Hello there, jboylan29.
The following Knowledge Base article offers great, in-depth steps to follow for troubleshooting issues with being unable to send Messages from your iOS device:
iOS: Troubleshooting Messages - Apple Support
Try starting with these initial steps:
You will need these to send and receive iMessages:
- An iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch
- iOS 5.0 or later
- A cellular data connection or a Wi-Fi connection
- A phone number or Apple ID registered with iMessage in Settings > Messages
- Check iMessage system status for current service issues.
- Go to Settings > Messages > Send & Receive and make sure that you registered iMessage with your phone number or Apple ID and that you selected iMessage for use. If the phone number or Apple ID isn't available for use, troubleshoot iMessage registration.
- Open Safari and navigate to www.apple.com to verify data connectivity. If a data connection isn't available, troubleshoot cellular data or a Wi-Fi connection.
- iMessage over cellular data might not be available while you're on a call. Only 3G and faster GSM networks support simultaneous data and voice calls. Learn which network your phone supports. If your network doesn't support simultaneous data and voice calls, go to Settings > Wi-Fi and turn Wi-Fi on to use iMessage while you're on a call.
- Restart your device.
- Tap Settings > General > Reset > Reset Network Settings on your iPhone.
Thanks for reaching out to Apple Support Communities.
Cheers,
Pedro.