iMessage "An error occurred during activation. Try again."

I'm in Hawaii and it just started working for me about 10 mins ago. I've been trying to log in for the past 24 hours with a new iPad 2 and it worked, just now. I say give it a half hour and keep trying.

iMessage stopped working for me. Works on my wife's phone.

Settings> Messages> Use your apple ID for message> Enter Apple Id =

"An error occurred during activation. Try Again".

I try again. Same message...

What is the magic number of retries?

You have to wait literally 24hrs from the moment you got your new device.

I got my iPhone upgraded yesterday and it literally just started working (24hrs later).

If after 24hrs doesn't work then go to the apple store or call. But I'm sure it will work.

Happy waiting!

I've been having the same trouble for the last 24 hours (new phone setup). Magically, right now it just worked again 5:50 pm PST July 22. Servers must be back up. Thanks for this post, I almost when to a Apple store.

Not sure what exactly went wrong. But if I had to guess, only CERTAIN "collections" of Apple ID's (however Apple stores their Apple ID's) went down, and it took them a while to fix it. Or the went down for routine maintenence. Or something of that nature. But my iPhone is now working again, and I'm sure that anyone still experiencing this issue will have it resolved withing the next few hours. I'm just glad it was fixed!

It doesn't do anything I restored my phone so it's as if I bought a new phone. It needs to activate the phone before I can even use it for anything and it can't connect. Only things I can do is try to reconnect or dial emergency.

Hey everyone,

I too was facing the same problem but have found a solution for it. Like it is said in the previous post's link, the problem is most likely because of the 'Date & Time' setting. Change to setting to 'Set Automatically' and then try reconnecting to facetime/imessage.

Hope this helps you as it did to me.

Possible Solution

I was having the same problem today and then it ride something different.

My main email is different from my main ID. I tired just for giggles logging in with my main email and not my Apple ID. I used my usual password and it actually worked. Then I set the desired email. (a third email as I have another family member using this device)

Long story short is that logging in using alternate email got me pas hours of failed attempts.

Hope this helps.

This is happening to me - stopped working randomly last night, i turned it off and on and now it won't activate my phone number. Works fine with my email address but not with my phone number. I've been on the phone with apple for almost 30 minutes and we've gone through logging out of my apple ID, resetting my settings, the date & time, turning wifi off and on, turning my phone off and on, turning airplane mode off and on, turning imessage off and on.. you get the point. It's still not working and the woman on the other end of the phone is clearly running out of options to offer me. I'm hoping that it's a server thing and it will work again in 24 hours. If not I'm going to genius bar cuz this is so not okay.

Why does everybody feel the need to reply with a " me too in (yourcountryhere)" when this helps no one. I have to scroll through pages on responses, and find out at the end no one has an answer. I know you have the same problem as the rest of us, that's why were here. Unless you have a solution, or are going to at least publish the steps you took, to save us the trouble of trying the same, then don't bother. It helps no one!

*Thank You SissyRibbons, this worked for me* :)

SissyRibbons

Re: iMessage "An error occurred during activation. Try again."

Nov 19, 2012 8:54 PM (in response to MartinF123)

Hey you guys. After several stressful hours,I found a solution (hopefully it will also work for you)

I currently have iOS Version 6.0.1, but this should work for everyone

After hours of trying several methods to fix your iMessages from different forum websites, i mashed all methods together.

This all started when i accidently hit "iMessage" and turned it OFF, then it was not able to turn it back on using my number, but instead it was giving my email address for texting, or just giving regular text. Hopefully this will work for you. Please read throughout all directions in order

At this time, make sure your iMessage and Facetime are BOTH ON ( if you cant find these two options, skip a few steps down and it will tell you how to get to there)

Before we start, BE SURE YOU HAVE A VALID "APPLE ID"

Make sure your Date,Location, and Time are correct according to your time zone and location.

Date/Time:

Go into "Settings"

Find and enter the "General" Tab

In the General Tab, find and enter the "Date and Time" tab

Turn OFF the "Set Automatically" ---- then. manually change the "Time Zone" to where you are currectly located" OR nearest location (e.g. - I am located in "Richmond CA," but the time zone I am checked in is "Cupertino CA(15 minutre drive away," So no big difference) ----Dont try and find me creepers, im a serial killer who rides a Donkey, serious business.

Turn "Set Automatic" back ON, (If it automatically find the closest city near you, no biggie)

End of Step

Location: iMessages

Go into "Setting"

Find and enter the "Messages" tab

Scroll down and enter "Send & Receive"

Click on your Apple ID:

Click on "Change Location"

Make sure your "Region" is accurate to where you are located"

End of Step

Location: Facetime

Go into "Setting"

Find and enter the "Facetime" tab

Click on your "Apple ID"

Click on "Change Location"

Make sure your Location is accurate

End of Step

Okay, Now for the goodies, not too much though, might cut your tongue.

Step one: Sign out of your Apple ID.

Find and enter your "Store" app ( where you download all your apps for your iPhone), select the "Featured" category located at the bottom left of the app.

