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Level 1

120 points

I can't select my phone number for iMessage (-sigh- Yeah, this problem again)

Let me explain the whole scenario:

My iMessage and FaceTime worked perfectly fine this morning.
I turned off my iMessage to check if I would be able to get messages from other iPhones.

My observation is that when an iPhone has their iMessage turned off and someone else who sends an imessage to that phone, their message would automatically turn to "text" messages instead of imessages. (Whoa, that sounds a bit confusing).

Anyway, I turned my iMessage back on and what do you know, I can't click my phone number because it's grey

I'm only able to select my emails. So for "send and recieve" it says "No address" (Because i didn't select anything, I'm waiting for my phone number to 'magically' get selected)

I have tried so many things and it's irritating.

My Facetime worked well, I would turn it off and back on and my number would get selected instantly. And I messed around with it, turning it off and back on to see if it'll automatically choose my number and it did. But I turned it off and on again and now It doesn't choose anything, it just says "Waiting for Activation"

But now after so many attempts of trying to turn it off and back on just to fix this iMessage crap, I can't even sign in to my apple id anymore. It says that I can't sign in and that I need to check my network connection. (I'm using wi-fi. And it's working perfectly fine; My network connection is fine)

So now, I'm really screwed. my iMessage and Facetime don't work anymore.

I'm really looking for a solution to this annoying problem.

By the way, it's an iPhone 4s and my carrier is T-Mobile.

Posted on Nov 16, 2013 9:53 PM

Best reply

Taliahx

Level 1

9 points

Posted on Jan 28, 2014 5:02 AM

I just did this method, and it seems to have worked. I noticed I wasn't receiving iMessages from my overseas buddies on my new phone, but they were coming through on my iPad. My number in grey wasn't ticked. I went through this method and now it is ticked. Thank you!

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51 replies

Apr 5, 2014 11:55 PM in response to adamhughey

WEll done Adam. Just used your instruction above and it worked a treat!!! Cheers Rob .... Western Australia

May 1, 2014 12:29 AM in response to le colibri

You can sign out of your apple ID in imessages settings, disable imessages and then re-enable it and your phone number should be the only one that could be selected!

Shary07

Level 1

5 points

Jun 17, 2014 2:20 AM in response to E.L.A.95

Hii..so am having the same problem!My iphone can't select mu phone number and when i don't select my emails it says 'No address'! cn someone help me out???

Jun 17, 2014 8:34 AM in response to Wödmasta

I tried all proposed solutions a couple of times. Nothing worked !

So I disconnected imassage.

After IOS upgrade to version 7.1.1. I tried to connect again and surprise it was fine again.

I could see my phone number normal instead of grey and therefore I also could select it.

Bayboo

Level 1

9 points

Jun 27, 2014 1:52 PM in response to adamhughey

Thanks! This worked for me too!

Aug 12, 2014 8:32 PM in response to E.L.A.95

Hi this is Dr Shabd

The only and easiest way is

1-Go to Setting - Switch off the Face Time

2-Go to Settig - Switch off the iMessage

3-Go to Setting - General Settings- Reset Network Settings

4 - Go to Setting Switch on FaceTime - Sign in with your existing Apple / iCloud ID

You can see the Mobile number is changed now.

For more queries do write me or Whatsapp me.

Aug 18, 2014 11:05 AM in response to bestkneesurgeon

Hi Dr. Shabd,

I am so frusturated and still having trouble with my phone. I am new to Iphones, Apple, and Sprint and bought a refurbished phone from Freedompop, which rides on the Sprint network. The phone is perfect and the calls are good, but for some reason when I click on settings then phone, the number next to "my number" is wrong. It shows up when I send messages and get on Facetime but it is faded out, so I can't change it either there or when I click on Facetime in the settings section. In the "you can be reached by facetime at" it lists my correct email but that same number, again faded out. The caller ID section isn't faded, but still won't let me change anything. When I call another phone, my actual number comes up- same with calling it. When I log on to apple's website and look at my information, this strange number doesn't show up anywhere, so I can't imagine where it is coming from or how to get rid of it. If you have any new ideas, I would really appreciate hearing from you. I have searched and searched and followed directions with turning messaging and facetime off, rebooting, turning back on, ect and nothing is working. Nothing let's me click on "my number" to change it. So frusturating!! Please help me. Thank you for your time!

Sincerely,
Michelle

Ms. Sj

Level 1

9 points

Aug 23, 2014 9:38 PM in response to adamhughey

Thanks Adam! 8 months later & your advise is still helping ppl!

megan222

Level 1

8 points

Nov 20, 2014 2:53 PM in response to adamhughey

I tried that but it still has my phone number greyed out and will not let me select. It now says "no addresses"

megan222

Level 1

8 points

Nov 20, 2014 3:20 PM in response to bestkneesurgeon

This unfortunately did not fix my problem. Now it shows imessage is on, but all my messages are still going/recieving as sms.

Jan 21, 2015 1:23 AM in response to E.L.A.95

Hey guys , I got the same problem too . when I turn off n on my iMessage and sign out my apple id , when I sign in again I have my phone number ticked , but it stays on waiting for activation and my phone number is gone from Send & Receive part !!!

What can I do ?

Jan 23, 2015 4:09 PM in response to Masih Irani

Another person mentioned that this was an Apple-server side issue, which is out of our control.

Until Apple fixes this issue, there is nothing that can be done.

Sit tight.

aluraune

Level 1

0 points

Mar 20, 2015 10:23 PM in response to Tylegn

Thank you Ty, your advice was the advice that worked for me! I suppose all of the other suggestions were outdated or something.

May 30, 2015 3:53 AM in response to Tylegn

HI Ty!

I am having the same problem as everyone else on this feed and I have tried EVERYTHING. Randomly two days ago my phone stopped receiving iMessages, but I was still receiving them on my Macbook! I can see that the issue is that my phone number is greyed out and I cannot click it, I have tried everything, resetting my network settings, logging out of iMessage and FaceTime on all of my devices and resetting and then logging back in and it STILL wont let me click on my phone number! Any advice? I have tried everything every forum or apple support feed suggests!

Aug 3, 2015 3:49 PM in response to clairefromalbuquerque

I started having a problem with this a few days ago with my MacBookPro. My iPhone and iPad are synching just fine but it has dropped my MBP and I can't get it to receive a code when I try to enable the MBP. I've tried all of the suggestions in this thread but I can't get the MBP back in the loop.

I can't select my phone number for iMessage (-sigh- Yeah, this problem again)