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When you try to activate iMessage on your iPhone or iPad, you may receive an error message that says “Waiting for Activation.” Your use of the messaging platform is halted by this error message. Please let me help you if you don’t understand why this is happening or are struggling to find a solution. You may be encountering the “Waiting for Activation” problem message and this article explains why and how to fix it.
Let’s begin.
Why Does iMessage on Verizon iPhone Say “Waiting For Activation”?
If your iPhone reads “waiting for activation,” there are numerous possible causes and our extensive troubleshooting guide will help you identify and fix the problem. However, before we get started, it’s crucial to remember:
There are times when you just have to sit back and see what happens because Apple reveals that iMessage activation might take as long as 24 hours in some cases.
Note that using iMessage requires you to be connected to a cellular network or WiFi.
Moreover, as long as your device is able to receive text messages, iMessage can be used.
There is no need to worry if any of this is difficult for you to understand. Step-by-step instructions are provided below!
[FIXED] Verizon iPhone’s iMessage Says “Waiting For Activation”
Ensure Your Cellular Network or WiFi is Working
One reason why you may be unable to use iMessage is poor cellular network or WiFi access. To access Wi-Fi, go to the Settings menu and select that option. Examine the checkbox next to your WiFi network and ensure the switch next to the checkbox is toggled on.
If you find that despite enabling WiFi, the checkbox isn’t ticked, tap on it and select your network. Sometimes, you may need to switch the WiFi off and reconnect to fix the issue.
Try loading a web page in Safari to test if your iPhone is connected to the Wi-Fi network. If the webpage loads correctly, your iPhone is connected to Wi-Fi.
Wi-Fi problems may be to blame if the webpage won’t load. If you suspect a problem with your iPhone’s Wi-Fi, we recommend reading our guide on how to fix a broken Wi-Fi connection.
Use Cellular Data instead if you don’t have access to the Internet. Cellular Data can be enabled by going to the Settings menu and selecting Cellular Data.
Toggle the switch off and on again if Cellular Data is already active.
Switch on the Airplane Mode before Turning it Back Off
After you’ve enabled WiFi or cellular data, try switching the device’s airplane mode on before turning it off again. In case of minor technical issues in connecting to a cellular network, this trick should be the quickfix.
iPhone’s airplane mode can be activated by navigating to Settings and clicking on the respective switch. The switch will light up in green. Now, to turn the airplane mode off, click on the switch again after some seconds.
Check if the Date and Time are Correct
If your iPhone’s date or time is programmed incorrectly, the iMessage will show the ‘Waiting for Activation’ message. To check and change the date or time zone, hover to Settings followed by General, and Date & Time.
For the most accurate results, toggle the switch located next to the ‘Set Automatically’ option. iPhone will automatically adjust the time based on your real-time location data.
Restart Your iPhone
If you have already connected to data or Wi-Fi and selected the appropriate time zone, but iMessage still says it is “waiting for activation,” you might try restarting your iPhone. It’s conceivable that iMessage isn’t activating on your iPhone because the software on it has crashed. If this is the case, the problem may typically be fixed by shutting off and then turning on the device again.
You can switch your iPhone X off by pressing the power button until the sliding option to turn off display appears on the top of the screen. If that doesn’t work, you can try pressing the side button along with either of the volume buttons.
Then, to switch off your iPhone, swipe the power symbol from left to right across the words slide to power off. This action will accomplish the desired result.
After a brief pause, press and maintain pressure on the power button (for iPhones 8 and previous) or the side button (for iPhones X and later) until the Apple logo displays in the middle of the screen.
Turn off iMessage before Turning it Back On
The next step is to exit and then reenter iMessage. This technique helps in case an error at the time of iMessage activation is responsible for the issue. The refresh action will offer a clean slate.
To turn iMessage on, visit Settings followed by Messages and tap on the switch just next to it at the very top of the screen. The switch in its white state indicates that iMessage is turned off. After a few seconds’ pause, tap on the switch again and iMessage’s functionality will be activated.
Check For An iOS Update
When iMessage displays the message “waiting for activation,” Apple suggests updating to the most recent version of iOS; thus, navigate to Settings > General > Software Update to check if an update to iOS is available. Apple is known for its habit of releasing new software updates on a regular basis in order to bolster data protection, expand functionality, and correct bugs.
If there is an available software update, select Download and Install from the menu.
Sign Out & In Of Your Apple ID
In case your device’s software is up-to-date but iMessage continues to display the ‘Waiting for Activation’ message, you can try logging out of your Apple ID before logging back in. This will give your Apple ID a fresh start, similar to what happens when you restart your iPhone, and it might be able to fix a minor software fault.
Tap your Apple ID at the top of the screen once you’ve navigated to Settings > Messages > Send & Receive in the Settings app. Then, select the Sign Out option.
Once done using your Apple ID, hover to the upper end of the screen and choose the ‘Use Your Apple ID for iMessage’ option. To re-enter your Apple ID, you will need to enter the password that you set up for it.
Troubleshooting Carrier-Related Issues
If you’ve made it this far and iMessage still isn’t activating, it’s time to move your focus to probable issues caused by your wireless carrier’s network. To activate iMessage, visit Settings, then Messages, and finally, to the iMessage option.
Now, as discussed earlier in this blog, your device’s iMessage feature can only be activated if it is capable of receiving text messages. If your iPhone is unable to receive SMS text messages, then you will not be able to enable the iMessage feature on your iPhone.
Check For A Carrier Settings Update
The ability of your iPhone to connect to the cellular network of your wireless carrier can be improved with the help of regular updates to the carrier settings that are released by Apple and your wireless carrier. The majority of the time, when an update to your carrier settings is ready to be downloaded, your iPhone will notify you by displaying a pop-up that reads “Carrier Settings Update.”
Tap the Update button whenever the corresponding pop-up appears on your iPhone. There is no disadvantage to upgrading the carrier settings on your iPhone, but there is a possibility that you will experience problems if you do not update them.
You may also check to see whether a carrier settings update is available by navigating to Settings > General > About and waiting for around ten to fifteen seconds. This will take you to the settings menu. The pop-up will appear in this menu if there is an available update for the carrier settings.
Reset Network Settings
You should reset the network settings on your iPhone if there is no available update for the carrier settings. Your iPhone’s cellular, Bluetooth, wireless LAN, and virtual private network (VPN) settings will all be reset to their factory defaults when you do this (so make sure you write down Wi-Fi passwords first).
iPhone’s network settings can be reset by navigating to Settings followed by General, Transfer or Reset iPhone, Reset, and finally, Reset Network Settings. Tap the Reset Network Settings button as soon as the confirmation message appears on the screen.
Your iPhone will power down, go through the reset process, and then power up again. After you have turned your iPhone back on, you will need to either re-establish a connection to your Wi-Fi network or enable cellular data before attempting to activate iMessage once more.
Contact Apple Support
Contacting Apple Support may be the one and only option available to you in extremely unusual circumstances in order to activate iMessage on your iPhone. Your iMessage activation issue can be escalated to an Apple engineer, who will then be able to fix the issue for you. You can do this by contacting Apple’s customer service department and speaking to an Apple customer service person.
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