Are you having problems sending or receiving text letters using your iPhone, iPad or Mac? Take your usually blue speech bubbling turned green? Are messages not showing upwards in the correct lodge? Is iMessage telling you that your text hasn't been delivered? Are you wondering why iMessage is non working?

In this characteristic nosotros await at causes of iMessage failure and offer straightforward troubleshooting tips to aid yous ready the messages app on your iPhone, iPad or Mac. Observe out how to tell if iMessage is down, what to practise if iMessage stops working on your iPhone, and what to practice if iMessage is not working in your Mac. We volition assistance you lot fix all your iMessage problems.

If you merely desire to set upwards the service, encounter How to set up up iMessage on iPhone.

Why is iMessage not working?

There are lots of reasons why iMessage can finish working: information technology could be an result with Apple's iMessage server, a problem with the Messages app, or your settings could need adjusting.

Before we move on to specific difficulties, let'southward work through nine elementary troubleshooting steps that will solve the most common problems with iMessage.

1. Check if iMessage is down

The first possibility is that the server that iMessage is run from is downwards - which could hateful that iMessage isn't working for anyone. This is rare, just it does happen occasionally.

You can check if whatever of Apple'south online services are experiencing outages past checking the Arrangement Status page.

How to fix iMessage not working on iPhone, iPad & Mac: System Status

On this web page Apple tree gives you a heads-up nearly any services with planned maintenance work, along with a report of any recently resolved issues in any of its services. All the same, if your issue has only merely appeared, acquit in listen that the website's update frequency tends to exist measured in minutes, not seconds - mayhap as many as 30 on occasion - so the problem may non have been spotted still.

Even if Apple's System Status site suggests all is well, there could exist an outage that'south local to you lot. As an culling to Apple's page, you could try Down Detector, which provides a graph detailing outage reports from the past 24 hours, and fifty-fifty an outage map to see whether you're in an affected area.

You could also search for the word iMessage and related terms on Twitter; if lots of people are talking about the problem then information technology'due south clearly non just you.

The fix

The good news is that even if iMessage is down, you should still be able to communicate with your friends via normal texts.

If iMessage is failing, your message should automatically be pushed into green-bubble texts instead of bluish-bubble iMessages. Green indicates that the message is being sent every bit a text, rather than an iMessage). (Here's how to tell an iMessage from a standard SMS text.)

If this isn't working for you, read our guide to sending texts when the recipient isn't getting your iMessages. If an iMessage isn't sending if you hard press on the message you should see an choice to "Send equally Text".

iphone text

2. Brand sure you've got a connection (and enough information)

iMessage needs a data connection to work, so you need to make sure yous've got 3G or 4G (or 5G) available, or a good WiFi indicate. Without WiFi or a cellular data connexion your iMessage won't send.

Check yous can access the web by performing a quick search in Safari. If you come across no results you've identified the root of your problem.

If you don't have a good cellular connexion you could endeavour turning Airplane Manner on and off to see if you lot can improve your reception. Depending on your iPhone either swipe in from the acme correct or swipe up from the bottom of your iPhone or iPad screen, and select and deselect Airplane Mode - the plane icon.

Even if the cellular connection is cracking, you might non have enough data. Is there a take chances you've used upwardly all your data for the month? Are you even sure that data is included in your contract? Contact your network provider to check. (Read about how to save data on your iPhone here.)

The fix

If yous are out of data, or the 3G/4G connection is poor, endeavor one of the post-obit:

  • In addition to switching the aerials on and off using Airplane Mode, turning your iPhone on and off once again may also help it find a stronger indicate.
  • Log onto a nearby Wi-Fi network to transport your iMessage. To find a nearby network, go to Settings > Wi-Fi and have a expect to run into if in that location is a gratuitous Wi-Fi network nearby.
  • If your Wi-Fi connection is the trouble then turn off Wi-Fi and use 3G/4G.
  • If none of those tips works you may need to reset your network settings. Tap Settings > General > Reset > Reset Network Settings and see if this fixes the problem.
  • If you all the same don't get a data connectedness, and in that location is no WiFi available, you should be able to press and hold on the undelivered message and choose to 'Send every bit text message' from the options that come up up. A text message should go through fifty-fifty over a GPRS connection.

How to fix iMessage not working on iPhone, iPad & Mac: Send as text message

3. Make sure iMessage is on and ready up correctly

Check you're gear up to send and receive iMessages by going to Settings > Messages and checking that iMessage is turned on.

If when you get to this page yous see a bulletin suggesting that iMessage is "Waiting for activation" or "Activation unsuccessful", then read this article: What to practice when iMessage won't activate on your iPhone.

If iMessage is switched on and at that place is no message about activation, check that your phone is set up correctly to receive iMessages: Go to Settings > Messages and check the addresses and mobile number yous have listed in Send & Receive.

