Are you having issues sending or receiving textual content messages utilizing your iPhone, iPad, or Mac? Have your often blue speech bubbles turned inexperienced? Are messages not displaying up in the best order? Is iMessage telling you that your textual content hasn’t been delivered? Are you questioning why iMessage shouldn’t be working?
On this article, we have a look at the causes of iMessage failure and provide easy troubleshooting suggestions that will help you repair the messages app in your iPhone, iPad, or Mac. Learn how to inform if iMessage is down, what to do if iMessage stops working in your iPhone, and what to do if iMessage shouldn’t be working in your Mac. We are going to enable you repair all of your iMessage issues.
Replace 04/05/23: Quite a few Twitter customers report iMessage is down and messages usually are not being delivered.
Why is iMessage not working?
There are many the reason why iMessage can cease working: it could possibly be a problem with Apple’s iMessage server, an issue with the Messages app, or your settings may need adjusting. Earlier than we transfer on to particular difficulties, let’s work by means of 9 easy troubleshooting steps that can clear up the most typical points with iMessage.
1. Test if iMessage is down
The primary risk is that the server that iMessage is run from is down – which may imply that iMessage isn’t working for anybody. That is uncommon, nevertheless it does occur often.
You’ll be able to examine if any of Apple’s on-line providers are experiencing outages by checking the
System Standing web page.

On this web page, Apple provides you a heads-up about any providers with deliberate upkeep work, together with a report of any not too long ago resolved points in any of its providers. Nonetheless, in case your situation has solely simply appeared, keep in mind that the web site’s replace frequency tends to be measured in minutes, not seconds – maybe as many as 30 from time to time – so the issue might not have been noticed but.
Even when Apple’s System Standing website suggests all is effectively, there could possibly be an outage that’s native to you. As an alternative choice to Apple’s web page, you would strive Down Detector, which supplies a graph detailing outage experiences from the previous 24 hours, and even an outage map to see whether or not you’re in an affected space.
You might additionally seek for the phrase iMessage and associated phrases on
Twitter; if a number of individuals are speaking about the issue then it’s clearly not simply you.
The repair
The excellent news is that even when iMessage is down, it is best to nonetheless be capable of talk with your mates through regular texts.
If iMessage is failing, your message ought to mechanically be pushed into green-bubble texts as a substitute of blue-bubble iMessages. Inexperienced signifies that the message is being despatched as a textual content, quite than an iMessage). (Right here’s
how one can inform an iMessage from an ordinary SMS textual content.)
If this isn’t working for you, learn our information to sending texts when the recipient isn’t getting your iMessages. If an iMessage isn’t sending in case you onerous press on the message it is best to see an choice to “Ship as Textual content”.

2. Ensure you’ve acquired a connection (and sufficient knowledge)
iMessage wants a knowledge connection to work, so it’s essential ensure you’ve acquired 3G or 4G (or 5G) out there, or a very good WiFi sign. With out WiFi or a mobile knowledge connection, your iMessage gained’t ship.
Test you’ll be able to entry the online by performing a fast search in Safari. When you see no outcomes you’ve recognized the foundation of your downside.
When you don’t have a very good mobile connection you would strive turning Airplane Mode on and off to see in case you can enhance your reception. Relying in your iPhone both swipe in from the highest proper or swipe up from the underside of your iPhone or iPad display screen, and choose and deselect Airplane Mode – the airplane icon.
Even when the mobile connection is nice, you may not have sufficient knowledge. Is there an opportunity you’ve used up all of your knowledge for the month? Are you even positive that knowledge is included in your contract? Contact your community supplier to examine. (Examine
how one can save knowledge in your iPhone right here.)
The repair
If you’re out of knowledge, or the 3G/4G connection is poor, strive one of many following:
- Along with switching the aerials on and off utilizing Airplane Mode, turning your iPhone on and off once more may additionally assist it discover a stronger sign.
- Log onto a close-by Wi-Fi community to ship your iMessage. To discover a close by community, go to Settings > Wi-Fi and take a look to see if there’s a free Wi-Fi community close by.
- In case your Wi-Fi connection is the issue then flip off Wi-Fi and use 3G/4G.
- If none of these suggestions works chances are you’ll have to reset your community settings. Faucet Settings > Basic > Reset > Reset Community Settings and see if this fixes the issue.
- When you nonetheless don’t get a knowledge connection, and there’s no WiFi out there, it is best to be capable of press and maintain on the undelivered message and select to ‘Ship as textual content message’ from the choices that come up. A textual content message ought to get by means of even over a GPRS connection.

