Activate FaceTime and iMessage
activate my facetime and imessage
iPhone 14 Pro Max, iOS 26
Question marked as
Welcome and thank you for reaching out. đ€
To use either iMessage or FaceTime, you need to activate them on your iPhone. If you see an error message when you try to activate, follow these steps.
When activating iMessage or FaceTime, you might see one of these messages:
- Waiting for activation
- Activation unsuccessful
- An error occurred during activation
- Could not sign in, please check your network connection
- Unable to contact the iMessage server. Try again.
What you need before you sign in:
- Make sure that youâre connected to a cellular data or Wi-Fi network.
- Make sure that your device has the latest version of iOS.
- Make sure that your time zone is set correctly. In the Settings app, tap General. Then tap Date & Time.
If you're using an iPhone, you need SMS messaging to activate your phone number with iMessage and FaceTime. Depending on your carrier, you might be charged for this SMS.
If a prompt appears stating "Your network provider may charge for SMS messages used to activate iMessage and FaceTime", tap "Turn On" to allow possible SMS charges.
Turn off and restart iMessage and FaceTime:
- In the Settings app, tap Apps.
- Tap Messages, then turn off iMessage.
- Go to Settings, then tap Apps again.
- Tap FaceTime, then turn off FaceTime.
- Restart your iPhone.
- Turn iMessage and FaceTime back on.
Try to activate your iMessage or FaceTime account online:
- Go to apple.co/IMFT-mac.
- Under Enable Apple Account, tap Get Started.
- Sign into your Apple Account and follow the onscreen instructions. If you use a phone number with FaceTime and iMessage, make sure to enter that phone number.
You will receive an email if your account is ready for iMessage and FaceTime use.
Use an email address to sign in to Messages or FaceTime instead:
You can also use your email address with iMessage and FaceTime. Sign in to your Apple Account and review all the email addresses you have on file, including the one that you're trying to verify. If the email address is incorrect, you can update it. Then click Resend next to the email address that you want to verify.
To select your email address to use with Messages:
- In the Settings app, tap Apps.
- Tap Messages.
- Tap Send & Receive, then choose your email address.
To select your email address to use with FaceTime:
- In the Settings app, tap Apps.
- Tap FaceTime.
- Scroll to You Can Be Reached By FaceTime At, and choose your email address.
When you use both your phone number and your email address with Messages, you might start or receive separate conversation threads with the same contacts. Set your phone number or email address as the primary way to start and receive Messages.
FaceTime isn't available in all countries or regions.
If you can't turn on or sign in to Messages and FaceTime when you try on your Mac or iPad
If your phone number still doesnât have a check next to it in Settings after 24 hours:
It might take up to 24 hours for your carrier to verify your phone number with Apple. Contact your carrier to make sure that you can send and receive international SMS messages and wait up to 24 hours after you try the troubleshooting steps above.
If iMessage is on and a spinning gear appears next to your phone number, your device automatically attempts to verify your phone number. There is no need to repeatedly turn iMessage off and on.
If you don't activate iMessage or your eSIM when you set up a new iPhone with iOS 26:
iMessage does not activate automatically after you set up an eSIM in Settings later. Your messages might cause a Not Delivered alert, appear as SMS/RCS messages in green bubbles, or come from your email address instead of a phone number.
To activate iMessage in this situation:
- In the Settings app, tap Apps.
- Tap Messages.
- Turn iMessage off and back on.
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Good Luck! đđŒđ
Smiliñ đ Brian | Community Volunteer
