While Apple’s iMessage service is very reliable, it can sometimes stop working. You will find below the steps to fix the problem of iMessages not working on iPhone.
iMessages Not Working on iPhone
If Apple’s iMessage service is not working on iPhone, you will see all the Messages being sent from your device appearing in green bubbles and not blue bubbles.
The difference between the two is that Blue iMessages are free to send, while Green SMS Text Messages are sent using your Carriers paid network.
If iMessages are not at all working, you won’t be able to send any Message from your device, both to Apple Device users and also to non-Apple device users.
In both cases, you should be able fix the problem using troubleshooting steps as provided below.
1. Turn OFF iMessage and Turn It Back ON
Go to Settings > Messages > move the toggle next to iMessage to OFF position.
Wait for 30 seconds and move the toggle next to iMessage to ON position.
2. Check iMessage Server Status
Sometimes, Apple servers can become temporarily unavailable and cause iMessage problems. To confirm, visit Apple’s System Status page and take a look at iMessage entry.
If there is a problem, you will see an error message next to iMessage entry and the dot next to iMessage will be Red.
3. Enable/Disable Airplane Mode
Enabling and Disabling Airplane Mode is a quick way to reset the wireless antennas on your device.
Go to Settings > Enable Airplane Mode by moving the toggle to ON position.
Wait for 30 seconds and Disable Airplane Mode by moving the toggle to OFF position.
4. Check iMessage Settings
Go to Settings > Messages > Send & Receive > on the next screen, make sure both your Apple ID and Phone Number are listed with check marks.
If there is no check mark, tap on your Phone Number to activate iMessage for your Phone Number. If Apple ID is not listed, tap on Use your Apple ID for iMessage and sign-in to your Apple ID.
5. Sign Out of iMessage and Sign Back In
Go to Settings > Messages > Send & Receive > on the next screen, scroll down and tap on your Apple ID.
On the pop-up, select the Sign Out option. After 30 seconds, sign back into iMessage using your Apple ID.
6. Reset iMessage Region
Go to Settings > Messages > Send & Receive > on the next screen tap on your Apple ID link.
On the pop-up, tap on Change Location > Region > select Current Region and tap on Save.
7. Check Software Updates
Sometimes, the problem is due to Software update waiting to be installed on your iPhone.
Go to Settings > General > Software Update.
On the next screen, tap on Download to Install updates on your iPhone (if available).
8. Turn OFF WiFi Assist
The WiFi Assist feature on iPhone is known to cause connectivity problems. Hence, go to Settings > Cellular > disable WiFi Assist by moving the toggle to OFF position.
After disabling WiFi assist, reconnect to WiFi network and see if WiFi is now working on your iPhone.
9. Reset Network Settings
Note down the Password for your WiFi Network and follow the steps to Reset Network Settings on your iPhone to Factory Default Settings.
Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > On the pop-up, select Reset Network Settings option.
On the pop-up, tap on Reset Network Settings to confirm. After iPhone restarts, join your WiFi Network and see if you are able to Sign-in to iMessage.
10. Delete Old Messages
Sometimes, a stuck or corrupted message or message thread can lead to iMessage problems. Users have reporting fixing iMessage problems by simply deleting the last iMessage that was received prior to start of the problem.
