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iMessage won't let me use my phone number

The issue I am dealing with is that iMessage won't let me select my phone number, so I can be able to use it instead of my email address. It shows it already selected (but gay) after i enter my Apple ID in but afterwards it doesn't show it at all, only my Apple ID.

iPhone 4, iOS 6

Posted on Sep 30, 2012 5:26 PM

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Posted on Oct 25, 2012 3:03 PM

I'm having the same problem. My iMessages won't work and my number is grey so I can't select it. How do I fix it so iMessage works?

17 replies

Dec 4, 2012 2:23 AM in response to morganismmm

Morganism, did you solve your problem? Mine is exactly same as yours. For facetime and imessage, my phone number is gray and not selectable, i can only do it with apple id, which means someone cannot facetime with me via my phone number, but has to know my mail address. I have been using this iphone 4 for almost 2 years, no problem at all till yesterday, when i upgraded to Ios 6.0.1 and happened like this.

Dec 5, 2012 3:05 AM in response to Heathcliff2018

My apple id is black and ticked, my phone number is gray and not ticked, because that it is gray, so not selectable, not tickable. This just happened after i upgraded to ios 6.0.1, so called for fixing the bugs. I tried to make facetime call to my Iphone4 by my ipod touch, it doesnt work, says it is not available. However when i call facetime using my apple id, it starts ringing immediately. I have been using the same phone, same number and same sim card for almost two years, didnt change any setting. Any suggestions? Except restoring the phone via itunes, such a stupid program?

Mar 27, 2015 3:25 PM in response to Divine doll

I used a Vodaphone SIM in New Zealand and when I returned and changed back to my Verizon SIM, iMessage would not go back to my Verizon U.S number. The Vodaphone number was listed but not checked. My Apple ID showed the Verizon number. I followed these steps recommended in an earlier post.


1. Turn iMessage off.

2. Turn phone off for 30 seconds.

3. Turn phone back on.

4. Turn iMessage on.


It worked. My Verizon number is now listed and checked. FaceTime has never been turned on for this phone. I no longer get texts asking "who is this?" from friends.

iMessage won't let me use my phone number

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