iPhone 5s is riddled with problems of activating iMessage and FaceTime; tried all checks and recommended rubrics, all didn't work. Can you help please
iPhone 5s, iOS 8.1.2
When you say "tried all checks," we do not know what that includes, so would you kindly list what you have tried? That will save us from recommending something you've already done & wasting your time & ours. Thanks.
Hi, I tried the rubrics in If you get an error when trying to activate iMessage or FaceTime - Apple Support Before that I Reset Network Settings, it didn't work. So I erased all content and settings and downloaded the data from iCloud once and from iTunes another still no response. I read somewhere that the service is not available for some countries but there again I had it before on the same iPhone where I am in the Middle East. I would appreciate your advice
You're in the Middle East, then, and you can't get it to activate, or is it not on your phone at all? Please give more detail as to the specific problem you are having.
Is your cellular carrier on this list: Wireless carrier support and features for iPhone - Apple Support
Are they aware that you are using an iPhone?
If you are using an unsupported carrier, or if your account is not provisioned properly for use with an iPhone, the SMS messages used to activate FaceTime and iMessage may not flow properly and it may not activate.
Some countries in the middle East have banned services like FaceTime.
I acquired a new iPhone 5s and discarded and erased all content and settings from my old iPhone 4. The old iPhone 4 had all the functions including iMessage and FaceTime. I downloaded all content from iCloud on the newly acquired iPhone 5s which went well except that iMessage and FaceTime would not activate. I erased all content and setting again and downloaded the content this time using iTunes and the same problem persisted. I did all the other recommended rubrics in the link If you get an error when trying to activate iMessage or FaceTime - Apple Support including resetting networking settings and putting the iMessage off and on again and agreed to charges of the SMS to activate. together with checking that the phone dialing number and the email are registered and set on the phone. The same procedure to FaceTime. None of the recommended procedures worked given that I am in the same geographic location and using the same cellular carrier as when I was using iPhone 4 and things were perfect.
The cellular carrier Korak Telecom is not mentioned in the list for Iraq (Middle East) However, I was on the same carrier with my old iPhone 4 and it was working perfectly including the iMessage and FaceTime. Just to recap the steps that I have done so far with my new iPhone 5s. I had an iPhone 4 which I discarded and erased all content and settings from. I downloaded all content from iCloud which was fine except for the iMessage and FaceTime which would not actiivate. I tried erasing again and downloading this time from iTunes; the problem persisted. All the other normal procedures of activation were followed in the process as in the apple link If you get an error when trying to activate iMessage or FaceTime - Apple Support to no avail . This included agreeing to the charges for the SMS and that the phone number and email on the phone were checked on the phone. I would appreciate your advice.
You will have to take the issue up with your carrier. There is nothing Apple or anyone else can do about it.
Apple does not do business in Iraq and provides no support for using the iPhone on any carrier in Iraq.
iMessage and facetime require SMS communication with Apple's activation servers in the UK. It is up to your carrier to configure your account so that those messages can flow properly. That is obviously not happening.
I respectfully suggest that you either work it out with your carrier, live with the limitations, or purchase a phone that is actually supported in the country where you are trying to use it and on the carrier you are trying to use.
Thank you very much for your advice. I guess I shall have to see my cellular carrier. The vexing question is that the same cellular carrier I am using did activate iMessage and FaceTime in the past. There is a possibility the UK server may be down. I would have to wait and live with this problem at this stage. Appreciate it.
It's much more likely that your carrier has blocked the activation messages in the time since you activated it last. Possibly at the request of the government.
Activating iMessage and FaceTime on iPhone 5s
