Q: imessage and Facetime sign in activation error iPad ios8.1.2

There you go. Like I said...it doesn't seem like its a hardware issue but after replacing with a new iPad, it worked for you!  I'm curious as to what the root cause of this is. 

I Wonder if the problem is only with WIFI IPads only. Mine is not cellular, only WIFI.

You are right. It should not be a hardware issue. I Pretty much sure that they have missing devices in the file/table that is checked before the activation. That's why it affected some and everyone regardless what model they have.

I just logged into my apple account where I can view my registered products, to see if my 32gb wifi ipad air that was replaced on Nov 3rd was registered with my other products. It was not, so I tried registering it and got the message below...

"According to our records, this serial number is associated to another Apple ID."

So it appears these replacement devices are suddenly showing up as registered to someone else? Not sure if that has anything to do with it, but it is strange and shouldn't be that way.

I've been on many other manufactures forums, and usually when there is an issue this wide spread, the manufacture will have a rep come into the thread to make a comment. Something along the lines of "We're sorry for the problem, we are aware of the issue and working on a fix". It's really frustrating at this point. It sorta feels like they don't really care, and would prefer we just pick up an iPad 2.

Maybe the premium we pay for an Apple product isn't enough $$$? Maybe we should set up an account to donate more money to apple so they can afford to give better support?

HEY APPLE, IF YOU'RE LISTENING... CAN YOU PLEASE THROW US A BONE????

The iPad Air that I traded in is not associated with my account anymore either. I'm sure they sell them as refurbished. When we trade them in, we don't own them anymore. My new iPad ia registered to my name though.

I agree with you jays_on.. Things do go wrong and sound advice from you guy's is input here. 

Apple appear to stay in the background and do nothing to assist customers with their frustrations on Apple's recommended software updates.

My Macbook works okay, my iPhone too, but my wife iPad doesn't want to know.

Advice on Apple's help page, say's switch FaceTime off and Message's off. How can we when theses "switch off's" are not even there?

Did this information help? After doing all it said......NO!!

I think I speak for all of us....

I do wish an Apple Tech rep would come on here because it really would be most helpful and useful to so many of us, with this ongoing fault..

I Think the fact that the button to turn on iMessage and FaceTime is  missing is an important factor, we can't even get past the sign in screen. My old iPad is still working great as is my iPhone 5s. My 5s is connected to the same iCloud account as my IPad Air and the phone working fine. I've always had them connected so I could get my iMessages on both.

HI - I have this problem too, only on my iPad air. It only occurred after I finally updated to OS 8. So bummer. iPhone running OS 8 is fine.

have tried all recommended actions and tried update supposed to resolve this bug but, guess what - it didn't work!!

I'm sure the on / off switch's were there at one time, but because I don't normally use her iPad and I cannot remember.

I did log into my account on it to see if that worked, but alas.. same activation error.

It has to be an iPad /software issue and not log in details.

I can only presume Apple will come back with a fix but we can only wait to see what happens.

Apple is not very forthcoming on faults and never has been.

Yes, the on off switch was there before.

Just called again, third time.  Insisted on them doing diagnostic, very quick to do, said they will call me back Saturday.  He didn't connect me with a senior tech, but did say that they know we are out here. so no real news, but it only took a few minutes. Hopefully like Picasso when they call it will be good news.  I agree someone from Apple should be monitoring these sites since we are all logged in, and help us, without us having to call every day.  Good luck to all of us......

Senior tech is supposed to call me back Saturday, also.

The same problem here with my iPad 2 on 8.1.1. It stopped working at on 19 Jan 2015 at night when I was configuring on another ipad 2 imessage and FaceTime and suddenly once the second iPad was activated on immesage the other iPad was not working with iMessage ir faceTime anymore. I have updated it to 8.1.3 and still does not activate immesage and FaceTime. I have also changed the time zone to automatic,  restored the network settings, restored the iPad as a new device and still no luck. Finally, I have downgraded it today to 8.1.2 and still not working, not with a backup restore and neither configuring the iPad as new. The strage thing is that I have 2 iPads 2 ( a 32gb wifi only which is giving trouble with the activation, a 32 gb 3G where immesage/FaceTime works as it should) and one iPad mini wifi 16gb, and for my surprise  the only one with the iMessage and FaceTime activation failure is the iPad 2 wifi. I could even manage to activate immesage on an old iPhone 3GS that I use as an iPod successfully so I have no clue what is going wrong with the activation failure with immessage and FaceTime on my iPad 2 wifi. I am not so worried since I can use iMessage and FaceTime on my other apple devices but, same as you and others here in this tread, I think it must be a failure on the Apple servers or any file that has been modified by any third party by accident and which does not allow immesage or FaceTime connect to the apple server. The new update, 8.1.3 did not solve my activation failure on immessage nor facetime, so for me this update did not solve the activation problem with immesage/ FaceTime. As mentioned above, no clue if there is a connection but my immesage was working on my iPad 2 wifi 8.1.1 until I activated immesage on my other iPad 2 3G, also 8.1.1. It would be great if someone gets to fix this issue and could share it with all of us. Great thanks.

Regards from Spain,

MIguel

Thanks jays_on, I didn't know about the 90 day warranty on replacements, so I got on to Apple Support today and went through it all. She made me do the obvious things including an 'Erase all settings and data', which was boring, and funnily enough didn't work. So then she said if I took my iPad in to an Apple Store they would test it and then replace it. My nearest store is 25 miles away so I asked if I could use the local reseller, Stormfront (here in the UK), who were the ones who replaced it last time in November. She was OK with that but said it would just take a bit longer as an Apple Store would give me a replacement then and there whereas a Storefront replacement might take 5-7 days. Last time it was here the next day. So I've been into their shop, explained the problem, they insisted on doing a restore from iTunes which does a full wipe (which I hadn't done but read on here didn't help). So with a new install of 8.1.3 I tried to sign in and still no joy. Should have a new one tomorrow hopefully. I'm pretty confident that will work because when I set up my wife's old iPad as a new one, I was able to sign in to iMessage and FaceTime no problem. Anyway, I'll keep you posted but don't let your 90 days run out.

mine was replaced yesterday and the FT is working again!