Why does face time write waiting for activation? iMessage is not activated - what to do

I installed the latest update to Mac OS 10.13.4 and two applications fell off at once: Facetime and iMessage, and the Handsoff function. I discovered this a day or two later when I needed to call my colleagues. Having launched the program, I saw the form Apple input ID and password. I enter it and get “An error occurred during activation. Try later".

"Ok Google!"

There are several recommendations on the Apple support site that did not help. Among them:

  • check that the date and time settings are correct;
  • check if I am connected to the Internet;
  • check that your Apple ID is correct;
  • reset NVRAM memory and others.

I tried everything, but no result. Logout and login again account iCloud didn't help either.

On the forums I saw, among other things, recommendations to “reinstall”, “restore”, etc. Resetting the system to its original form was not my option, since it would take a lot of time to re-install all the programs and configure the computer itself for itself.

What helped me get my job back?

Call Apple Support. Later I thought: “Why didn’t you call right away?” The problem was solved in 10 minutes.

First, I chatted, described the problem and the steps I had already taken. They asked me to wait a bit and called.

It turned out that FaceTime and iMessage on my Macbook were blocked on Apple servers for some kind of spam. Here I had such eyes o_O, because I use these programs to communicate with three or four colleagues and that’s it.

A support specialist answered my modest question “how is that possible?!” replied that there may have been an error during the update and unlocked the applications.

After restarting the computer, the Handsoff function also worked.

What conclusion did I draw? If there is a problem with Apple computer, then you shouldn’t spend too much time “smoking forums” and trying to find a solution on the Internet. It’s enough to first do the steps that the company itself recommends on its support website, and if that doesn’t help, then call/write to them. It will be faster.

Hello everyone! iMessage and FaceTime are simply wonderful services from Apple. I think hardly anyone will argue with this. Yes, they have shortcomings, but using them is an absolute pleasure. However, before you start getting this pleasure, they need to be turned on. And this is where the problems begin - failures and errors during activation, unfortunately, are not so uncommon.

Should we despair, worry, throw away our smartphone, send threats to Tim Cook and the rest of the employees of the Apple corporation? No! Is it possible to do something about this? Certainly! Let's look at all the reasons for the activation error of iMessage and FaceTime services, as well as ways to deal with this rare disgrace.

Let's go quickly and decisively!

A small digression. This instruction will discuss precisely the impossibility of turning it on for the first time. If the iMessage or FaceTime registration succeeds at first, but after a while they “ask” for it again and again (and money is constantly debited) – the solution will be a little different.

So, services are not activated - why is this happening?

Here are three main reasons:

  1. The SIM card or telecom operator is to blame.
  2. Problem with iPhone or iPad.
  3. Apple is also not without sin.

What to do? Let's look at each case in more detail.

iMessage activation failed - problem with SIM card or operator

Yes, the first thing you should pay attention to is what SIM card you are using and whether there are any problems with it.

The fact is that to register iMessage or FaceTime, a special SMS must be sent from your iPhone to the UK. The most interesting thing is that it will not be visible in the “sent” ones. You can find out about it only by detailing expenses.

So, if the message is not sent, activation does not occur. Therefore we act:

  1. Checking the account balance. The message is not very expensive (5-15 rubles), but this money must be in the account.
  2. Your tariff must support sending SMS abroad. This is especially true for owners of corporate tariffs.
  3. We call on hotline operator and find out if everything is fine with them?

By the way, it is the third point that is the most common cause of mass failures. When preparing this article, I read a lot of sources and noted that at different times all operators had problems with enabling iMessage. MTS, Beeline, Megafon – it doesn’t matter.

iMessage does not turn on - check iOS settings

In fact, iOS almost always works “like a Swiss watch” and blaming it for errors with activating FaceTime and iMessage is a waste of time. In most cases. Although... “glitches” are still possible. That's why:

With each action, we try to disable and then enable iMessage and FaceTime - check whether it works or not?

Apple's problems

As noted above, Apple itself is also not without sin. In some cases, its servers simply cannot cope with the load, which means messaging and video calling services will not work properly.

