mcfloyd49

Q: imessage and Facetime sign in activation error iPad ios8.1.2

I notice another user has posted today 21st Jan 2015, the same problem I have had for a couple of days.

 

I have an iPad Air, an iPhone 5S and an iMac. Using my iPad on Saturday 18th suddenly couldn't see my imessages or use Facetime (I'd used FT half an hour before it all went); kept on getting Activation error on both Apps. BUT ONLY ON MY IPAD AIR?!

 

My iPhone and iMac work absolutely fine and I can continue to use both with imessage and Facetime. I have so far done the following, as advised by Apple Support and my local Apple Genius Bar appointment today:

 

  • Hard reset. Used home button and off button to reset. Didn't work
  • Reset Network settings. Didn't work
  • Reset All settings. Didn't work
  • Backed up and Restored iPad. Tried to log in to iMessage and Facetime from as new setup before restoring backup. Didn't work
  • Apple Genius bar performed a "deep restore". Didn't work
  • Apple Genius bar performed a "set up as brand new iPad" process. Didn't work
  • Logged out of Apple ID on iPhone then tried logging in to same Apple ID on iPad. Didn't work
  • Apple confirmed my Apple ID is correctly verified on their system.

 

Apple have now escalated my issue to their Engineering Team, so I hope they can fix, but the Apple guy in the store said he'd never come across this problem before.

 

I have been told IT IS NOT a hardware issue, it has to a a software issue, but it sounds more like me that it's an Apple verification issue on their servers?

 

If anyone has come across this, or can provide any other ideas I'd be most grateful. I still have use of imessage and Factime on my iPhone and iMac, so its more frustration that I have an expensive iPad Air that is missing paid-for functionality that I expect Apple to address and nothing more.

 

Thanks in advance

iPad Air, iOS 8.1.2

Posted on Jan 21, 2015 7:18 AM

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Q: imessage and Facetime sign in activation error iPad ios8.1.2

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  • by 'shana,

    'shana 'shana Apr 22, 2015 6:14 PM in response to calliekuczek
    Level 1 (55 points)
    Apr 22, 2015 6:14 PM in response to calliekuczek

    The supervisor I have been talking to just keeps telling me the engineers are still trying to figure it out. I'm kinda surprised that it's taking this long. He hasn't said what they are looking at but he did tell me that they're still needing me to keep my AppleID in test mode.

  • by Jay 8,

    Jay 8 Jay 8 Apr 22, 2015 8:53 PM in response to 'shana
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Apr 22, 2015 8:53 PM in response to 'shana

    I am sure all of the AppleID that are not able to login to FaceTime (including mine that was created in March 2015) are all in "Test Mode"

     

    #FaceTimeFail

  • by 'shana,

    'shana 'shana Apr 22, 2015 10:43 PM in response to lamsipad
    Level 1 (55 points)
    Apr 22, 2015 10:43 PM in response to lamsipad

    AT LAST! Working!

     

    I don't know if Apple engineers fixed something or it was something I did. But here's what happened.

     

    Fixing the time has helped people in the past and recently. I downloaded an app that tracks time so I could try to manually adjust the time.  It's called Emerald Sequoia. It also shows how far off your clock is and mine was between .05 and .02 seconds slow. That's still really close considering the app might not be exact.

     

    A little bit ago I downloaded another app and because it had ads I went to airplane mode and when I was done I got out of airplane mode and checked the time app and saw it said I was .001 second slow so I tried logging into messages and it went right through. FaceTime too.

     

    I don't know if it was a coincidence that it started working when my time was off by only .001 second or they fixed my id. If it was just the time, why did my friend's AppleID work on my iPad and my ID didn't work on hers? And my husband's AppleID worked on his iPod touch but not on my iPad? And my AppleID didn't work anywhere?

     

    Anyway, have faith! And keep calling.

     

    'shana

     

    edited to add, I had time on auto update all day. I didn't reboot or anything, it just started working

  • by JGW_Canada,

    JGW_Canada JGW_Canada Apr 23, 2015 3:53 AM in response to 'shana
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Apr 23, 2015 3:53 AM in response to 'shana

    How many days did it take for them to fix this issue?

     

    I trying to figure out what I should expect.

  • by 'shana,

    'shana 'shana Apr 23, 2015 7:09 AM in response to JGW_Canada
    Level 1 (55 points)
    Apr 23, 2015 7:09 AM in response to JGW_Canada

    Problem started March 20. Started working April 22. Went to Apple Store on 20 March, I don't remember what day I called AppleCare but it was soon after that.

  • by JohnMarvinG,

    JohnMarvinG JohnMarvinG Apr 23, 2015 8:37 AM in response to 'shana
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Apr 23, 2015 8:37 AM in response to 'shana

    IS this officially fixed or just your appleid?

