When iMessage breaks, messages may turn green, sit with a spinning indicator, show a red Not Delivered warning, or arrive on one Apple device but not another. The problem can be your internet connection, Apple ID, activation status, recipient, or Apple service availability.
These steps apply to iPhones running recent iOS versions, including iOS 17 and iOS 18, using Wi-Fi or cellular data.
Does This Affect You?
Use this if messages to other iPhone users are no longer blue, iMessage says it is waiting for activation, or texts fail even though normal SMS may still work. iMessage needs internet access and proper registration with Apple servers. If either part fails, iPhone may fall back to SMS or stop sending.
Turn iMessage Off and Back On
- Open Settings.
- Tap Messages.
- Turn iMessage off.
- Wait about 30 seconds.
- Turn iMessage back on.
- Watch for Waiting for Activation. A short wait is normal.
If activation stays stuck for more than about 10 minutes, restart the iPhone. Hold the Side button and a volume button, slide to power off, wait 30 seconds, turn it back on, and check Settings > Messages again.
Sign Out and Back Into iMessage
- Go to Settings > Messages > Send & Receive.
- Tap your Apple ID at the top.
- Tap Sign Out.
- Restart your iPhone.
- Return to Send & Receive.
- Tap Use your Apple ID for iMessage and sign in again.
- Confirm the correct phone number and email addresses are checked under the section showing where people can reach you by iMessage.
If your phone number is not checked, people may be trying to reach an address that is not active for iMessage on this iPhone.
Check Connection, Date and Time, and Apple Status
- Make sure Wi-Fi or cellular data is working. Open Safari and load a webpage to test.
- Open Settings > General > Date & Time. Turn on Set Automatically.
- Check Apple System Status at support.apple.com/systemstatus and look for iMessage.
- If only one contact is affected, ask that person to check their iMessage settings too. The problem may be on their side.
An incorrect clock can interfere with secure activation. A wider Apple outage can also make local troubleshooting look useless until service returns.
More iMessage Checks
Blue and Green Bubbles
Blue bubbles use Apple iMessage between Apple devices. Green bubbles use regular SMS or MMS. Green is expected when the recipient uses Android, has iMessage off, has no internet, or cannot be reached through Apple at that moment.
Deregister After Switching Phones
If you moved your number away from iPhone, old iMessages may still try to reach that number through Apple. Use Apple’s Deregister iMessage tool at selfsolve.apple.com/deregister-imessage so messages switch back to SMS.
Check Blocked Contacts
Open Settings > Messages > Blocked Contacts. A blocked person cannot message you normally, and you may not see an obvious error.
Match Apple IDs Across Devices
If iMessage also runs on an iPad or Mac, make sure each device uses the same Apple ID and reachable addresses. Mismatched accounts can make messages appear on one device but not another.
Sources
- Apple Support: If you cannot send or receive messages on your iPhone
- Apple Support: Set up iMessage
- Apple System Status