Q: Cannot activate iMessage

Changing the DNS settings worked like a charm.  Make sure you type in the comma, it is NOT a typo.  As soon as I had done that, the mesages started getting through.

Time and date thing worked for me. Thanks

I finally got iMessage to work and all I had to do is turn a couple of switches from On to Off. They were Send Read Receipts and Show Subject Field. Now it is working! Yea! Judy

Both my iPad 2 and iPhone 4 gave me problems to sign in for iMessage /// 2 days ago I turned off FaceTime in the general settings, since I had no plans to use FaceTime , tonight reading the posts I had the idea to turn on FaceTime again and presto magic ... iMessage logged me in with no errors or problems on both devices at the same time. Hope this works for others on ios5

my problem resolved after reset all settings works like a charm

dns is work, thx guy

Same here! Worked right away when I turned on FaceTime.....now if I could just get my .me mail to work....and complete syncing....geez, have wasted so much time trying to get this new stuff to work!  hrmf!

Had the same problem with my iMessage but now it is working with the DNS solution

awesome!

Settings -> General -> Date & Time -> Set Automatically: ON

did the trick.

Thanks.

is it useless for me to try to set up iMessages on an iPhone3gs although I have upgraded to iOS 5.0?  And do I need cellular phone service or will wi-fi be sufficent.

I'm so lost without a clue.

Please help. or send an ambulance.

you just need ios5 on the device.   i also have an iPad 2 only Wifi and I can send iMessages from my iPad 2 ;  so it does not need 3G service for iMessage to work.

I did solve my problem by turning on my Date & time to Automatically

**** it !!!

Thanks fdm 1979.

I had a issue on the time displayed on ipod touch after winter time change in France. So to display it correctly I changed automatic time to manual. Since then, no way to activate iMessage but I forgot that I made the change O: )

Probably the iMessage system requires a synchronization with server time before allowing the use of iMessage

also got the same problem...can't sign up for iMessage using current apple ID...tried everything even changing wi-fi DNS but no luck...help please!

fdm 1979's solution is the one that worked for me."Setting the time and date to automatic update." 

The reset and DNS solutions didnt work for me. So thumbs up to the rather strange solution from fdm 1979!