Are yous having problems sending or receiving text messages using your iPhone, iPad or Mac? Accept your unremarkably blue speech bubbles turned greenish? Are letters non showing up in the right order? Is iMessage telling yous that your text hasn't been delivered? Are y'all wondering why iMessage is not working?

In this characteristic nosotros look at causes of iMessage failure and offering straightforward troubleshooting tips to help you lot ready the letters app on your iPhone, iPad or Mac. Find out how to tell if iMessage is downwardly, what to do if iMessage stops working on your iPhone, and what to do if iMessage is not working in your Mac. We volition help you fix all your iMessage problems.

If you simply want to set upwardly the service, run across How to set up iMessage on iPhone.

Why is iMessage not working?

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

Before we motion on to specific difficulties, let'southward piece of work through ix simple troubleshooting steps that will solve the most common problems with iMessage.

1. Check if iMessage is downward

The showtime possibility is that the server that iMessage is run from is down - which could hateful that iMessage isn't working for anyone. This is rare, only information technology does happen occasionally.

You can check if whatsoever of Apple'south online services are experiencing outages by checking the System Status folio.

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

On this web page Apple gives you a heads-up about any services with planned maintenance work, along with a report of whatever recently resolved problems in whatsoever of its services. However, if your issue has just just appeared, deport in heed that the website'south update frequency tends to exist measured in minutes, not seconds - perhaps as many equally 30 on occasion - so the problem may not have been spotted yet.

Even if Apple's Arrangement Status site suggests all is well, in that location could be an outage that'southward local to y'all. Every bit an alternative to Apple's page, you lot could endeavor Down Detector, which provides a graph detailing outage reports from the by 24 hours, and fifty-fifty an outage map to see whether y'all're in an afflicted surface area.

You lot could likewise search for the give-and-take iMessage and related terms on Twitter; if lots of people are talking about the trouble then information technology's conspicuously non simply you lot.

The fix

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

If iMessage is declining, your message should automatically be pushed into greenish-bubble texts instead of blue-bubble iMessages. Green indicates that the message is beingness sent as 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 lot hard press on the message yous should encounter an option to "Ship as Text".

iphone text

2. Make certain y'all've got a connection (and enough data)

iMessage needs a data connection to work, so you lot demand to make sure you've got 3G or 4G (or 5G) available, or a skilful WiFi betoken. Without WiFi or a cellular data connection your iMessage won't send.

Check you tin can admission the web by performing a quick search in Safari. If you meet no results you lot've identified the root of your trouble.

If you lot don't accept a good cellular connection you could endeavor turning Aeroplane Mode on and off to run into if you can better your reception. Depending on your iPhone either swipe in from the top right or swipe upward from the bottom of your iPhone or iPad screen, and select and deselect Airplane Manner - the plane icon.

Even if the cellular connectedness is great, you might non have plenty information. Is there a risk y'all've used up all your data for the month? Are yous fifty-fifty certain that data is included in your contract? Contact your network provider to bank check. (Read well-nigh how to save data on your iPhone hither.)

The prepare

If you are out of data, or the 3G/4G connection is poor, try one of the following:

  • In add-on to switching the aerials on and off using Airplane Mode, turning your iPhone on and off once more may besides help it notice a stronger signal.
  • Log onto a nearby Wi-Fi network to send your iMessage. To find a nearby network, go to Settings > Wi-Fi and have a look to meet if at that place is a costless Wi-Fi network nearby.
  • If your Wi-Fi connexion is the trouble then turn off Wi-Fi and use 3G/4G.
  • If none of those tips works you may demand to reset your network settings. Tap Settings > General > Reset > Reset Network Settings and see if this fixes the problem.
  • If you lot still don't get a data connection, and at that place is no WiFi available, you should exist able to press and hold on the undelivered message and cull to 'Send every bit text bulletin' from the options that come upwardly. A text message should get through even over a GPRS connection.

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

three. Make sure iMessage is on and set up correctly

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

If when you become to this folio you lot see a message suggesting that iMessage is "Waiting for activation" or "Activation unsuccessful", then read this article: What to exercise when iMessage won't activate on your iPhone.

If iMessage is switched on and there is no bulletin well-nigh activation, cheque that your phone is set up correctly to receive iMessages: Get to Settings > Messages and check the addresses and mobile number you take listed in Send & Receive.

