imessage and facetime waiting for activation

iMessage and facetime waiting for activation.

iMessage and FaceTime are great examples of Apple services that “just work”. At least for the most part. Sometimes you get activation errors when you first set them up on an iPhone or Mac.

For example, iMessage and FaceTime may simply freeze during the activation phase with the message “Waiting for activation”. Or, they might throw cryptic errors like Activation Failed, Authentication Failed, and Activation Failed.

If you’re having trouble activating or turning on iMessage and FaceTime on your iPhone or Mac, use the following tips to fix iMessage and FaceTime activation errors.

Wait for 24 Hours

Ideally, you should be able to activate iMessage and FaceTime on your iPhone in seconds. However, if you continue to see the “Waiting for activation” message for a few minutes, you can give it more time. In fact, Apple recommends waiting 24 hours!

So, bookmark this page and come back if the same message or other activation error bothers you the next day.

Check Apple Server Status

If, when activating iMessage and FaceTime on your iPhone or Mac, you receive an error message such as “Activation Failed” or “Unable to Contact iMessage Server”, you can check the status of Apple’s servers to ensure there is no service disruption.

To do this, go to Apple’s System Status page and look for iCloud Account and Sign-in, iMessage, and FaceTime. If you see any issues on the list, wait until Apple fixes them. This usually happens within a few hours.

Rule Out Connectivity Issues

Connectivity issues can lead to all sorts of iMessage and FaceTime related activation errors on both iPhone and Mac. Try excluding them by following the following checklist:

• Switch from Wi-Fi to cellular data on your iPhone, or vice versa.
• Turn Airplane Mode on and off on your iPhone.
• Renew your Wi-Fi rental on your iPhone or Mac.
• Disable and enable Wi-Fi on your Mac.
• If possible, switch to a different Wi-Fi network on your iPhone or Mac.
• Restart your router.

Restart iPhone/Mac

Sometimes, simply restarting your iPhone or Mac can fix activation errors related to iMessage and FaceTime. On iPhone, be sure to turn off iMessage and FaceTime – if they get stuck in Waiting for Activation – in Settings> iMessage / FaceTime before restarting your device.

Note. On an iPhone with Face ID, press and release the volume up button, press and release the volume down button, and then press and hold the side button to trigger the power off the slide.

Wireless Carrier Checklist

Your iPhone will try to authenticate your mobile number when iMessage and FaceTime are activated. If you continue to receive an “Activation Failed” error, for example, here are a few things you can work out:

• Check if your carrier is listed on Apple’s Wireless Career Pages. If not, check with your carrier and make sure you can send or receive international SMS messages.
• If you have a mobile prepaid plan, make sure it has sufficient funds to send and receive SMS messages.
• Go to Settings> General> About. If you see a warning about updating carrier settings, click Update.

Set Correct Time Zone

Your iPhone and Mac must have the correct time and time zone set. Otherwise, you won’t be able to activate or authenticate iMessage and FaceTime.

Set Time Zone – iPhone

1. Open the Settings app and select General.

2. Select “Date & Time”.

3. Click the radio button next to Install Automatically. If your iPhone cannot select the correct time zone, turn it off, and select the correct time zone manually.

Time and Time Zone Setting – Mac

1. Open the Apple menu and choose System Preferences.

2. Select “Date & Time”.

3. Select the correct date, time, and time zone using the settings on the Date & Time and Time Zone tabs.

Update System Software

Have you ever updated your iPhone or Mac? iMessage and FaceTime are integral parts of the operating system, so you may encounter issues when activating them on older versions of iOS and macOS.

Update iOS

1. Open the Settings app and tap General.

2. Click “Software Update”.

3. Install all updates, if available.

Update macOS

1. Open the Apple menu and choose System Preferences.

2. Select “Software Update”.

3. Install all updates, if any.

Change DNS

Try changing the DNS servers or domain name services for your Wi-Fi connection on your iPhone or Mac. Google DNS, for example, can help your iPhone or Mac find Apple’s activation servers without any problem.

Change DNS – iPhone

1. Open the Settings app and select Wi-Fi.

2. Tap the I icon next to an active Wi-Fi connection.

3. Click “Configure DNS”.

4. Click “Manual”.

5. Remove existing DNS servers and enter the following:

8.8.8.8

8.8.4.4

6. Click Save.

Change DNS – Mac

1. Press Command + Space to open Spotlight Search. Then enter the network and press Enter.

2. In the “Wi-Fi” section, select “Advanced”.

3. Go to the DNS tab and replace any existing DNS servers with the following:

8.8.8.8

8.8.4.4

4. Select “OK”.

Reset Network Settings/Wi-Fi Preferences

You can rule out any corrupted network settings due to activation errors related to iMessage and FaceTime by resetting network settings (iPhone) or Wi-Fi settings (Mac).

Reset Network Settings – iPhone

1. Open the Settings app and tap General.

2. Click “Reset”.

3. Click “Reset Network Settings”.

Note. After the reset procedure, you need to manually configure all Wi-Fi connections on your iPhone.

Reset Wi-Fi Settings – Mac

1. Open Finder and press Command + Shift + G.

2. Paste the following path and select Go:

/ Library / Settings / SystemConfiguration /

3. Move the following files to trash.

• com.apple.airport.preferences.plist
• com.apple.network.identification.plist
• com.apple.network.eapolclient. configuration.plist
• com.apple.wifi.message-tracer.plist
• NetworkInterfaces.plist
• Settings. plist

4. When prompted, enter the user password.

5. Restart your Mac.

Note. If after doing this your Mac has problems connecting to Wi-Fi networks, try recovering deleted files from the Recycle Bin.

Contact Carrier/Apple Support

If none of the above fixes helped, then it’s time to drop the towel and call your carrier (if you’re trying to activate iMessage and FaceTime on an iPhone) or contact Apple Support. They should be able to guide you through the activation phase by suggesting fixes specific to your device and region.

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If, when activating iMessage and FaceTime on your iPhone or Mac, you receive an error message such as “Activation Failed” or “Unable to Contact iMessage Server”, you can check the status of Apple’s servers to ensure there is no service disruption.

To do this, go to Apple’s System Status page and look for iCloud Account and Sign-in, iMessage, and FaceTime. If you see any issues on the list, wait until Apple fixes them. This usually happens within a few hours.

If, when you activate iMessage and FaceTime on your iPhone or Mac, you receive an error message such as “Activation Fail” or “Unable to connect to iMessage Server”, you should contact Apple. Check the status of the servers to make sure the service is not interrupted.

To do so, go to Apple’s system status page and search for iCloud account and sign in, iMessage and FaceTime. If you see any problems with the list, wait for Apple to fix them. This usually happens in a few hours.