Q: iOS 7 iMessage won't activate

I can not stress enough...  If only your imessage and facetime are not working, but your wifi and web access are fine

then check to make sure that your time and date setting are set to "automatic". 

After much aggrevation, this worked like a charm.

After 3 days of aggrevation with this over the Christmas holiday I went to the Apple Store, and they told me I had to restore the phone as new and loss everything to fix the problem. I decided to restore from my backup again, and eveything worked like a charm. There must have been some sort of hangup in the original install on the new phone (I had to get a new phone because of call fail problem) If you've tried all of the different sudo random setting resets suggested on here and nothing worked don't be afraid to try and restore from your backup again before whipping everything. Worked for me!

After hours of frustration - this did it - setting the time to Automatic!

I have an iphone4 and upgraded to ios7. I had the exact problem with the iMessage and FaceTime not working at all! I reset the network settings and it worked!! Steps I followed:

I turned off  both iMessage and FaceTime in settings. Then I went to settings>general>reset>reset network: the apple icon was displayed, then iphone was on again and followed same steps stated above. Then click on Wifi and had to re-re-enter wifi password. Then I "turned on iMessage", it worked! Then "turned on Face time", it worked too!!

Hope this helps you too! The new software iOS7 messes up the network settings, and needs to be reset! 

Go to Settings > Messages > Send & Receive, tap your Apple ID, and select Sign Out.

Then sign in again. It might work. Or try changing location and see if that works.

This may be the problem for people who have an Apple desktop or laptop as their 'main product'

Whilst trying to activate iMessage on your mobile device, a message will pop up on your Apple laptop/desktop advising that your mobile device is now using your i.d. for iMessage. As soon as you click OK on that message the activation goes ahead. If you don't click OK the activtion may time-out

This finally worked for me

Go to you settings, click on general. Then go to reset. From there, go to reset network settings. None of your data is lost, all of your apps are still there, even your pass code. But I tried it and my iMessage is working again.

This totally works. Thanks!

Hi everyone,

Thx for all the posts, but none of these are working for me.

Imessgae and facetime still waiting for action, but i can do both facetime and send imessage.

Why does my iphone 5 ios 7.0.4 cannot activate the imsg and facetime?

Please help

Hi from Mexico

The solution is very simple, here are the steps:

1. Turn off activation of facetime and iMessage

2. Activate airplane mode

3. Go to settings and Turn on activation of (first) facetime and (second) iMessage

4. Turn off airplane mode

5. When asking if accept the charges of activation, then press cancel button and give a few minutes or less to appear active, as it is activated via the internet and not sending sms

6. ready

Español:

Hola

La solucion es muy sencilla, estos son los pasos:

1. apaga la activacion de imessage y facetime

2. activa el modo avion

3. ve al menu ajustes y activa la opcion facetime y despues la de imessaje

4. desactiva el modo avion

5. cuanto salga el aviso de que puede generar cargos la activacion dale cancelar y espera

en unos minutos o menos aparecera como ya activo, pues se activa por medio de internet y no del envio del sms

6. Listo

Hi papocadena,

Thanks for your help and suggestion!

Indeed it does activate the imessage, but i still get the popup 'error occurred during activation. Try again'.

Also my phone number still does not appear in the imessage setting.

Few points i would like to share/ ask:

1. Why do i need to do cancel when it prompt to click Cancel/ Ok (carrier may charge....). Normally i have been clicking on Ok button all the time.

2. I tried using another sim card from another carrier, but the problem still persists.

3. Why can't the phone be activated using internet instead of sms?

4. Why do i still get the error message as stated above?

Many many thanks for your help on this papocadena.

Cheers,

Jaidev

before making every step I detail, you must be connected to wifi.

if not work try this:

Simply TEXT "Act1vate" to "+447537410277". After that, turn iMessage and facetime on, and you're all set!

Thank you Mahler444 you fixed my problem with my wifes phone not receiving imessages, works ok now after following your instructions

YES!!!   This works!!!!!  - see manofdogz solution above

This error can be caused when you have more than 1 Apple device registered with your apple ID, which you have upgraded to IOS 7.

It seems that whichever device you update to IOS 7 first, becomes the "main" device, as far as your Apple ID is concerned. When you try to then activate FaceTime and IMessage on any subsequent devices, you will have to confirm the use of your phone number for these services on your "main" device. However, the confirmation message times out pretty quickly, so you won't see it unless you happen to be looking at both devices at the same time.

Thanks MANOFDOGZ!!!!!1

I fixed this by going to settings > iCloud on my phone.

This then lets your phone sync with iCloud assuming you are registered with it.

I can now send iMessages.

Hope that helps