Scroll down on the page, you should see a tab where it shows your email Apple ID address. - click on it and Sign Out.

If youre already signed out, SIGN IN AND BACK OUT AGAIN

End of Step

Step two: Turn off Wifi.

Go into "Settings"

Find and enter the "Wi-Fi" tab,

Turn OFF Wi-Fi

End of Step

Step Three: Enable then Disable Restrictions

Go into "Settings"

Find and enter the "General" tab

Find and enter the "Restrictions" tab

If Restrictions are already disabled-----Enable it.

It will ask you for a "Restrictions Password" (I put the same code i use to log into and unlock my iPhone)

After you Enable it ---- DISABLE IT again, so that every tab is "OFF" and greyed out, unable to be clicked.

End of Step

Step four: Turn off iMessage

Go into Settings

Find and enter the "Messages" tab

Turn OFF iMessages

End of Step

Step Four: Turn off FaceTime

Go into "Settings"

Find and enter the "Facetime" tab

Turn OFF Face Time

End of Step

Step Five: Reset Network Settings

[NOTE: This will NOT erase contacts or any of the naked pictures you take of yourself/ Personal information, ex. Music, Schedules, or your only Girlfriend Siri (Doesnt count if youre a woman, Men, dont deny it, my Siri forced me to be her Husband :'( ]

Go into "Settings"

Find and enter the "General" Tab

Scroll Down and enter the "Reset" tab

Click on the "Reset Network Settings"

It may or may not ask you for a password, just use the same password again you use to get into your iPhone

::Mr. T Voice:: PRESS THE RED BUTTON FOO!

End of Step

After you pressed "Reset Network Settings" Your phone should have automatically restarted.

Now for the Finishing Steps.

Now that your phone has restarted, You must do the "Cha Cha Slide" and "Hokey Pokey" to induce a magical spell onto your iPhone. Just kidding, but try it, you'll make a fool of yourself and relieve some stress from all the researching you have been doing to fix this problem. It's Okay if you didnt, im still your friend. =D

NOTE: DO NOT SIGN INTO WIFI, From now on until your "iMessages/Facetime" Works, You should be running on "3g or 4g" internet

Step Six: Sign in into your Apple Store

Find and enter your "Store" app ( where you download all your apps for your iPhone),

Select the "Featured" category located at the bottom left of the app.

Scroll down on the page and SIGN IN

End of step

Step Seven: Sign into iMessages (MAKE SURE YOUR WI-FI IS STILL OFF or "Not Connected"!! and running on "3g/4g")

Go into "Settings"

Find and enter the "Messages" Tab

Turn ON "iMessages" (It may or may not ask you to sign into your Apple ID, just sign in whenever they ask you to. OR there might be a tsb where it will say something about "You need to sign into your Apple ID, blah blah blah, something along those lines, Click it and Sign in)

Let it load ( loading times may varry, from five minutes to 1 and a half hours, keep checking in all while you DO NOT SIGN INTO Wi-Fi!)

IMPORTANT! - Now, when i turned ON iMessages, IT FAILED THE FIRST.. or second time(cant remember), KEEP TRYING! It should turn on after three or four tries.

Now do not toggle the On&Off button during the proccess of it loading because it will restart the whole loading process. Just wait until it says "unsuccessfull" to Turn off iMessages and on again.

HOPEFULLY when your iMessages is turned on,

Step Eight: Repeat step: Seven,

For your Facetime. That also failed once for me before it started to work again.

After both iMessages and Facetime are working, you are now free kiss a baby or Pet(Gold Fish, Husband and Wife included) on the cheek out of joy....but put him him/her/it down, youre scary looking and might make the baby/pet cry

You are also free to sign back into Wi-Fi

I hope this works for you. Enjoy your day and help a random stranger out.

If it worked and you feel generous, Copy Paste this into any Forum or Website (Eg. Yahoo Answers) so others can see and be helped.

SissyRibbons OUT!

^Best nickname ever.

Like (5)

I must say,"Thank you." I have a son living in Japan and one of the few ways I can communicate with him without any charge is iMessage. Suddenly it wouldn't work. I could not figure out what was wrong and I am not a novice. As I went through your solutions one by one I came to the Facebook instructions and found out that somehow Facebook had inad-vertently been turned off. Just that one thing kept stopping my activation. So I wanted to take the time to thank you. I greatly appreciate your posting. From an appreciative mother whose son is in Japan and who misses him very much.

It worked for me the first time. My daughter kept trying to send me a picture today, which is about a month after I bought my 4S, and I never received it so she sent it again. Still didn't get the picture and stumbled on this site after Googling the problem. It worked and I am so thankful that you spent the time researching this problem.

Back up your phone to icloud or your computer. Then go to Settings > General > Reset > Erase all content and Settings.

After the phone is erased, you can restore all of the information from icloud or your computer. imessage works now. This worked for me!

I tried many things from other posts.

What worked for me.

I made sure that my number (under phone) was complete with the country area code. (As this is what I had for my Apple ID)

After I did this and reset my phone (holding both top and bottom button) i signed in again and it worked.