The problem of being Unable to Sign-in to iMessage and FaceTime on iPhone could be occurring due to incorrect iMessage Settings, Apple’s iMessage service down and other reasons.
In a typical case, you will see an error message on the screen of your iPhone reading Unable to contact iMessage server or An Error occurred during activation, when you try to sign-in to iMessage.
In most cases, the problem of not being to Sign-in to iMessage or FaceTime can be fixed by using troubleshooting steps as provided below in this guide.
If none of these methods work, you can either Create a New Apple ID or contact Apple Support and find out if your Apple ID has been blocked or placed on special status.
Unable to Sign-in to iMessage and FaceTime
If you can’t sign-in to iMessage or FaceTime, you should be able to fix the problem using the following methods.
1. Restart iPhone
Restarting iPhone can often fix problems by terminating stuck processes, which might be preventing you from signing into iMessage.
1. Go to Settings > General > scroll down and tap on Shut Down.
2. On the next screen, use the slider to Power OFF your device.
3. Wait for iPhone to completely Power OFF > After 30 seconds restart your device by pressing the Power button.
2. Check Date & Time Settings
The most commonly recommended solution for problem with iMessage and FaceTime is to make sure that your iPhone can automatically set Date and Time.
1. Go to Settings > General > Date & Time.
2. On Date & Time Screen, temporarily disable Set Automatically option and make sure iPhone is displaying the correct Date and Time under “Time Zone” section.
3. If not, tap on Time Zone and select the most appropriate Time Zone that is applicable in your case.
After this, make sure Set Automatically option is Enabled > close the Settings screen and see if you are now able to sign-in to iMessage or FaceTime.
3. Check Send/Receive Settings
iMessage can make use of both your phone number and Apple ID to send messages. Hence, make sure that both your phone number and Apple ID are listed.
1. Go to Settings > Messages > scroll down and tap on Send & Receive.
2. On the next screen, make sure that both your Phone Number and Apple ID are is listed under ‘You Can Be Reached By iMessage At’ section.
3. If Apple ID is not listed, tap on Use youe Apple ID for iMessage and follow the instructions to add your Apple ID to iMessage.
4 Sign Out of Apple ID
The problem could be due to Apple’s iMessage service being unable to verify your Apple ID. This can be often fixed by signing out of Apple ID and signing back again.
1. Open Settings > scroll down and tap on your Apple ID Name.
2. On the next screen, scroll down to bottom and tap on Sign Out.
3. Wait for iPhone to completely Power OFF.
4. After 30 seconds > Restart iPhone by pressing the Power button.
After iPhone restats, try to Sign-in to iMessage and FaceTime.
5. Reset Network Settings
The problem of being unable to sign-in to iPhone might be related to Network Settings on iPhone.
1. Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset.
2. On the pop-up, select Reset Network Settings option.
3. When prompted, enter your Lock Screen Password > On the confirmation pop-up, select the Reset option to confirm and patiently wait for the Reset process to be completed.
After iPhone restarts, join your Wi-Fi network and try to sign-in to iMessage and FaceTime.
6. Check for Software Update
Make sure that you are using the latest version of iOS software on your iPhone.
1. Go to Settings > General > tap on Software Update.
2. On the next screen, tap the Download option (If an update is available).
7. Switch to Google DNS
It is possible that you are unable to connect to Apple Servers due to the DNS of your internet provider being too crowded and busy.
You can try to use Google’s free DNS service and see if this helps in fixing the problem of being unable to Login to iMessage and FaceTime.
You can find the steps to switch your iPhone to Google DNS in this article: How to Use Google DNS On iPhone and iPad.
8. Contact Apple Support
It is possible that your Apple ID has been blocked from using iMessage or placed in a special protection category.
In this case, you may be see a prompt on your iPhone to Contact Apple support or you can initiate a support request with Apple.
9. Reset All Settings
Follow the steps below to Reset All Settings on your iPhone.
1. Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset.
2. On the pop-up, select Reset Network Settings option.
Note: In case you are concerned, Reset All Settings does not erase any data from your device.