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

Hi,

I have an iPhone 4S and iOS 9.2.1 (it began I think (after thinking about it for a while) with this update).

I get this popup about 3-4 times a week saying "Your carrier may charge for SMS messages used to activate Facetime"

The conundrum here is that I've never ever enabled Facetime to begin with, never logged in to it and have it totally disabled on my phone. So since I'm already "logged out" (cause I've never been logged in) and cannot use the solution Lawrence Finch suggests, I was wondering if anyone might know what to do here.

Because it's very very annoying!

😟

Thanks!

I have the exact same issue. Every day or every other day I get this pop up "your carrier may charge ......activate facetime" it's maddening how annoying it is that I can't find how to stop it. And I've accidentally hit OK several times and been charged quite a bit, few months in a row. Apple...? iMessage doesnt work 50% of the time where I live and I have 0 need for FT.

2nd iPhone 6 with this issue, on a couple diff iOS 9s....

Any solutions yet?

Same problem here. I'm using an iPhone 5C. It's a recent problem that appears to be related to upgrading the OS.

Look 2 messages above yours.

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).

:-)

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.

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.)

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).

You cannot disable it. You should only get it when you change the SIM or turn on iMessage or FT. Don't know why you are getting it and it has nothing to to with iOS 9.1 or .2 And you cannot downgrade to iOS 8.

iMessage and Facetime both have been disabled, I do not use them at all. After upgrading to IOS9, the pop up keep appearing every now and then. This is in line with the problem as stated by the thread starter.

Please elaborate on signing out. Based on the self help by apple, there is no need to sign out to disable iMessage and Facetime. I do not experience the same issues on my iPhone 6. This only happens on 4s as stated.

https://selfsolve.apple.com/deregister-imessage

Thank you for reply, but I miss one thing: I don't want IM/FT totally disabled, I still want to use them by email but not by phone number.

The problem is that if I enabled IM/FT by email address, it continue to try enabling also by phone number: this is the issue.

Hi,

I've never set up iCloud in any setup process ever, (don't use iCloud at all) or Find my iPhone.

If I enable Facetime again from general->restrictions, it just shows that I'm not logged in.

When I prompt to "turn on" Facetime in this view it shows that I'm not logged in.

I also get a popup nag, so I just close it down by hitting cancel.

(This is the same nag popup that keeps repeating itself after last update, never any problems before)

Thanks for your help.

I'm also affected by this very annoying bug (iPhone 6s, Denmark).

I'll try what you suggested by logging out of Facetime by tapping my id to log out, although my notifications are specifically mentioning imessage.

Personelly i dnt use. The face time and i message because the sri lankan dialog network charging me additional amounts for the face time every time some tym when inswitch off the phone and on again i dont know why i should pay for the data and extra career chargers