iMessage Not Working on iPhone, iPad & Mac

Are you facing trouble with iMessage? You are confused whether Is it delivered or not. Does iMessage not functions on your Mac? This guide will help you solve all these questions. Are you facing confusion in blue and green speech bubbles? Remember that Apple’s iMessage is capable of sending message over the internet, using your data as well as SMS messages. So, iMessage is blue and text messages are green.

Are you having trouble regarding right order of messages? Is iMessage prompting that your text hasn’t been delivered? In the following article all the causes of various flaws are discussed with there remedies. These tips help you fix the message application on your iPhone, iPad or Mac. Find out how to tell if iMessage is down, what to do if iMessage stops working on your system, we will help you solve all your iMessage problems.

How to Fix iMessage Not Working on iPhone, iPad & Mac

There are many different reasons why iMessage can stop working: it can be a problem with Message application, your setting may require certain changes, or it could be an issue with Apple’s iMessage server.

Let’s check eight basic troubleshooting steps that will solve majority of problems.

1. Check if iMessage is down

The first probability of this error is failure of server on which iMessage runs. This means that iMessage is not working for any of the Apple’s user. Though, this is a rare problem but it does occur sometimes.

You can check status about any Apple’s online service on System Status page. Where you can notice Apple’s services experiencing some interruptions.

On this web page Apple provides you with the information about any services with planned maintenance work, along with description of recently solved problem in any of its application. However, always keep in mind that website’s update frequency is measured in minutes not in seconds and its 30 on occasion – so the problem may not be noticed yet.

There may be possibility that Apple’s System Status web site is showing all is well and you have an interruption. This type of outage is termed as local outage. You can also try Down Detector as an alternative to Apple’s page which represents detailed outages in graphical representation, and even an outage map to see whether you are in an affected area.

You could also search for the word iMessage and related words on social media platform like Twitter. If many people are discussing about this error then it’s happening with everyone.

There is a unique feature in iMessage which helps you in communication via normal texts. If iMessage is failing, your message should automatically be pushed to green-bubble texts instead of blue-bubble iMessage. Which indicates you are sending a simple text message.

2. Make sure you’ve got a connection (and enough data)

In order to work smoothly without any intrusion an iMessage require proper internet connectivity. This should include 3G or 4G which is provided by ISP (Internet Service Provider), or an access to proper Wi-Fi signal. Moreover, with absence of such signals iMessage will not execute in any of your device.

Furthermore, to check whether you have proper access to internet or not open your safari and quick search anything. If you are successfully accessing the results than there is no issue with your connectivity but if you see no results then definitely you are in trouble.

If there is difficulty in accessing 3G or 4G then its is a good alternative to turn on and off Airplane mode of your device. This method can improve reception. This feature can be enabled by swiping up from bottom or swiping in from top right of your iPhone or iPad screen, after that select and deselect the plane icon.

If your mobile connection is great, then there is a possibility that your data pack is expired. For this you definitely need new data pack or contact your network provider.

For the poor 3G/4G connection or you run out of data pack, then try the following:

• As an alternative of using Airplane mode you should also try turning off and on your cell phone. This may help you to find better signal.
• You can also use the facility of nearby Wi-Fi for successful delivery of message using iMessage. To enjoy the facility of Wi-Fi, go to Settings > Wi-Fi and observe if there is a free Wi-Fi network near you.
• If there is a flaw in Wi-Fi then you do not have option other then 3G/4G.
• If none of the above solution works for you then you are in need of resetting your network. For that, go to Settings > General > Reset > Reset Network Settings and see if you succeed in the mission or not.
• Lastly, if there is no option of data connection or proper Wi-Fi, you have only one way to communicate with your friend which is sending a simple text message. You can do so by pressing and holding the undelivered message and after that select the option of “Send as text”. Hence, a text message only requires GPRS connection.

3. Make sure iMessage is on and set up correctly

To enjoy the facility provided by iMessage make sure that you have configured your message tool precisely. For proper sending and receiving iMessage go to Settings < Messages then check iMessage is on.

If iMessage is properly set that is to say, it is switched on and there is no message about activation, you need to reset your phone settings for receiving iMessage. For that, go to Settings > Messages then examine whether you have listed address and mobile number in Send and Receive.

Here, it is assumed that there is no activation issue.

Step 1: Firstly, it is suggested to turn off your email address and mobile number from the list of spots where you send and receive information. Trying a process of an eradication is suggested to observe if iMessage works with your cell number or an email address.

Step 2: Secondly, if you are an iPhone user make sure that there is tick beside your phone number in the Start New Conversations.

4. Turn it off and on Again and Restart Messages

This fix is one of the most basic and simple solution which is mentioned in almost every troubleshooting guide. You could turn on by double tapping on home button and swiping up on the Messages app, before relaunching it. This can fix your issue especially when your application is hanging.

If things are still not falling at right place you could try the following:

Step 1: Reset iMessage. You can do this by going to Settings > Messages then turn off iMessage, after that switch off your phone by pressing and holding on/off button, slide to power off, lastly, wait for your iPhone to start up again.

Step 2: Now, after resetting got to Settings > Messages and turn iMessage back on.

Step 3: Signing out your Apple ID can solve your problem up to some extent. This can be achieved by going to Settings > Messages subsequently, click on Send & Receive then at the top of your screen select Apple ID and choose Sign Out.

Step 4: In this step you have to again sign in to your Apple ID.

Step 5: Check if your issue is solved or not.

5. Delete Some Messages

It is often observed that a messaging application consisting of large number of videos and photos affects the performance of your phone. This slow down your system. Deleting such messages which takes larger memory can contribute to solve your issue to larger aspect. But most importantly, note that photographs shared via iMessage do not appear directly in Photos app.

Here are some ways to reduce the size of your iMessage library.

• To delete some unwanted messages, you can swipe from right to left from the list of messages and then press Delete.
• There is another way to remove such messages by pressing Edit button on top left-hand corner of Messages and delete messages.
• There is also a feature of “Keep Messages” option. This is designed for the messages which are important and the one which you don’t want to lose. This is feature is found in Settings > Messages. Search for Message History and click on Keep Messages. Here, you are provided with three options i.e. Forever, 1 Year or 30 days. So, while deleting any message make sure it’s not a crucial one.
• There is also a provision of sending low quality picture, since it will occupy less memory. This can be done by going to Settings > Messages and toggle Low-Quality Image Mode on. This is the last option found at the bottom of the page.

6. Check iOS is Up to Date

If the software you are using is not up to date then there is definitely a chance of error which prevents your system to work properly. To examine if an updated version of iOS is accessible, go to Settings > General > Software Update. It is advisable that download or install a new version if it is available.

7. Check Network settings

There should be proper network connection for smooth running of iMessage. Here are some of the tips to reset your Network settings if Messages aren’t sending.

Step 1: Go to Settings > General > Reset > Reset Network Settings. After following this you need to enter your passwords.

Step 2: Turning off Wi-Fi Assist have worked for many users. Switching off Wi-Fi Assist means to switch to cellular signal when its stronger than your local Wi-Fi network. To do so Go to Settings > Mobile Data then scroll down to Wi-Fi Assist and switch it off if it’s on.

8. Check Time Zone settings

When the time zone wasn’t set to update automatically, it is observed that many users face problem of sending Messages.

How to change your time zone settings.

Step 1: Go to Settings > General > Date & Time please see to it that your time zone is set automatically.

Step 2: Set Automatically to ON.

Conclusion

To sum up, this guide has tried to cover the basic issues faced by majority of iPhone users.

Hence, let us know your review on this and mention which method as affective for you in comment section below. Thank you for reading.