 replies

Matthew T
iD Mobile Employee
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  • iD Mobile Employee
  • March 3, 2026

Hi ​@Limebasil,

Sorry to hear you’re having issues with iMessage.. it can be a pain! Did you try all the steps in this article as this goes beyond the normal steps.

If you go Settings > Click your Apple ID at the top > Sign-In & Security what number shows at the top? If it’s the temporary number, try removing it, waiting an hour, and see if you can then activate iMessage and FaceTime. Thanks.


  • Author
  • Active Contributor
  • March 3, 2026

yes, tried all of those steps.  My ported number shows at the top of sign in and security, however it also says “unavailable for imessage and facetime”.  I have tried removing it and re-adding it and it always says the same thing.  


Matthew T
iD Mobile Employee
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  • iD Mobile Employee
  • March 3, 2026

@Limebasil -

How long did you wait before re-adding it? Did you also remove the SIM / disable the eSIM profile. Typically you need to wait 30 minutes for it to de-register, sometimes a little longer, 60 minutes.

Is the phone number linked to an old device or different Apple ID? Sometimes this can cause activation to fail. Thanks.


  • Author
  • Active Contributor
  • March 3, 2026

yes, i re-added it the day after (ie i waited overnight to re-add).  and yes, I toggled the line off/on again.  

 

How would i know if the phone number is linked to a different device? 


Anneline M
iD Mobile Employee
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  • iD Mobile Employee
  • March 3, 2026

Hi ​@Limebasil

 

Thank you for reaching out. We’re sorry to hear that you’re still having an issue with iMessages/Facetime activation. 

 

Kindly be advised that your number is tied to your Apple ID, not just the phone. To see All Devices Signed Into Your Apple ID:

 

To check devices:

  1. Go to Settings
  1. Tap your name at the top
  1. Scroll down to see all devices signed into your Apple ID

 

If you see:

  • An old iPhone
  • An iPad
  • A Mac

Or a device you don’t recognize

Tap it → choose Remove from Account

 

Thanks, 

Anneline

The iD Mobile Team 

 


  • Author
  • Active Contributor
  • March 3, 2026

ok thanks, i have my ipad linked to my apple ID, but imessage isn’t turned on my ipad so i am not sure how this would make a difference.

 

It was linked when I was with my old network provider so i am not sure why it would suddenly have become a problem when i moved my phone over to ID mobile? 

 

thanks! 


Matthew T
iD Mobile Employee
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  • iD Mobile Employee
  • March 3, 2026

@Limebasil -

It only happens if you recently upgraded your handset. If you’ve kept the same phone and the SIM is the only thing that changes, then it won’t be the case.


  • Author
  • Active Contributor
  • March 3, 2026

it’s not a new handset, i’ve had the same handset for over a year.