3. Ensure that iMessage is on and arrange accurately
Test you’re set to ship and obtain iMessages by going to Settings > Messages and checking that iMessage is turned on.
If if you get to this web page you see a message suggesting that iMessage is “Ready for activation” or “Activation unsuccessful”, then learn this text:
What to do when iMessage gained’t activate in your iPhone.
If iMessage is switched on and there’s no message about activation, examine that your telephone is about up accurately to obtain iMessages: Go to Settings > Messages and examine the addresses and cellular numbers you could have listed in Ship & Obtain.
The repair
Assuming it’s not an activation situation, run by means of the next:
- Flip off your cellular quantity or electronic mail handle within the checklist of locations the place you’ll be able to Ship & Obtain from. We recommend making an attempt a means of elimination to see if iMessage works with simply your cellular quantity or simply an electronic mail handle.
- Test there’s a tick beside your telephone quantity within the Begin New Conversations From part in case you’re utilizing an iPhone.

4. Flip it on and off once more and restart Messages
As in all good troubleshooting articles one important piece of recommendation is to show it on and off once more. You might begin off by double-pressing the House button and swiping up on the Messages app, earlier than relaunching it. If the app was hanging this may occasionally effectively repair the issue.
The repair
If issues nonetheless aren’t working you would strive the next:
- Reboot iMessage by going to Settings > Messages and turning off iMessage, then flip off your iPhone by urgent and holding the on/off swap, slide to energy off, after which wait on your iPhone to begin up once more.
- When you’ve rebooted, return to Settings > Messages and switch iMessage again on.
- Signal out of your Apple ID after which check in once more. You are able to do this from Settings > Messages then faucet on Ship & Obtain and on the prime of the web page faucet in your Apple ID and select Signal Out.
- Then check in once more and see if this has fastened the issue.
For associated recommendation you may additionally wish to learn
How one can ship and obtain textual content messages on Mac and
How one can use Messages on the iPhone.
5. Delete some messages
In case your Messages app has numerous photographs and movies it would decelerate a bit. Deleting a few of your iMessages – particularly those with a number of photographs would possibly clear up the issue (however observe that photos despatched through iMessage gained’t mechanically seem in your Images app).
The repair
There are a number of methods to cut back the scale of your iMessage library.
- To delete messages you’ll be able to swipe from proper to left on a message within the Messages checklist and select Delete.
- Or you’ll be able to faucet the Edit button within the prime left-hand nook of Messages and delete messages that means.
- There may be additionally a “Hold Messages” possibility in Settings > Messages. Search for Message Historical past and faucet Hold Messages – you’ll be able to choose Without end, 1 yr or 30 days. Earlier than you resolve to delete messages after 30 days, be certain you aren’t about to lose some essential messages! (For associated recommendation, we’ve got a characteristic about how one can retrieve deleted textual content messages.)
- When you’re right here, it’s also possible to change your settings so that you just ship low-res photos, which take up much less house. Go to Settings > Messages and toggle Low-High quality Picture Mode on. (It’s the final possibility, proper on the backside of the web page.)

