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.

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.  

​@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.

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? 

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

2. Tap your name at the top

3. 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 

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! 

​@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.

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

Any update on this please? it’s still not working. 

Hi ​@Limebasil,

Have you tried a replacement SIM or eSIM? Sometimes, iPhones are very stubborn and refuse to connect to iMessage or FaceTime with the same SIM, no matter how many steps you try.

What SIM type are you using at the moment? Let me know, and I’ll walk you through the best next steps for a replacement.

Thanks.