The fix

Assuming information technology'south not an activation issue, run through the following:

  1. Turn off your mobile number or electronic mail accost in the list of places where you tin can Transport & Receive from. We suggest trying a process of emptying to come across if iMessage works with just your mobile number or just an email accost.
  2. Check there is a tick beside your telephone number in the Showtime New Conversations From department if you're using an iPhone.

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

iv. Plough it off and on again and restart Messages

As in all good troubleshooting manufactures 1 essential piece of communication is to plough it off and on again. You could start off past double-pressing the Home button and swiping up on the Messages app, earlier relaunching it. If the app was hanging this may well prepare the problem.

The gear up

If things notwithstanding aren't working you could try the following:

  1. Reboot iMessage by going to Settings > Messages and turning off iMessage, then turn off your iPhone by pressing and property the on/off switch, slide to power off, and and so expect for your iPhone to start upwardly again.
  2. Once you've rebooted, return to Settings > Messages and plough iMessage back on.
  3. Sign out of your Apple ID and and so sign in over 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 tree ID and choose Sign Out.
  4. And then sign in again and run across if this has stock-still the problem.

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

5. Delete some letters

If your Messages app has a lot of photos and videos it might slow down a bit. Deleting some of your iMessages - especially the ones with lots of photos might solve the problem (just note that images sent via iMessage won't automatically appear in your Photos app).

The fix

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

  • To delete messages you can swipe from right to left on a message in the Letters list and choose Delete.
  • Or yous can tap the Edit button in the meridian left-mitt corner of Messages and delete messages that mode.
  • There is also a 'Keep Messages' selection in Settings > Messages. Look for Message History and tap Keep Messages - you tin can select Forever, 1 twelvemonth or 30 days. Before you decide to delete letters afterwards xxx days, exist sure y'all aren't about to lose some important messages! (For related communication, we take a feature about how to retrieve deleted text letters.)
  • While you lot're here, you can also change your settings and then that you send low-res images, which take up less space. Go to Settings > Letters and toggle Depression-Quality Image Style on. (It's the final option, right at the lesser of the page.)

iPhone

half-dozen. Check iOS is up to appointment

If your software isn't up to appointment in that location may be a bug stopping it from working properly.

The fix

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

For more particular on the updating process and the issues it may entail, encounter How to update iOS.

7. Bank check Network settings

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

The ready

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

  1. Go to Settings > General > Reset > Reset Network Settings. Yous'll have to enter your passwords over again subsequently you practise this.
  2. You could as well effort turning off Wi-Fi Assist. Wi-Fi Aid will switch to a cellular signal when information technology is stronger than your local WiFi network. Turning it off has worked for some people. Get to Settings > Mobile Data and scroll down to WiFi Assistance and switch information technology off if it's on.

8. Cheque Fourth dimension Zone settings

Some users have establish that they had problems sending Letters when the time zone wasn't set to update automatically. It's non clear what was causing the problem, perhaps it's to do with the carrier settings.

The fix

Hither'due south how to modify your time zone settings:

  1. Get to Settings > General > Appointment & Time and make certain your fourth dimension zone is ready automatically.
  2. Fix Automatically to ON.

ix. Reset all Settings

Every bit a last resort, you could do a full Reset…

In Settings go to General > Reset.

10. Inquire Apple tree

If y'all are still having issues then it'south probably fourth dimension to get an appointment with a genius at the Apple Shop, here's how.

Specific problems with iMessage

Below nosotros await at some specific problems with iMessages - allow u.s.a. know if you lot experience whatever issues with the service, or if y'all discover a gear up of your own.

iMessage activation unsuccessful

Setting up iMessage on an iPhone or iPad should be a simple process, just information technology tin sometimes be problematic. In some case people are seeing an error message when they try to activate iMessage (or FaceTime) on their iPhone.

You may encounter i of the following error messages:

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

The fix:

We offer lots of advice nearly how to fix this issue here: 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 > Letters. Do the same with FaceTime. Then turn your iPhone off and on again. In one case your iPhone is on again go back to Messages and turn it back on.
  • Contact your mobile network virtually the problem.
  • You may just have to wait - it can accept 24 hours to exist activated.