6. Test iOS is updated
In case your software program isn’t updated there could also be a bug stopping it from working correctly.
The repair
To examine if an up to date model of iOS is on the market (and obtain and set up it in that case), go to Settings > Basic > Software program Replace.
For extra element on the updating course of and the problems it might entail, see
How one can replace iOS.
7. Test Community settings
Ensure that it’s not an issue along with your Community settings.
The repair
Right here’s how one can reset your Community settings if Messages aren’t sending.
- Go to Settings > Basic > Reset > Reset Community Settings. You’ll must enter your passwords once more after you do that.
- You might additionally strive turning off Wi-Fi Help. Wi-Fi Help will swap to a mobile sign when it’s stronger than your native WiFi community. Turning it off has labored for some folks. Go to Settings > Cellular Information and scroll all the way down to WiFi Help and swap it off if it’s on.
8. Test Time Zone settings
Some customers have discovered that they’d issues sending Messages when the time zone wasn’t set to replace mechanically. It’s not clear what was the reason for the issue, maybe it’s to do with the service settings.
The repair
Right here’s how one can change your time zone settings:
- Go to Settings > Basic > Date & Time and ensure your time zone is about mechanically.
- Set Routinely to ON.
9. Reset All Settings
As a final resort, you would do a full Reset…
In Settings go to Basic > Reset.
10. Ask Apple
If you’re nonetheless having issues then it’s most likely time to get an appointment with a genius on the Apple Retailer, right here’s how.
Particular issues with iMessage
Under we have a look at some particular issues with iMessages – tell us in case you expertise any points with the service, or in case you uncover a repair of your individual.
iMessage activation unsuccessful
Organising iMessage on an iPhone or iPad needs to be a easy course of, however it may well typically be problematic. In some case individuals are seeing an error message after they attempt to activate iMessage (or FaceTime) on their iPhone.
You might even see one of many following error messages:
- Activation unsuccessful.
- An error occurred throughout activation.
- Ready for activation.
- Couldn’t check in, please examine your community connection.
- Unable to contact the iMessage server.
The repair:
We provide a number of recommendation about how one can repair this situation right here:
What to do when iMessage gained’t activate in your iPhone.
In abstract:
- Test if iMessage has been deactivated in Settings > Messages.
- Flip Messages on and off once more in Settings > Messages. Do the identical with FaceTime. Then flip your iPhone on and off once more. As soon as your iPhone is on once more return to Messages and switch it again on.
- Contact your cellular community about the issue.
- It’s possible you’ll simply have to attend – it may well take 24 hours to be activated.
Why isn’t my buddy receiving iMessages?
If you recognize your buddy has an iPhone, iPad or Mac, they need to be capable of obtain iMessages – however they might not have the iMessage characteristic activated, or not be registered for it.
It’s additionally potential that they’ve not too long ago modified networks and have to activate iMessage.
Alternatively, it’s potential that your buddy has switched to utilizing an Android or Home windows machine? They could nonetheless be capable of obtain iMessages on their iPad and Mac, however they gained’t obtain them on their new handset. In the event that they now not need to obtain iMessages they should deregister from iMessage.
The Repair
If you recognize your buddy has an iPhone, it might merely be that they should activate the service. By which case, inform them:
- Go to Settings > Messages.
- Activate iMessage.
Nonetheless, it is probably not that easy, so we’ve got a separate
tutorial concerning the steps they should take to verify iMessages will get by means of.
In case your buddy now not has an iPhone it’s nonetheless potential which you can ship iMessages – however they gained’t be delivered to their new handset. In the event that they would favor to show off iMessage to keep away from lacking out on texts, they’ll do the next:
- In the event that they nonetheless have the previous iPhone they’ll go to Settings > Messages.
- Swap off iMessage.
- It’s additionally potential to deactivate iMessage utilizing an internet software
right here.
After turning off iMessage, the textual content messages you ship on an iPhone might be inexperienced quite than blue.