Most often this happens on the days when new products are released. iOS versions. And if yesterday or the day before yesterday there was a presentation new iPhone or iPad - failures are almost guaranteed. Although on “normal” days everything is possible. You can find out about these problems:


What is the conclusion from this? Very simple: the only thing we can do in this case is just wait. One joy is that you won’t have to wait long.

I guess that's all. In the end, it is worth noting that in my own experience, the most common causes of the error are problems with the SIM card (operator) or Apple servers. And they usually affect more than one person.

Therefore, be sure to write in the comments and find out that maybe you are not the only one and the failures affected absolutely everyone. It is highly advisable to specify the operator cellular communications– this will make it much easier to navigate.

P.S. In general, don’t be silent, like, let’s solve the activation problem together!

FaceTime is an extremely convenient service for iPhone, iPad and PC on Mac OS, with which users make voice and video calls, completely free of charge. To use the service, you must link it to your Apple ID. And this is where difficulties arise. Let's look at the reasons why isn't it activated?FaceTime, and options for eliminating the error.

Reasons for failure

To begin with, we will indicate that further narration will concern errors when the application is first launched. If you have any difficulties with further use of it, for example, the inability to make calls, then read the following material.

There are three main reasons why an error occurs when the service is first launched:

  • Problem with SIM card.
  • Incorrect work mobile device.
  • Failures on Apple servers.

Each case has its own solution. Let's go through each of them sequentially.

Case 1: SIM card problem

This could be the reason why FaceTime may fail to wait for activation. Check if you can make calls. The personal account balance must be positive, and in the terms of service, SMS sending abroad must be enabled. Sometimes it is worth contacting the service provider directly and asking a question regarding network operation.

Case 2: Incorrect operation of the mobile device

The first step when experiencing any problems on iOS is to restart your device. Often this is the only solution to a particular problem. If this still doesn't help, try the following:

Case 3: Failures on Apple servers

In rare cases, FaceTime stops working due to a problem with the server. This happens very rarely, but it does happen. What can the user do? Unfortunately, the only option is to wait for the problems to be fixed. There is no way to influence this. But we note that, as a rule, troubleshooting this kind of problem takes the company no more than one hour.


iMessage and FaceTime are convenient services for communicating between Apple technology users. However, alas, there is no standard option to delete the phone number to which the link is being made. Therefore, it may turn out like this: you temporarily put another SIM card in your phone, these services were activated from it, and after you returned old SIM card, the number has not changed, and activation accordingly does not take place again.

In order to reset your number, you first need to go to Settings > Messages and FaceTime, where you need to sign out of your Apple ID, after which you need to disable these services:



Now go to Settings > Phone and check if your number is correct, and if it is incorrect, change it. After this, go to Settings > General > Reset and reset the network settings (attention - all passwords and configured VPN connections will be deleted):


That's it, after the reboot, enable these services (if this did not happen automatically), and the setup will take place with the current phone number.

FaceTime is surprisingly popular, but you need to know what to do if you get an error when trying to use the app.

What should be the way out of the situation if FaceTime won't connect?

Activate FaceTime

First of all, to use iMessage, FaceTime you need to activate the application. In fact, this process is usually really easy, but sometimes an error message may appear. How might the error appear? In the form of text labels that can report on various aspects.


The main way out of this situation is to hold special events that are aimed at trying to start using the software.

Checking the settings

First of all, you need to check the device settings: connection to mobile network or to wi-fi. Be prepared for activation mobile number SMS exchanges may be required, so small charges may still show up.

It is mandatory to go through an additional procedure: Settings – Basic – Date and time. You will need to enter the correct time zone.

Restart both services

If FaceTime won't connect, may require a restart.

  • You must go to the Settings menu and Messages, and then turn off iMessage.
  • Go to Settings - FaceTime, disable this service as well.
  • Now you need to wait a few minutes and reboot the device you are using.
  • Now there is an opportunity to re-enable both programs.

What should I do if the error persists the next day?

Be prepared for the fact that sometimes applications can take up to 24 hours to activate. However, what if more than a day has passed?


So what if FaceTime won't connect? First of all, use the recommendations provided, as most likely the problem will be solved.

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