  • by 'shana,

    'shana 'shana Apr 23, 2015 8:45 AM in response to JohnMarvinG
    Level 1 (55 points)
    Apr 23, 2015 8:45 AM in response to JohnMarvinG

    I haven't heard anything official.

     

    And the few people I know about who suddenly have it working again all fiddled with the time on their iPads.

     

    I just can't imagine it's so fiddly that it wouldn't log in at .02 seconds slow but would at .001 seconds slow.

     

    And why would it let my friend log in when I couldn't? And my husband could log in on his iPod but not my iPad?

     

    I think some people have had their problem fixed when they get the correct time on their iPad Mini and some have had behind the scenes help from AppleCare engineers who so far aren't saying anything.

     

    The only suggestions I have are keep calling Apple, and try to get your time as accurate as possible.

  • by lamsipad,

    lamsipad lamsipad Apr 23, 2015 2:37 PM in response to 'shana
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Apr 23, 2015 2:37 PM in response to 'shana

    Glad some seem to resolving this but it would be nice to know why some validations work and not others on the same iPad.

    Is it that older ID's which have already had validations done for other devices and have something set up to allow them to bypass the time sync routine?

    Why should iPad clock chips be out by a few seconds/milliseconds in the first place?

    When switching time zones, are just the hours and minutes changed so the seconds/millisecond error stays?

     

    Interesting on the iTunes element as my replacement iPad mini 3 worked (iOS8.0) and I now remember that I lost iMessage and Facetime AFTER a back-up sync with iTunes - so is a time signature passed over as part of a sync? I've noticed the PC (although with an internet time sync) is not the same as emarald sequoia by a couple of seconds.

     

    And is there a difference in the Apple OS using the simcard to provide primary time sync and our problems have been wifi only devices ??

     

    as to whether Apple engineers have cracked the problem - I haven't had a phone call to say they think they've fixed it and is it working OK !!

     

    I suppose if those of us who have at last got them working could try playing with the time settings again to see if we can re-produce the fault and then solve it again - but frankly I'm not that brave!!

  • by 'shana,

    'shana 'shana Apr 23, 2015 3:34 PM in response to lamsipad
    Level 1 (55 points)
    Apr 23, 2015 3:34 PM in response to lamsipad

    Glad some seem to resolving this but it would be nice to know why some validations work and not others on the same iPad.

    Is it that older ID's which have already had validations done for other devices and have something set up to allow them to bypass the time sync routine?


    Mine was working originally - I had it working for 4 days. I set my AppleID up in January and my husband's up in March. I didn't try logging onto his (working) iPod Touch till after my iPad imessage quit working. I couldn't get my ID to work on his iPod Touch and his ID didn't work on my Mini. I had an ID from last year I set up for another reason but never used - it didn't work either. The only ID that worked was my friend's and she has had Apple products for years - computers, iPad, phones. So maybe.

     

    Why should iPad clock chips be out by a few seconds/milliseconds in the first place?


    From the MacObserver http://www.macobserver.com/tmo/article/what_time_is_it_your_ipad_may_not_be_sure

     

    "The Wi-Fi-only iPad gets its time from an internal clock that, unlike Mac OS X, is not slaved to an external time standard. As a result, your iPad’s clock can drift, sometimes substantially, and some apps may be affected.

     

    This Wi-Fi-only iPad clock drift is an issue for astronomers, laboratory workers, pilots, and other technical people who may be depending on the iPad’s clock because of other related technical apps they use that access that clock."

     

    There's a lot more in the article.

     

     

    When switching time zones, are just the hours and minutes changed so the seconds/millisecond error stays?


    I have no idea, but I assume so.

     

    Interesting on the iTunes element as my replacement iPad mini 3 worked (iOS8.0) and I now remember that I lost iMessage and Facetime AFTER a back-up sync with iTunes - so is a time signature passed over as part of a sync? I've noticed the PC (although with an internet time sync) is not the same as emarald sequoia by a couple of seconds.


    Emerald Sequoia can be off because of network congestion but seems to be close to internet time.

     

    More from the article:


    "It is suspected, but not confirmed, that Apple has disabled the NTP protocol on the iPad to save the battery power needed to fire up the Wi-Fi radio periodically and connect to an NTP server. Wi-Fi may not be available at that very moment, and that would be a waste of battery power. Even connecting an iPad to a Mac or PC for a sync and backup doesn’t update the iPad clock, and that seems like an oversight."

     

    And is there a difference in the Apple OS using the simcard to provide primary time sync and our problems have been wifi only devices ??


    Yes, the iPads with a SIM card get their time from the cell tower. The wifi ones don't. I don't know where exactly the wifi ones get the auto time. maybe a crowd sourced wifi/bluetooth?

     

    as to whether Apple engineers have cracked the problem - I haven't had a phone call to say they think they've fixed it and is it working OK !!

