iMessage trouble with two iPhones and one Apple ID

I realized after posting that I upgraded the NTT phone first, and then the AT&T the next day. The NTT phone was able to iMessage using the Japanese number, on iOS 6, before I updated the AT&T phone to iOS 6. After that, my Japanese number is greyed out but I can use the AT&T number on my Japanese phone for iMessage.

Still cannot activate.

Just an update for those who may have the same problems and questions I did:

It is possible to link two phone numbers to one Apple ID. People on here have had success. So that is not the issue.

I'm still stuck, with both phones now, waiting activation to use the phone numbers. I can use iMessage with my Apple ID just fine, so at least I have that.

AfzalS,

Your situation is a little different than mine as you are using multiple Apple IDs, but sorry to hear that your phones are not working as they are supposed to. Hopefully a fix will come out soon!

Carl,

Thanks for the reply, but that doesn't work for me.

My phone number for each phone, respectively, are greyed out and cannot be selected.

Nope. Called Apple twice today. Spoke with two different representatives who could not help solve this problem.

Matt, could you clear up your post?

You said your wife updated her phone with no problems. So at that time, she was able to use iMessage with both your shared Apple ID and her phone number, correct?

Then you updated your phone, and you received a message saying that her phone is now using YOUR number. That makes me think that your phone number was properly activated.

On your phone, which number can you not edit and is greyed out? Your phone number? Is there a check mark next to it? Is there any option to use her phone number?

Have you checked her phone yet? If so, can you list up what options you're seeing for iMessage, like this:

Matt's Phone: Matt's #, Wife's #, Apple ID (shared)

Wife's Phone: Matt's #, Wife's #, Apple ID (shared)

Mine is still:

iPhone 4 (AT&T): AT&T #, Apple ID (shared)

iPhone 4S (NTT): AT&T #, Apple ID (shared), NTT # greyed out (and not checked)

I really hope Apple will fix this issue soon, as I've seen many people with the same problem all over the world.

Finally resolved this issue after months of off and on troubleshooting.

I have no idea exactly which steps "fixed" the issue, but here's what I did. None of the basic troubleshooting steps that are on here worked for me, and this is including restoring both phones in iTunes as a "last resort" step that two Apple technical service representatives suggested.

I found a post on here from user "tungddao" who suggested:

"Turn on iMessage then make a phone call to : 011+445773142076

With Facetime & Siri: 011+447786205094"

I called both numbers with my NTT 4S, and both numbers hung up right away. I also texted both numbers, and the FaceTime one went through, while the iMessage number did not. I then checked my SMS blocking settings with NTT. There were no blocks, but I reset the settings to "unblock all" anyway.

I was able to activate iMessage and FaceTime with my Apple ID and my NTT phone number. Halfway there.

I then turned on my ATT 4, and while I could send/receive using my Apple ID and NTT phone number, the ATT number was greyed out, which was the opposite of what had happened before, when I could use the ATT number, but not the NTT one. On my NTT 4S, I could select my ATT number, but it was stuck on "verifying" for days, and I knew it wouldn't go through.

So, I signed out of my Apple ID on iMessage and FaceTime on my ATT 4, and turned both services off. I turned on data roaming, and turned off WiFi. *This step was key to activating both services, as they would not activate over WiFi for some reason.

I turned on iMessage and FaceTime without signing in to my Apple ID just yet. They both activated successfully, and then I signed into my Apple ID on both services, and from then on, I can use both numbers and my Apple ID on both phones! Finally!

These are my current options:

Phone 1 (4S on NTT): Phone 1's #, Phone 2's #, Apple ID

Phone 2 (4 on ATT, roaming here in Japan on Softbank): Phone 2's #, Phone 1's #, Apple ID

Hope this helps someone out there, as this issue was real frustrating for me.