Why isn't my friend receiving iMessages?

If y'all know your friend has an iPhone, iPad or Mac, they should be able to receive iMessages - simply they may not have the iMessage feature activated, or not exist registered for information technology.

It's also possible that they have recently inverse networks and need to actuate iMessage.

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

The Ready

If yous know your friend has an iPhone, information technology may simply exist that they demand to turn on the service. In which case, tell them:

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

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

If your friend no longer has an iPhone information technology'south all the same possible that you tin can ship iMessages - only 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 do the post-obit:

  1. If they however have the erstwhile iPhone they can go to Settings > Messages.
  2. Switch off iMessage.
  3. It'due south also possible to deactivate iMessage using a web tool here.

After turning off iMessage, the text messages you send on an iPhone will exist green rather than blue.

iPhone Messages

iMessage visual effects aren't working

Back in iOS 10 Apple tree introduced some fun animated effects that you lot tin utilise to heighten your iMessages.

For example, you can press and concur on a speech bubble to add a thumbs up or a eye, you tin transport sketches, and if you printing and hold the arrow that you usually tap to send a message you will get access to fun effects like Send with Echo, Spotlight, Balloons, Confetti, Love, Lasers, Fireworks, Shooting Stars, and Commemoration.

The fix

If the problem is that some of these visual effects aren't being received by your recipient, try the following:

  1. Check that your recipient has installed iOS ten or iOS xi.
  2. Some effects also won't work if your friend has Reduced Motility activated on their iPhone (they may have changed the setting to salve battery power every bit per the communication in this feature). In that case, they demand to Go to General > Accessibility > Reduce Motility > Off.

Note, your effects won't piece of work if they're not sent every bit an iMessage; if your friend doesn't have an iPhone iPad or Mac they won't see them.

Tin't send a group iMessage

If you'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 you send a grouping message in iMessage all your contacts will show upwards equally blue, until you lot add someone who doesn't have iMessage, then they will all turn light-green equally the iMessage group will not exist supported.

If you lot had a group iMessage and one of your contacts stopped using their iPhone this would intermission the group iMessage. To detect out if this is the case, start a new group message rather than continuing with the old one.

Information technology'south also possible that you can't transport a group bulletin to an existing thread because you lot left the conversation.

The fix

If y'all retrieve you've shut yourself out of a group message, as nosotros described above, you will need to do the following:

  1. Open up the Letters app and tap the group message yous're trying to reply to.
  2. If yous've left the chat a bulletin will tell you so.
  3. You can't unilaterally rejoin a conversation: yous'll demand to take 1 of the remaining participants add you over again.
  4. Alternatively, you could but start a new conversation with all the same participants and become from there.

What if y'all are intent on group messaging your friends and not all of them take iPhones? In that case, your best option is to use Whatsapp. We have this tutorial virtually using Whatsapp here.

Lost or accidentally deleted Letters

If yous've accidentally deleted important messages, or if yous've updated your iPhone and realised that some messages have disappeared, don't worry: yous may exist able to get them back.

The fix

At that place are 5 chief ways of getting back lost or deleted iMessages:

  • Call up from an iCloud backup.
  • Retrieve from the iCloud website.
  • Contact your phone provider.
  • Retrieve from an iTunes backup.
  • Retrieve using a 3rd-party app.

Nosotros cover all of these in a separate article: How to retrieve deleted text letters.

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

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

The set up

Do not worry. This is such a mutual complaint that Apple has made it possible to store all your in iCloud - which means that they will e'er be in sync on all your devices. For more than information, we have this tutorial well-nigh using iMessages in iCloud.

If you lot aren't keen on turning on iMessages in iCloud (it may impact your available storage) y'all could try the following:

  1. Become to Settings > Messages > Send & Receive. Make sure all the email addresses (not just phone numbers) that you want to acquaintance with that iMessage account take been ticked. (You may need to tap 'Utilise your Apple ID for iMessage' at the top to make the addresses appear.)
  2. Now open the Letters app on your Mac. Click Messages in the peak menu bar, then Preferences. Click Accounts, then tick the appropriate email addresses once more. You may demand to enter more details for some of them.
  3. Finally, restart Letters on each device and (hopefully) you'll find that the effect is solved.

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