     

    I suppose if those of us who have at last got them working could try playing with the time settings again to see if we can re-produce the fault and then solve it again - but frankly I'm not that brave!!


    I haven't gotten a call yet either and I emailed my tech guy to let him know. He has crazy hours and usually calls me after 9pm so I don't know if he's even at work now. My time has drifted back to being .05 seconds off and it's still working. I refuse to turn it off to see if I can get back in lol.

     

    I currently don't have access to my husband's ipod touch or my friend's ipad but when I do I will try logging on there to see if my ID now works across devices.


     

     

     

  • by JGW_Canada,

    JGW_Canada JGW_Canada Apr 23, 2015 4:36 PM in response to 'shana
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Apr 23, 2015 4:36 PM in response to 'shana

    I have a hard time believing that the device time is the root cause for a couple of reasons.

     

    1. My account ~5 years old works fine on our iPad Mini, my wife's account less than 5 days old will not work
    2. Our iPad Mini 3 is an LTE model with an active sim in it. According the post above time should be acquired from the cell network.
  • by 'shana,

    'shana 'shana Apr 23, 2015 5:10 PM in response to JGW_Canada
    Level 1 (55 points)
    Apr 23, 2015 5:10 PM in response to JGW_Canada

    I agree. That's why I'm telling people to call in. I think Apple must be doing *something* behind the scenes. One ID at a time. If it was just the time thing, no one's ID should work on the affected iPad but established IDs DO work. It's the newer ones that don't. For a few people, getting the time right worked. There was an earlier problem where that worked and maybe it carried over. There very well be multiple issues but without feedback from Apple we're all just floundering around guessing. I suspect it was a coincidence that my ID worked when my time was almost exact - but I have no way of knowing unless someone from Apple tells me something.

  • by waters5,

    waters5 waters5 Apr 24, 2015 11:35 AM in response to mcfloyd49
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Apr 24, 2015 11:35 AM in response to mcfloyd49

    I have the same issue, tried all the suggestions but still not working.

    I reported the issue and the senior advisor said its a problem at the database end but that was over a week ago,

    had no further updates.

     

    Tried the time app suggested by Shana reported an error of -0.0001 but still wont login.

    Recently tried my wifes iphone created appleID and that works no problems.

     

    I opened a post on here: https://discussions.apple.com/message/28084743?ac_cid=op123456#28084743

  • by 'shana,

    'shana 'shana Apr 24, 2015 12:12 PM in response to waters5
    Level 1 (55 points)
    Apr 24, 2015 12:12 PM in response to waters5

    I was wondering if it was just coincidence. I'm sorry it didn't work for you.

     

    MY suggestion for all that are still waiting, keep calling your senior support person. Make sure they know you still can't get in.

     

    Speaking of which, mine hasn't contacted me since I emailed him to tell him it's working. Guess I will need to call and leave a voicemail.

     

    It sure seems like they are fixing this problem one user at a time.

  • by lamsipad,

    lamsipad lamsipad Apr 24, 2015 12:58 PM in response to 'shana
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Apr 24, 2015 12:58 PM in response to 'shana

    Perhaps they are      -     but isn't it strange that those of us who have got it working played around with the time sync and then got in.   You would have thought that if it is being fixed ID by ID for those who have the problem logged would have had a phone call at least then we could feed that back to this discussion!  By the way my time clock is -2.552 seconds off, but since being validated,   I haven't lost iMessages of facetime...... YET!

     

    mini 3  iOS8.0

  • by davebeals,

    davebeals davebeals Apr 24, 2015 1:17 PM in response to lamsipad
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Apr 24, 2015 1:17 PM in response to lamsipad

    My wife had this same problem with her iPad Mini 3. See my post in this forum from Apr 15. This problem was worked on by the support people at the local apple store, to no avail. The "Genius Bar" staff at the apple store had their Apple support people on the phone to help, to no avail. I was provided a case number so an Apple support person could work on the problem, and after numerous phone calls, resets, etc. no resolution. Ultimately it was "sent to engineering". After about a week, i received a note that said i should attempt Facetime and iMessage again. The message said ... " our engineering team have made changes to your device". The problem was resolved. I reported back to the support person the positive result, asked for a better explanation, and expressed my concern that the problem can re appear as i have seen reported in this forum. I asked for this in an email. I received a phone call today and i was told that an explanation was not not necessary and was not forthcoming. As of now, the applications are working. Although all the people i dealt with from Apple were most pleasant and understanding, i have little confidence in their overall technical support. I am sorry i cannot report to others what the resolution was. That was what i was hoping to do in this forum. I suspect a bug in their authentication process with Facetime and iMessage, or a corrupted directory of Apple ids. As best that i can determine, there was no adjustment to the time setting or time synchchronization. As i reported, i was unable to glean any additional information from Apple as to what the root cause of the problem was, nor how the problem was resolved. iMessage and Face time are currently working. Best of luck to others with this same problem.

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