iMessage is Apple’s own messaging system that you can use to exchange messages between Apple devices. As long as your contacts use an Apple device, like an iPhone, iPad, or Mac, you can send and receive messages from them via iMessage.
But before you can use iMessage, you need to first activate iMessage. Doing so is fairly easy on an iPhone, and we’ll show you how to do just that.
Activate iMessage on an iPhone
To activate and use iMessage, your iPhone must be connected to the internet via Wi-Fi or mobile data. Also, you must be logged in to your iCloud account on your iPhone.
Then, follow these steps to activate the iMessage service:
- Launch the Settings app on your iPhone.
- Scroll down and tap Messages.
- Enable the toggle for iMessage.
iMessage is now enabled on your iPhone. You can start messaging your Apple friends using the Messages app on your phone.
To distinguish between standard SMS/MMS texts and iMessage messages, your iPhone shows iMessage messages in blue bubbles and normal SMS/MMS messages in green bubbles.
Why You Should Use Apple’s iMessage on Your iPhone
There are many reasons to switch to iMessage over traditional messaging on your iPhone. Here are some reasons why you may want to do this.
You Can Send Unlimited Messages for Free
Your carrier charges you a fee to send regular text messages, unless you have a plan that offers free messages. With iMessage, though, you can send and receive an unlimited number of messages for free.
iMessage uses your Wi-Fi or mobile data to send and receive messages. Data charges might apply.
There Are Many More Features Than Traditional Messaging
iMessage offers many features that aren’t found in your normal messaging system. Some of these features include the ability to see when someone is typing a message and to get read receipts.
You Get Better Message Security
Your iMessage messages are encrypted to ensure no trespassers can read them. Even if someone somehow manages to get into the Apple system, they can’t read your messages as they are encrypted. All they will see is scrambled text.
Support for Multiple Platforms
iMessage works across all Apple devices, including the iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Your messages sync across your devices, meaning you can read a message on your iPhone, reply to it from your iPad, and catch up on that conversion from your Mac. Everything is in sync, basically.
Fix iMessage Activation Issues
Like any other service, iMessage has its own share of issues. You might experience various issues with this service from time to time.
Most errors usually occur when you’re attempting to activate the service. These errors are:
- Waiting for activation
- Activation unsuccessful
- An error occurred during activation
- Could not sign in, please check your network connection
- Unable to contact the iMessage server
If you come across one or more of these errors while activating iMessage, try the following troubleshooting tips.
Wait 24 Hours for iMessage to Activate
Apple recommends you wait at least 24 hours after activating iMessage. This is the time period the feature needs to fully activate. Once 24 hours pass, you should be able to use iMessage on your Apple devices without issues.
Ensure a Working Internet Connection
As mentioned earlier, iMessage uses your internet connection to send and receive messages. Therefore, you should ensure your iPhone or any other device you use the feature on has a working internet connection.
To check if your device’s internet works, open a browser on your device and launch a website, like Google. If the site loads, your internet works just fine.
If the site fails to load, there’s probably an issue with your internet connection. Speak to your internet service provider and see if they can help you.
Disconnect From Any VPN
If iMessage fails to send or receive messages, consider switching off your VPN app. VPNs transmit your data through a middleman server, and this can sometimes cause issues with the apps that use the internet.
To disable a VPN on your iPhone:
- Launch the Settings app.
- Tap the General option.
- Scroll down to VPN and tap it.
- Disable the Status option.
Turn iMessage Off and On Again
It’s worth toggling iMessage off and then back on to see if it starts functioning. You can do this the same way you enabled iMessage the first time:
- Open Settings and tap Messages.
- Disable the iMessage option.
- Wait for about 10 seconds.
- Enable the iMessage option.
Set the Correct Date and Time on Your iPhone
Make sure your iPhone has the correct date and time options configured on it. This is important for many instant messaging services, including iMessage.
- Open the Settings app.
- Tap the General option.
- Select Date & Time.
- Turn on the Set Automatically option to enable automatic date and time on your iPhone.
Reset Your iPhone’s Network Settings
If iMessage still doesn’t work, there’s a chance your iPhone’s network settings have an issue. In this case, you can reset your network settings and reconfigure them.
Doing so removes your saved Wi-Fi networks, but you can always re-connect to any network you want, provided you have the password for it.
To reset your iPhone’s network settings:
- Launch the Settings app.
- Tap General and then tap Reset.
- Select Reset Network Settings.
Update iOS
No matter the issue, if you’re using an older version of iOS on your iPhone, you should update your iPhone to the latest iOS version available. The latest version should fix the bugs and any other issues that were present in the older versions of iOS, and this can potentially fix your iMessage problems.
To update your iPhone:
- Go to Settings and tap General.
- Tap the Software Update option.
- Wait for your iPhone to check the latest update.
- If an update is available, tap Download and Install.
Use an Exclusive Messaging System on Your Apple Devices
There’s much more you can do with iMessage than you can do with the traditional messaging systems. If you haven’t already, go ahead and enable iMessage on your iPhone and other Apple devices. This will help you stay in touch with your friends and family who also use this messaging service.