The set up

Assuming it'south not an activation consequence, run through the post-obit:

  1. Turn off your mobile number or electronic mail address in the list of places where yous can Transport & Receive from. We suggest trying a process of elimination to see if iMessage works with just your mobile number or just an e-mail accost.
  2. Check there is a tick beside your phone number in the Kickoff New Conversations From department if yous're using an iPhone.

How to fix iMessage not working on iPhone, iPad & Mac: iOS Settings

4. Plough it off and on over again and restart Messages

As in all adept troubleshooting articles one essential piece of advice is to turn it off and on once again. Yous could outset off past double-pressing the Dwelling push button and swiping up on the Messages app, before relaunching it. If the app was hanging this may well prepare the problem.

The ready

If things notwithstanding aren't working you could endeavour the post-obit:

  1. Reboot iMessage by going to Settings > Letters and turning off iMessage, so plow off your iPhone by pressing and holding the on/off switch, slide to power off, so expect for your iPhone to start up again.
  2. Once you've rebooted, return to Settings > Letters and plough iMessage back on.
  3. Sign out of your Apple ID and then sign in again. You tin can do this from Settings > Messages then tap on Ship & Receive and at the top of the page tap on your Apple ID and choose Sign Out.
  4. And so sign in again and see if this has fixed the problem.

For related advice you may as well similar to read How to send and receive text messages on Mac and How to use Messages on the iPhone.

5. Delete some messages

If your Messages app has a lot of photos and videos information technology might slow downwardly a bit. Deleting some of your iMessages - especially the ones with lots of photos might solve the trouble (only note that images sent via iMessage won't automatically announced in your Photos app).

The fix

There are a few ways to reduce the size of your iMessage library.

  • To delete letters you lot tin can swipe from correct to left on a message in the Letters list and choose Delete.
  • Or you can tap the Edit button in the meridian left-mitt corner of Messages and delete messages that way.
  • In that location is also a 'Keep Letters' option in Settings > Messages. Await for Message History and tap Go on Messages - you lot can select Forever, i year or 30 days. Before yous decide to delete letters later on xxx days, exist sure y'all aren't about to lose some important messages! (For related advice, we accept a feature about how to retrieve deleted text letters.)
  • While you're here, you tin can also alter your settings and then that y'all send low-res images, which take upwardly less space. Become to Settings > Messages and toggle Low-Quality Image Mode on. (It'south the terminal option, right at the lesser of the folio.)

iPhone

6. Cheque iOS is upwardly to appointment

If your software isn't up to date there may exist a problems stopping information technology from working properly.

The set

To bank check if an updated version of iOS is bachelor (and download and install it if so), go to Settings > General > Software Update.

For more than detail on the updating procedure and the issues it may entail, see How to update iOS.

7. Cheque Network settings

Make sure it's not a problem with your Network settings.

The fix

Here'due south how to reset your Network settings if Messages aren't sending.

  1. Go to Settings > General > Reset > Reset Network Settings. Y'all'll take to enter your passwords again after y'all practice this.
  2. Y'all could also try turning off Wi-Fi Assist. Wi-Fi Assistance will switch to a cellular betoken when it is stronger than your local WiFi network. Turning it off has worked for some people. Go to Settings > Mobile Data and scroll downwards to WiFi Assist and switch it off if information technology's on.

8. Check Time Zone settings

Some users have institute that they had issues sending Messages when the time zone wasn't set to update automatically. Information technology's not articulate what was causing the problem, perhaps it's to practise with the carrier settings.

The fix

Here's how to change your time zone settings:

  1. Go to Settings > General > Date & Time and make sure your time zone is set up automatically.
  2. Gear up Automatically to ON.

9. Reset all Settings

As a last resort, yous could do a total Reset…

In Settings go to Full general > Reset.

ten. Enquire Apple

If you are even so having problems and then it's probably time to get an appointment with a genius at the Apple tree Store, here's how.

Specific bug with iMessage

Below we look at some specific problems with iMessages - permit united states know if you experience any issues with the service, or if y'all discover a fix of your own.

iMessage activation unsuccessful

Setting up iMessage on an iPhone or iPad should be a simple process, but it can sometimes be problematic. In some case people are seeing an error message when they try to actuate iMessage (or FaceTime) on their iPhone.

Yous may see i of the following error messages:

  • Activation unsuccessful.
  • An error occurred during activation.
  • Waiting for activation.
  • Could not sign in, please check your network connection.
  • Unable to contact the iMessage server.

The fix:

We offer lots of advice about how to prepare this consequence hither: What to do when iMessage won't activate on your iPhone.

In summary:

  • Check if iMessage has been deactivated in Settings > Messages.
  • Turn Messages off and on again in Settings > Messages. Do the same with FaceTime. Then turn your iPhone off and on again. Once your iPhone is on once more go back to Letters and turn it back on.
  • Contact your mobile network most the problem.
  • You may just have to wait - it can have 24 hours to be activated.

Why isn't my friend receiving iMessages?

If you know your friend has an iPhone, iPad or Mac, they should be able to receive iMessages - but they may not accept the iMessage feature activated, or not exist registered for information technology.

