My iMessage still says "Waiting for activation..."

I got a new iPhone 5 last night and happily came home to try to do a backup and restore from my old iPhone 4 and hit this problem with trying to activate iMessage and Facetime to no avail. I searched the net and came to this thread. Followed the instructions given here and just could not get it to work. I knew it is not my Apple ID because I can still disable and enable it on my iPhone 4. Finally, I did the following to make it work:

1. Backup the iPhone 5 (once you sync, it is backup already).

2. Reset and wipe out everything on the iPhone 5. That is, tart from scratch.

3. Once I completed the set up process, I immediately login to my Apple ID and then start to enable and activate iMessage and Facetime WITHOUT doing the restore first. Well, obviously, it worked!

4. Now that iMessage and Facetime are both enabled and activated, I then plug the iPhone 5 into my MacBook Air to start the restore. After the Restore, everything is still working - iMessage and Facetime are both still enabled and activated and working like a charm.

If you have tried everything else and it did not work, you can try this to see whether it works for you. It does not take that long to go through the process.

OKay i am extremly confused I accidentaly washed my fiances phone so i had to upgrade and give him my old iphone. My fiance, my mother and I all share itunes account because they basically dont use it. Well when i updated his phone it went through all the settings well then it was sending text from my moms number when really it was from his phone. So i got it straightened out by going to message setting and under send and recieve i unclicked her number wll now his number is gray and hers is black un clicked but it will not allow him to send Imessages. How on earth do I delete her number off there so he can I messags I have tried everything including restoring phone and all content. PLEASE HELP SO ANNOYING..

iphone 4, verizon

What I can say is that after having tried everything possible on all these forums my issue did not resolved. Just when I gave up, several weeks after, it miraculously started working on its own. The last change I made, which may have taken a while to take effect was to change the mobile number on my itunes account to match the number i was trying to activate. Cannot say but glad this issue is laid to rest for me now anwyay.

Try this:

Go to settings/messages/

Turn off Send as SMS

Turn back on Send as SMS

This worked for me...

I have been having these same iMessage issues ever since I received a replacement iPhone 4 about 3 weeks ago. I tried everything under the sun with no resolution. I finally went to the Apple store today and apparently it was a hardware issue. They gave me another new phone and so far it is working properly.

If you have an Apple store nearby you may want to pay them a visit.

iPhone 4 on AT&T

Well i have tried everything under the sun and i think it is out of my hands now. The last test i didn was used someone sim card out of the exact same phone whose was working without a issue and guess what, it worked in mine without any problem. So ki figjured that my sim was damaged and that i needed a new sim, with to my carrier BTC (Bahamas) powered by lime, and got a new sim. Guess what happened, nothing, back to the beginning again. So i am sure it isn't my cell, and it isn't me but it has to be some sort of configuration thats set up in there system. But if i didn't get the phone from them they wont assist me. Isn't that a bummer.

OK, here's my issue. I only use my iphone 4 on wifi. No contract, carrier etc right now. I updated to iOS 6 and iMessage/FaceTime remain at waiting for activation regardless of any tricks, gimmicks, etc, that I've read on here.

It was through AT&T, but, they refuse to help me out since I won't renew my contract.

Am I just screwed or is there a way to get it to work?

I dunno if this will fix your particular problem, but it can't hurt.

Go to: http://www.unlockit.co.nz/unlockit/ and, on your phone run their APN changer and follow their instructions. It will install an app for you. I know you are not on AT&T but the phone was set up with them previously, so choose AT&T as the carrier and see what happens. It worked for me and I use PureTalkUSA as my carrier. It made it so my iMessage works as well as Facetime, so everyone else out there this may help with these issues too.

You need to verify your Apple ID go to appleid.apple.com and manage your apple id and make sure your email has been verified.

Also try going to settings - general - reset - reset network settings

Sign out of the "store" in settings store (iOS 6 it will say itunes and apps store) select your apple id and sign out then sign back in again.

Try this and get back to me

I fixed mine with iTunes and made a video of it http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRNzXReLV44

i fixed it using this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRNzXReLV44

didnt work

Do you still have "waiting for activation"

what have you tried so far?