IMessage won't activate my phone number

Yeah if the iMessage 'server' was down I kinda get the feeling that the chatter on the web would be a little bit louder than it is right now! It's not even feasible to believe that Apple's iMessage 'verification' system (in whatever form it may be) is down given that I've seen at least one activation (on Vodafone) work perfectly since mine (Telstra) went bad.

Antman, would you care to brifely list the 'few things on google' that you tried which weren't listed here?

Tried changing auto-update of date/time settings

Changing my number from starting with +61 to 0 and back again in phone settings

Ensuring my contact details were set under Settings > Contacts > My Details

Flight mode on/off

iMessage on/off

Facetime on/off

Factory reset

Soft reset / hard reset

Reset network settings

The following test I would LOVE to perform...

Someone currently on Telstra with iMessage enabled - toggle off, then on. Does it work?

Someone currently on any other network with iMessage enabled - toggle off, then on. Does it work?

From my understanding - existing phone numbers already verified with iMessage work fine.

New activations / verifications are failing... but is this CARRIER dependant?!?

Come on Apple, if I can do this sort of diagnosis on my own while working 60+ hour weeks.... surely YOU can sort it out soon?!?! 🙂

How frustrating!

At this point I'd almost be happy to set the phone up as new, but I'd like a guarantee that it's going to work before I waste more time!

I wouldn't do that azriel550.

Though not exactly, this is what I did in a round-about way but still didn't fix the issue.

Summary was:

* iPhone 3GS with iOS 5.0.1 - iMessages working PERFECTLY

* Got new iPhone 4 - put sim card in... no iMessages

* restored from back-up my stuff from my 3GS to my new 4... no iMessages

I would be about 99.9% confident in saying that a full restore back to new will NOT fix the issue.

I'm still hedging my bets on it being:

an issue with registering new and/or re-registering existing phone numbers with the iMessage server which may or may not be carrier specific.

I'd like to point out this.

My girlfriend who is with Optus turned her IMessages off and back on to see if she had the same problem.

Even with the poorest of coverage and no wifi, her IMessage activated within seconds which just plain annoys me.

I've exhausted every method trying to get IMessage to activate and I'm finally coming to the conclusion that a complete start from scratch might be my only way of getting it back, not that I want to download 800mgb of useless IOS.

I don't believe how Apple can just step back and lie to us by saying "Oh the IMessages server is down" and expect me to smile back and say, "Okay then, I'll just wait and see what happens tomorrow", and then have the audacity to call that good customer support.

Don't even know why I bothered switching from an Android device if this is the treatment I'm going to get.

I don't believe we've heard from Apple yet. As far as I can tell it's Telstra who have blamed Apple's servers and washed their hands of responsibility.

Between us we've seen the process work perfectly on Vodafone and Optus. The common link among us appears to be Telstra.

Given that this is not an Australian forum, yet the activity on this topic seems to be Aussies on Telstra, it's starting to look a lot like Occum's Razor is pointing in their direction.

I've called apple and they've told me IMessage servers "must" be down, in a very uncertain tone I must add.

But yes you're right, I'd say it's more got to do with Telstra than Apple now that you point out the number of us complaining about it.

It's just not right.

EDIT:

Also, I just turned off my face time and tried to turn it back on as well, and it is stuck on Waiting for activation also!!!

I'm currently on the phone to another Apple customer support agent and he tried to get me to do all the trouble shooting basics, now he's going to have a chat with his senior advisor he told me and I'm on hold.

I'll keep everyone updated if I get this to work.

Just off the phone, he told me to restore from a backup anyway just to see what it does.

Pretty sure this won't work, and he did tell me that I may need do a complete device restore, which I fear will lead to me not being able to activate the WHOLE dang device.

He then told me to give them a call when that's done and if it doesn't work, they'll escalate it to a senior advisor who will try to help me, and if they can't help me then I'm most likely doomed to live a terrible life with no Imessage D:

Well can I just say, I rang back and told them it's not working and that I was advised that you put me onto a senior advisor, they then said "No, it's a hardware problem", and scheduled me an appointment to get the device replaced, at my nearest genius bar.

WHAT THE FFFFF?

So Apple are saying an iMessage server issue...

Common thread seems to be Telstra.

How does the activation process work from sim to phone through carrier to Apple's iMessage server...???

Did Telstra forget to pay their bill to Apple on time or something?

Not an overly helpful post I know, but I'm getting really annoyed by this!

Telstra and/or Apple - EPIC FAIL!!!!

Free advice guys, don't bother with a factory reset.

Tried it on my wife's 3GS (also Telstra)...iMessage still broken!!!

Arrrrrrgggggghhhhhh!

Oh and as for them saying hardware issue - no!

Just no!

I have the exact same problem it was working fine I till I toggled it off two nights ago and now it won't activate from my number it keeps sending iMessage in my email!!! I have tried reset network etc and nothing!! Keep us posted how you go! Ps I am with Telstra too........