iMessage Activation Error: Vodafone: iPhone XR

stevienixx13

Hi everyone,

Been at war with my iMessage since 9/02. iPhone XR fully upgraded, plenty of storage left. No damage or issues with phone, used very lightly.

Woke up 09/02 to an iMessage (and face time) activation error, checked in settings and phone number had randomly disconnected from iMessage section in Messages. Still there when I checked my Apple ID section.

• Toggled it on and off a few times
• Turned phone off and on
• Removed number from Apple ID
• Re-added same number to Apple iD, has a check mark beside it but just doesn't connect to iMessage
• Tried again using wifi only
• Tried again using data only

Went about my day, still not working, contacted apple next day, they sent an article for troubleshooting.

• Wi-Fi only: Turned off iMessage/FT, signed out of iCloud, restarted device, turned on iMessage/FT
• Data only: repeated above
• Reset network settings, repeated above on wifi and data
• Reset ALL settings, repeated above on wifi and data

Back to Apple again who advised wait 24hrs for activation but I have the 'activation unsuccessful' error rather than 'waiting for activation' so nothing was happening at all.

• Waited 24hrs anyway

Back to Apple, screen shared, followed same steps plus toggling MMS Messaging bar on and off. They advised contact carrier.

Went to Vodafone

• They 'refreshed' my account settings
• The day before I had been due my monthly top up so paid 20E. This went towards my monthly offer so Vodafone informed me i need to top up by a fiver so the 'activation message can send to apple' ... this requires 0.07E
• Topped up by 5E, followed all steps in above section(s) for iMessage activation. Stayed at 'waiting for activation' for a couple of minutes but again back to 'activation unsuccessful'.
• Currently have 4.34E credit so... SOMETHING is happening?? I'm just not sure what.
• Vodafone confirmed all is OK on their side, I am able to receive and send SMS/MMS as is needed to activate iMessage.
• Waited 24hrs and then...

Back to Apple

• asked me to troubleshoot again and wait 24hrs, I pushed as had already waited 24hrs
• endless loop of being shown the same article and to contact carrier for help
• Advisor ended up offering me with new advisor a call back tomorrow, think they just didn't know what to do with me.

I use iMessage daily for talking to most of my closest people and sometimes for work, it's very important to me. I can reach out to people through my email on iMessage and they can reply to me (it starts a new thread on their phones) but I cannot see any iMessages that have been sent to my number (in my 'old'/usual thread with people) so I've been missing work stuff.

Any other advice new to what I have already done???? Has anyone had success by physically attending a Vodafone shop, would CompuB be any good in this situation?? Any other tips/tricks? Pulling my hair out.

LighterThanAir

Just came here to say that I went through the same yesterday, I wasted my whole day trying every possible "solution" that you can imagine. I did all that you outlined, plus extra stuff that I found elsewhere. Nothing worked in the end, I gave up and went to sleep only to see your message, what makes me think that this is not an isolated issue. I also tried using other SIM cards, moved my SIM card to another phone, restarted settings, completely reset iPhone (to what I regret now as I had to set it up from scratch). So you're not alone :)

I have an iPhone X with Vodafone.

Not only that, but I have contacted both Apple and Vodafone, to what they said that there's no issue on their end. I'll let you know if anything changes, please do the same.

stevienixx13

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118662301#Comment_118662301

Interesting that we are both same iPhone model and same carrier... I'm leaning towards its an Apple issue because Vodafone have confirmed I can send messages AND I can see my credit is going down, to me that suggests there's a bug with Apple. Very frustrating that I had to put in a fiver credit while Apple have been so unhelpful, the only advice I've gotten is 'wait 24 hrs' every time I reach out..

I tried removing SIM too, no joy. Have a call with them at 4PM today so will update you.

LighterThanAir

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118662905#Comment_118662905

"...Vodafone have confirmed I can send messages AND I can see my credit is going down, to me that suggests there's a bug with Apple".

Yea the very same happens to me. How did that go? Did you sort it out?

stevienixx13

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118665582#Comment_118665582

sorry for the late response - they never rang me! I hadn’t thought of it all week but I just got a notification that my number was re-added to my iMessage! I think it must have been a bug on Apple side. Hopefully you get sorted too

voobee

Hi Guys..

Im having the same issue.. Can’t activate imessages and facetime..

I have recently switched from tesco mobile to vodafone and realised my phone (iphone 13 max pro) is using my apple id instead of my number to send imessages or facetime calls.. It was fine with tesco mobile but got into trouble just after switching to vodafone.. I did everything you did with no success..

I can’t make the number activated.. I topped it up by €10 in case it needs some money but still nothing

I think its on vodafone side not apple but I might be wrong

Now I can only wait