iMessage visible results aren’t working
Again in iOS 10 Apple launched some enjoyable animated results that you should use to reinforce your iMessages.
For instance, you’ll be able to press and maintain on a speech bubble so as to add a thumbs up or a coronary heart, you’ll be able to ship sketches, and in case you press and maintain the arrow that you just often faucet to ship a message you’re going to get entry to enjoyable results like Ship with Echo, Highlight, Balloons, Confetti, Love, Lasers, Fireworks, Capturing Stars, and Celebration.
The repair
If the issue is that a few of these visible results aren’t being obtained by your recipient, strive the next:
- Test that your recipient has put in iOS 10 or iOS 11.
- Some results additionally gained’t work in case your buddy has Lowered Movement activated on their iPhone (they might have modified the setting to
save battery energy as per the recommendation on this characteristic). In that case, they should Go to Basic > Accessibility > Cut back Movement > Off.
Notice, your results gained’t work in the event that they’re not despatched as an iMessage; in case your buddy doesn’t have an iPhone iPad or Mac they gained’t see them.
Can’t ship a bunch iMessage
When you’re having bother sending messages to teams of individuals, one purpose could possibly be that one in every of your contacts now not has an iPhone.

Whenever you ship a bunch message in iMessage all of your contacts will present up as blue, till you add somebody who doesn’t have iMessage, then they’ll all flip inexperienced because the iMessage group won’t be supported.
When you had a bunch iMessage and one in every of your contacts stopped utilizing their iPhone this is able to break the group iMessage. To seek out out if so, begin a brand new group message quite than persevering with with the previous one.
It’s additionally potential which you can’t ship a bunch message to an present thread since you left the dialog.
The repair
When you assume you’ve shut your self out of a bunch message, as we described above, you’ll need to do the next:
- Open the Messages app and faucet the group message you’re making an attempt to answer to.
- When you’ve left the dialog a message will let you know so.
- You’ll be able to’t unilaterally rejoin a dialog: you’ll have to have one of many remaining individuals add you once more.
- Alternatively, you would simply begin a brand new dialog with all the identical individuals and go from there.
What in case you are intent on group messaging your mates and never all of them have iPhones? In that case, your best choice is to make use of Whatsapp. We now have this
tutorial about utilizing Whatsapp right here.
Misplaced or unintentionally deleted Messages
When you’ve unintentionally deleted essential messages, or in case you’ve up to date your iPhone and realised that some messages have disappeared, don’t fear: you might be able to get them again.
The repair
There are 5 foremost methods of getting again misplaced or deleted iMessages:
- Retrieve from an iCloud backup.
- Retrieve from the iCloud web site.
- Contact your telephone supplier.
- Retrieve from an iTunes backup.
- Retrieve utilizing a third-party app.
We cowl all of those in a separate article:
How one can retrieve deleted textual content messages.
Messages on iPhone not showing (or out of order) on Mac/iPad
The matching Messages apps on iOS and Mac ought to help you simply and conveniently keep on iMessage conversations throughout the 2 platforms. However typically the 2 apps fail to sync correctly, and iMessages despatched from (or obtained on) the iPhone fail to seem on the Mac, or vice versa.
The repair
Don’t worry. That is such a standard criticism that Apple has made it potential to retailer all of your in iCloud – which signifies that they’ll at all times be in sync on all of your gadgets. For extra info, we’ve got this tutorial about
utilizing iMessages in iCloud.
When you aren’t eager on turning on iMessages in iCloud (it might affect your out there storage) you would strive the next:
- Go to Settings > Messages > Ship & Obtain. Ensure that all the e-mail addresses (not simply telephone numbers) that you just need to affiliate with that iMessage account have been ticked. (It’s possible you’ll have to faucet ‘Use your Apple ID for iMessage’ on the prime to make the addresses seem.)
- Now open the Messages app in your Mac. Click on Messages within the prime menu bar, then Preferences. Click on Accounts, then tick the suitable electronic mail addresses as soon as once more. It’s possible you’ll have to enter extra particulars for a few of them.
- Lastly, restart Messages on every machine and (hopefully) you’ll discover that the problem is solved.
For extra element, see
How one can sync iMessage conversations on iPhone, iPad and Mac.