What you see
- 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. Try again.
What it means — Apple
To use either iMessage or FaceTime, you need to activate them on your iPhone. If you see an error message when you try to activate, follow these steps.
What to do — Apple
- 1 Make sure that you’re connected to a cellular data or Wi-Fi network.
- 2 Make sure that your device has the latest version of iOS.
- 3 Make sure that your time zone is set correctly. In the Settings app, tap General. Then tap Date & Time.
- 4 If you're using an iPhone, you need SMS messaging to activate your phone number with iMessage and FaceTime. Depending on your carrier, you might be charged for this SMS.
Read the full article for pictures and model-specific details: If you can’t turn on or sign in to iMessage or FaceTime on your iPhone ↗