imessage and Facetime sign in activation error iPad ios8.1.2

Just got a call from my Tech, engineers asked him to call and confirm that my AppleID was working for iMessage/ FaceTime.

Told him it started working last week. Asked him what happened but he didn't know. He did say there was a problem with my AppleID but didn't know what that problem was.

I have also the same problem and trying to fix for more than 2/3 months by checking all procedures/method/citations on different pages. but still not succeeded. hope, apple team will soon response this problem

Popping back in as more of an update, as I never managed to find an actual solution but ended up using a "workaround" which may be of help to some people.

As a completely last ditch effort before I was about to gift the iPad to my husband's grandfather, I suddenly remembered that I had a couple of old and dormant Apple IDs that were tied to e-mail addresses I still had access to. I'd used them in the past to purchase content from the Korean and Japanese App / iTunes stores. I hadn't topped them up or used them at all in ages, and I didn't have any real use for them anymore.

Since I was able to log into iMessage and FaceTime with my personal (old) Apple ID, I figured these old ones would probably work, too. Since NO newly-created Apple IDs were working on the iPad, no matter where I created the new account (on Mac, iPhone, or on a different iPad), my plan was to "repurpose" one of these old ones.

First I tried logging in to iMessage with both accounts on the new iPad to ensure that they would work. Strangely enough, the Korean account did not work (account was created in 2012) and I got the exact same problems and "network" error message as with the new Apple ID. The Japanese account however DID work (created in 2009) and I was able to use iMessage and FaceTime immediately and without any trouble.

What I did then was to log into My Apple ID with the Japanese ID and changed the login e-mail address to a new one which I made for my husband's grandfather on Gmail. So basically, I ended up "surrendering" this old Apple ID to him, just so he would be able to use iMessage and FaceTime!

Like I said, definitely not a fix. Feels more like a shoddy band-aid slapped over the wound. But at least we can communicate with him over this Apple ID for the time being, and then hopefully switch him over to the newly-created one whenever it starts working (if it ever does).

There have been problems with iMessage and FaceTime with almost every iOS. And every time it seems like it's caused by something different.

Can you use FaceTime/iMessage on another device? And I assume you checked your time zone/ time since you said you tried everything.

If I were you I'd call AppleCare. The more info they have the better.

"This is awful. I wouldn't be surprised if Apple themselves are clueless, or it is a huge database flaw/error which they only can fix by resetting/rebuilding verification keys one by one. 😟"

I agree with you!

This is an interesting development.

Yesterday I redeployed an iPhone 5 to one of our last blackberry users. Before we redeloyed it we cleaned it up and updated IOS to 8.3.

This is the users first IOS device so we had thwm register an AppleID when we gave them the phone.

Unexpectedly all works except... iMessage.

Seems to be 8.3 and brand new AppleID's.

Way to win new customers.

Not all those bullet points are correct. It's not all iPads. I first had the problem on an 5th generation iPod. That got returned to the store and I tried signing into iMessage on a 4th generation iPod with a different iOS, 6.something. Does not work either, so it´s not only iOS 8.

I admit when I'm wrong! And actually thanks ya'll for bringing more information to the table!

Personally, once I couldn't use my AppleID on my iPad Mini 3, I also couldn't use it on a iPod Touch (4th Gen) running iOS 5.something and an iPod Mini 1 running 8.2 or 8.3 (I don't know which she had on there) but I thought it was the iPad Mini 3 / AppleID 8.2 combo that did it because my husband could log in on his iPod Touch but not my iPad Mini 3 and my friend could log in everywhere.

Hope everyone gets theirs going again! Mine is still working knock on wood. Wish I could tell you why or how but I don't know. I'd say it was trying when the time was close to being correct, but lots of people tried that this round without success. Did Apple engineers do something with my AppleID? I don't know - it started working a week before I got a call from my tech to try it and see if it was fixed He was very surprised and didn't know why it started working either. He indicated there was a problem with some AppleIDs but he was vague.

Nope I didn't as I live in Russia and it's quite a challenge for me to persuade the Apple support to listen to me 😀

(long story in not very good English)

I just created one more new Apple ID and tried to use it for my son's iMessage.. it didn't work :-(

but my old Apple ID works perfectly fine...

Oh wow. Your English seems just fine here.

Yes, the older AppleIDs still seem to be ok, if they were used on FaceTime/iMessage before iOS 8.2 came out in March.

My AppleID is from January, but I didn't set up iMessage till the middle of March. I had another from last year but never used it for iMessage, it didn't work. My husband's was set up the day I first set up mine for iMessage, middle of March and like I wrote earlier it worked on his iPod Touch but it didn't work on my iPad once mine didn't work.

My friend who's had Apple stuff for ages, had no problem signing in on my iPad

Hopefully Apple will come up with an across the board solution for all that are waiting. I am surprised none of the tech sites have mentioned this

I will ask my husband to call them. There must be something done about it eventually. 😠

Thank you for such detailed answers here! As one moment I was thinking I'm just going crazy with this **** Sign In form 😎

Now I see that at least I'm not alone and there is light in the end of the tunnel! 🙂

Good luck!

Just saw this on another post. Mine started working a couple of weeks ago after trying to log in right after coming out of airplane mode

steviej01 wrote:

Well I just got home and tuned my ipad into aeroplane mode tuned off automatic date and time then I took it off aeroplane mode and turned automatic date and time back on,

Hey presto facetime works now.

I eventually git around to calling applecare today.

I got put through to a senior tech support who put the Apple ID into troubleshoot mode. He said that it would be a1-2 week fix time.

interestingly he said that apple engineers had been aware of this issue for 20 days and were working on an update to solve the issue and hopefully that may happen across the board before they fix my apple id.

fingers crossed that a solution is just around the corner for everyone!

my latest update from apple:

I wanted to let you know that the engineers have not provided any additional information at this time. I am not sure if you have decided to return the iPad at this time or if you have decided to keep it. If you would let me know if I should keep your case open that would be great. I apologize for this inconvenience and the time that it is taking to get a resolution. If you have any questions feel free to email me.

in other words NO UPDATE.

I Purchase my 85 year old Mother the newest IPad mini available. I did not get the cellular connection, as she doesn't have an iPhone nor plan to get one. I was so exctied as all of my family lives across country except myself and my Mother. She has several grandchildren, great and great great grandchildren, so imessage and FaceTime were my main reasons for getting it. It arrived on May 2. After spending 4 hours reading all of this and trying everything I called Apple, they acted like this was a first!!! after an hour on the phone, the senior techs day was over so he was off the following day and would call me day after. In meantime I returned IPad for a new one and unfortunately had exact same problem. Since then I have had multiple phone calls with Senior Tech, has been turned over to Engineers for about 6 days now and have not heard a word back. So HAPPY Mothers Day....your FaceTime is Useless. I wish they would just admit their problem. I have tried every suggestion I have read on these threads and have come up with same thing. Can't login to imessage or facetime and usually gives no error! Just back to same login screen.

for the people in test mode how long was it until yours was fixed if it was fixed!

another super frustrated Apple ipad mini customer!

Mmine was in test mode for a bit over a week before it started working. It was a week after that when Apple called to have me try using FaceTime. They were very surprised when I told them it had been working a week already.

AS I have posted before, I don't know what caused mine to start working again. Something they did or me trying to get in right after getting out of airplane mode.