If your iPhone is not Sending iMessages, the problem is most likely due to your recipient being in an area with poor or no internet connectivity.
Another possibility is that your Contact has switched to an Android phone, in which case iPhone won’t be able to deliver iMessages to this particular Contact.
Apart from this, the problem of iPhone not sending iMessages may also be due to incorrect iMessage settings on your device, network connectivity issues and other reasons.
iPhone Not Sending iMessages
If your iPhone is not sending iMessages, you should be able to fix the problem using the following troubleshooting steps.
1. Check Status of Apple’s iMessage Service
Apple’s iMessage service might be temporarily down or experiencing problems. Hence, it is a good idea to rule out this possibility by going to Apple’s System Status page.
On this page, Apple provides a list of all its services and their current status of service (Available or Unavailable).
2. Make Sure iMessage is Enabled
Sometimes, the problem is due to Apple’s iMessage service being accidentally disabled on your device.
1. Go to Settings > Messages.
2. On the next screen, make sure iMessage is enabled and there is no error message on this screen.
If your iPhone is showing “iMessage waiting for activation” or similar error message, you should be able to fix the problem using this guide: Fix: iMessage Waiting For Activation Error on iPhone.
3. Check Network Connectivity
Since, iMessages are delivered using Apple’s iCloud servers, an internet connection (Wi-Fi) is required to send iMessages.
1. Go to Settings > Wi-Fi.
2. On the next screen, make sure Wi-Fi is enabled (Green) and iPhone is connected to Wi-Fi Network.
After this, try to send the iMessage again and see if you are still having problems.
4. Check Send/Receive Settings
A common reason for iMessage problems on iPhone is due to incorrect Send/Receive settings.
1. Go to Settings > Messages > scroll down and tap on Send & Receive.
2. On the next screen, make sure both your Phone Number and Apple ID are listed under “You Can Be Reached By iMessage At” section.
If your Apple ID is not listed, tap on Use Your Apple ID for iMessage and follow the steps to associate your Apple ID with iMessage.
5. Sign-in/Sign-out of Apple ID
iMessage problems can be caused due to your Apple ID not being recognized by iCloud Servers.
1. Open Settings and tap on your Apple ID.
2. On Apple ID screen, scroll down to bottom and tap on the Sign Out option.
3. Follow the instructions to Sign out from iPhone.
4. After you are completely signed out, tap on Sign-in to your iPhone link.
5. On the next screen, enter your Apple ID and Passcode to sign-in to your device.
This should fix the problem, if it was due to your Apple ID not being recognized by Apple servers.
6. Delete Old iMessages
Sometimes, the problem of iMessages not working on iPhone is caused by an iMessage getting stuck in iMessage loop.
Some users have reported fixing this issue by deleting the Last iMessage received prior to the start of the problem.
Others have reported fixing this problem by deleting the entire iMessage thread and starting a New iMessage thread.