disable message "Your carrier may charge for SMS messages used to activate iMessage"

Try the following method, I found it myself:

1. Go to Settings - iCloud.

2. Click on your's account first and last name.

You will see "Contact information", "Password & Security", "Devices", "Payment".

3. Click on "Contact information".

4. Add your phone number. Verify it. Its status will change to "Verified".

That's all. Now you will not get these nasty iMessage dialogs.

Ok, so I started getting these SMS carrier charge nags for. iMessage after a clean restore of my iPhone 7Plus to iOS 10.3.2.

This even though I always turn iMessage off and this time also turned FaceTime off immediately after setting up as a new phone.

I followed Lawrence's advice - go into FaceTime and message settings, turn FaceTime / iMessage on, click send and receive / account and sign out - which turns FaceTime and iMessage off.

Now I am still getting this stupid nag saying I'll be charged to activate iMessage. Worse I also now get similar nag messages about FaceTime.

Worse, I now have a permanent exclamation mark on my messages icon and get a message in every message conversation view saying iMessage is signed out and I need to go to settings.

I can chose "ignore" but the message comes back sooner or later.

iOS is broken (albeit still less annoying than android)

So what do suggest Lawrence ? CHALLENGE!!

I've had this issue since I got my iPhone SE last June; I now have iOS 10.2 and it hasn't gone away. Since the beginning I have been constantly getting the iMessage and FaceTime messages like pop-ups (around 3+ times a day, depending on how long I'm on my phone throughout the day). It's completely random, and can be when I unlock my phone or when I'm in the middle of using any app. I use iMessage and FaceTime regularly without any problems and am not charged (and don't see any difference) between clicking "OK" or "Cancel" on the notification. What I don't understand is, why is Apple asking me to activate iMessage and FaceTime if I'm already using them normally? I hope Apple fixes this soon.

For those who still didn't activated it... because they think:

- "when I want to use IMessage then by the first turning-ON I could understand the popup/warning arise, letting me know that the Activation has to be done, and that I will pay for this Activation... but me don't want to use it!"

- see here the "IImplementation": if you have a carrier that doesn't "work" with Apple then, as long you don't activate the IMessage, the popup will arise telling/warning you the activation could cost you something. If you choice "Yes", then it will be activated, you pay once, having silence! If "NO/Cancel" then you will get the warning any time your Phone login itself by your carrier(this happen by restart, dead-spot, etc). Also if you never ever have the intention to use it, but you just want no more having the "annoying" warning, then YOU MUST ACTIVATE it!

But WHY to activate it, if I'll never use it?! could you ask

Well, if we categorize the user in "those who want to use IMessage" and "those who don't want" then, in the "normal" implementation, Apple could get the money for activation only for "those who want to use IMessage".

The "IImplementation" targets people who want to have silence... and are prepared to pay for it. Or do you have a better explanation?! :-)

No, I cannot believe that Apple has so stupid programmer! That's why I "predict" it will be never "fixed", just because it's not a bug, but a "feature"! Don't wait for updates/service-packs! Just activate it!

For those which after Activation don't want to use IMessage/FaceTime because... whatever

Follow the Lawrence's instructions! These works 100%, and it's all you have to do!

Conclusion

- the message/warning/popup will never ever come again (because you already activated it) and

- you can sms like before, without IMessage (because you did what Lawrence said).

- turning IMessage On/Off, On/Off, On/Off will not ask you for activating again and again and again

If you, in the mean time love the popup... but you "activated" already... don't be afraid! All you have to do for the popup to arise again, is going here: Deregister and Turn Off iMessage - Apple Support

and follow the steps to deregister your phone number (under "No longer have your iPhone?" also if you still have the iPhone).

:-)

I have to say this solution makes sense, and I'm glad it worked for you. I went into my settings and only my email address was registered there. Once I saw that, it made even more sense, so I added my phone number and got this message:

"Cannot Verify Phone Number: This phone number is already being used in your account."

(I don't understand why this message would pop up in the first place if my phone number wasn't listed there! How frustrating.)

TThe solution has been posted several times. Go to Setting/messages. Turn it on if it is off. Tap on send & receive. Tap on your Apple ID and log out.

it will need to send a message to the apple server. Let it. That should be the last message.

Thank you Lawrence for that information. The thing is that I *want* to use iMessage, not deactivate it.

I am fairly sure the problem comes from the virtual mobile operator, as my wife has a "standard" (officially Apple approved) operator and she never has this popup.

Hey,

Signing out of iCloud is not an option! I need to re-enter credit card details and login again when installing new app. Then I believe 'turn-off button' for iMessage is useless then, buggy iOS huh! Guys I lost around 200 INR from iMessage activation issues, fix it please.

However thanks to Gail, after newtwork setting reset popup disappears(for now, I'll have to observe this for a period of time to confirm).

That's pity to hear. I suggest to report this bug to https://bugreport.apple.com/logon. The more bugreports will be filed then more chances Apple will fix it. If no bugreports will be filed, Apple won't fix it.

mr_fusion wrote:

The workaround (not solution) you posted is to activate, then de-activate it. But I do not want to activate it. I want Apple to fix this annoying behavior.

Then you've come to the wrong place. The right place is http://apple.com/feedback.

But it's unlikely that Apple will change it, because the problem only occurs if you are using a non-supported carrier.

lemon_JAM wrote:

I am having the same issue too (iPhone 6, iOS 9.2).

I have both iMessage and FaceTime turned off but keep getting the message which says "iMessage - Your carrier may charge for SMS messages used to activate iMessage."

It is not sufficient to turn off iMessage and FaceTime. You must log out of them:

• Go to Settings/Facetime
• Turn it ON
• Tap your Apple ID and log out
• Do the same for iMessage if doing it for FaceTime doesn't also log you out of iMessage (normally it does).

I reported this bug too. I tried to reset a phone, I called Apple and they have reset account for me. Nothing helped, I still receive these messages (this week too often, I do not know why). First it was on iPhone 4S with iOS 9, now on iPhone SE with iOS 10. Can some background app trying to activate iMessage? I.e., for hidden telemetry reporting?

Sorry but you are wrong on this. It remains the same. It worth a try anyway. Now I'm thinking this is an issue with the carrier company.

We all here changed to a new carrier campany and my son, who was using iPhone 6 previously , started to receive this annoying messages when he changed the chip.

Thanks anyway.

This doesn't help too much depending on what one wants to achieve. I have a frequent need to change SIM cards (due to travel), and I my use case is that I need iMessage & FaceTime only on my email ID, and not on my number.

With iOS 10.2, I see this annoyance appears almost each time the phone goes in and out of network coverage.

This bug does not depends on SIM card change. I experience it each time absolutely randomly (no network loss). iOS 10.2 definitely increases bug appearance 10x. I even do not know what to fill in Radar, because Apple engineers definitely will not work on fixing non-reproducible issues. As far as I understand it happens only with some customers, and those who do not use iMessage.