It'southward also possible that they have recently changed networks and demand to activate iMessage.

Alternatively, it'due south possible that your friend has switched to using an Android or Windows device? They may still be able to receive iMessages on their iPad and Mac, just they won't receive them on their new handset. If they no longer want to receive iMessages they need to deregister from iMessage.

The Fix

If you know your friend has an iPhone, it may but be that they need to turn on the service. In which case, tell them:

  • Go to Settings > Messages.
  • Turn on iMessage.

However, it may not exist that unproblematic, so we have a separate tutorial about the steps they need to take to make sure iMessages will get through.

If your friend no longer has an iPhone information technology's yet possible that y'all can send iMessages - simply they won't be delivered to their new handset. If they would prefer to plough off iMessage to avoid missing out on texts, they can practise the following:

  1. If they even so have the quondam iPhone they can go to Settings > Messages.
  2. Switch off iMessage.
  3. It's as well possible to conciliate iMessage using a web tool hither.

Later on turning off iMessage, the text letters you transport on an iPhone will exist dark-green rather than bluish.

iPhone Messages

iMessage visual effects aren't working

Back in iOS 10 Apple introduced some fun animated effects that you tin utilize to enhance your iMessages.

For example, you can press and hold on a speech bubble to add a thumbs up or a heart, you can send sketches, and if you press and agree the arrow that you commonly tap to transport a bulletin you lot will become access to fun effects like Transport with Repeat, Spotlight, Balloons, Confetti, Honey, Lasers, Fireworks, Shooting Stars, and Commemoration.

The set up

If the problem is that some of these visual furnishings aren't beingness received past your recipient, effort the following:

  1. Check that your recipient has installed iOS 10 or iOS 11.
  2. Some furnishings also won't work if your friend has Reduced Motion activated on their iPhone (they may accept inverse the setting to save battery power equally per the communication in this feature). In that case, they need to Go to General > Accessibility > Reduce Motion > Off.

Annotation, your effects won't work if they're not sent as an iMessage; if your friend doesn't have an iPhone iPad or Mac they won't see them.

Can't send a group iMessage

If you lot're having problem sending messages to groups of people, one reason could be that one of your contacts no longer has an iPhone.

How to fix iMessage not working on iPhone, iPad & Mac: Group message

When y'all ship a group message in iMessage all your contacts volition show upwards as blue, until y'all add someone who doesn't have iMessage, then they will all turn green as the iMessage group volition not exist supported.

If yous had a group iMessage and 1 of your contacts stopped using their iPhone this would break the grouping iMessage. To detect out if this is the case, offset a new grouping message rather than continuing with the former i.

It'south too possible that you tin't ship a group bulletin to an existing thread because yous left the conversation.

The fix

If you think y'all've shut yourself out of a group message, as we described higher up, you will need to do the following:

  1. Open the Letters app and tap the group message you lot're trying to reply to.
  2. If yous've left the conversation a message volition tell you and so.
  3. You can't unilaterally rejoin a conversation: you'll demand to have one of the remaining participants add together you once more.
  4. Alternatively, you could simply start a new conversation with nonetheless participants and go from there.

What if you are intent on group messaging your friends and non all of them have iPhones? In that case, your all-time choice is to apply Whatsapp. Nosotros take this tutorial about using Whatsapp here.

Lost or accidentally deleted Letters

If you've accidentally deleted important messages, or if you've updated your iPhone and realised that some messages accept disappeared, don't worry: you may be able to get them dorsum.

The fix

There are five primary ways of getting back lost or deleted iMessages:

  • Call up from an iCloud backup.
  • Think from the iCloud website.
  • Contact your phone provider.
  • Think from an iTunes backup.
  • Recall using a third-party app.

We cover all of these in a carve up commodity: How to retrieve deleted text letters.

Letters on iPhone not appearing (or out of order) on Mac/iPad

The matching Messages apps on iOS and Mac should let you to hands and conveniently carry on iMessage conversations beyond the two platforms. But sometimes the 2 apps neglect to sync properly, and iMessages sent from (or received on) the iPhone fail to announced on the Mac, or vice versa.

The set

Do not worry. This is such a common complaint that Apple has made information technology possible to store all your in iCloud - which means that they will always be in sync on all your devices. For more information, we take this tutorial virtually using iMessages in iCloud.

If yous aren't keen on turning on iMessages in iCloud (information technology may impact your available storage) you could try the post-obit:

  1. Become to Settings > Messages > Send & Receive. Brand sure all the email addresses (not merely phone numbers) that you lot want to associate with that iMessage account have been ticked. (You may need to tap 'Use your Apple ID for iMessage' at the top to make the addresses appear.)
  2. Now open the Messages app on your Mac. Click Messages in the top menu bar, so Preferences. Click Accounts, so tick the advisable electronic mail addresses once again. Yous may need to enter more details for some of them.
  3. Finally, restart Letters on each device and (hopefully) y'all'll observe that the issue is solved.

For more item, see How to sync iMessage conversations on iPhone, iPad and Mac.