After updating to the iOS 18, you may find iMessage not working. In this guide, you will know why you encounter the issue, as well as solutions to help you out of iOS 18 iMessage not working issue.
iOS 18 Update Makes it Difficult to Text
I just updated my phone to IOS 18 and everything has been fine, but my mom has an Android phone and my phone doesn't let me text her cell phone number. This problem is recent because the first couple of days after I updated my phone to iOS 18 it was working fine, I don't know what happened.
- Question from Apple Community
You are familiar with iMessage if you have used iPhone for years. With iMessage, you may use mobile data or Wi-Fi to send and receive messages between Apple devices. iMessage allows users to send documents, images, videos, and texts.
However, there has been an increasing tendency of iMessage not working after updating iOS 18, like iMessage not activate, cannot send message as iMessage, etc.
You've come to the correct place if you're having trouble with iMessage not working after updating your iPhone to iOS 18. This guide will assist in quickly resolving this problem.
First and foremost, let’s learn why your iMessage is not working after updating to iOS 18. Here are the main reasons of the iMessage issue: ⛔ Network Connection Issues: If your connection is weak or unstable, it can hinder the functionality of iMessage. ⛔ iMessage Wrong Settings: The settings for iMessage might be misconfigured following the iOS 18 update. ⛔ Software Bugs: iOS 18, while generally stable, may have glitches impacting iMessage. ⛔ Apple Server Issues: At times, Apple's servers might experience outages or maintenance, causing disruptions to services like iMessage. ⛔ Wrong Time Zone: This problem can occur when the user’s time zone doesn’t update automatically.
Now that we’ve identified possible reasons behind iMessage issues, let’s fix the iOS 18 messages not working issue. Follow the detailed steps for each method to resolve your iMessage problems after updating to iOS 18.
To avoid any system errors in the new iOS 18 that cause the iMessage issue, the simplest way to troubleshoot the issue is to utilize an iOS system repairing tool, like FoneTool.
The powerful tool assists in diagnosing and fixing various iOS system problems, such as black screen, iPhone freezing, and more complicated bugs that keep your iOS devices from functioning effectively intended.
You can free download this powerful tool to your computer, and let it examine your iPhone, and fix iMessage system errors.
Step 1. Connect your iPhone to computer with USB > You may need to tap Trust on your iPhone > Launch FoneTool on your PC.
Step 2. Tap Toolbox from the left pane in FoneTool > Go to iOS System Repair function.
Step 3. From the pop-up window, enter iOS System Repair > Choose Standard Mode to repair your iPhone, and click Start to continue.
Step 4. FoneTool will download the previous firmware file on your iPhone using > When the download completes, you can click Start Repair to begin the troubleshooting.
Wait for the process to complete, and go to your iPhone iMessage app to check whether your issue gets fixed.
FoneTool also allows you to downgrade iOS to previous version without losing any data. You can downgrade iOS 18 to 17, and wait for a more stable version of iOS 18 to be released.
If you don’t want to use a third-party tool to troubleshoot iOS 18 iMessage not working issue, you can also try common solutions like force restarting iPhone, which can often resolve common iOS issue.
• For iPhone XR and later: Quickly press and release the Volume Up button > Quickly press and release the Volume Down button > Press and hold the Side button. When the Apple logo appears, release the button. • For iPhone SE: Press and hold both the Sleep/Wake button and the Home button. When the Apple logo shows up, release both buttons.
To send messages, you need to change text message to iMessage. It's possible that you unintentionally disabled iMessage on your iPhone. Therefore, it's crucial to confirm that iMessage is turned on. To activate iMessage on your iPhone, follow the steps listed below.
Step 1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone. Scroll down and select Messages.
Step 2. Toggle on the iMessage switch. When a window prompts, tap on OK to confirm.
Try signing out and back into iMessage if it's not functioning on your iPhone. iMessages may not always be able to verify your Apple ID. Here's how to refresh your iMessage account:
Step 1. On your iPhone Settings app > Scroll down to locate and choose Messages.
Step 2. Tap Send & Receive > Choose your Apple ID and tap on the Sign Out option.
Wait for seconds, and you can repeat the same steps above to sign into your account to in iMessage. You can go to the Messages app to check whether your issue gets fixed.
iMessage requires a stable and strong network connection to send and receive messages, which means if there is something wrong with your iPhone network connection, it will be difficult to sending and receiving messages as iMessage. To ensure this isn't the case, check the Control Center to see if Wi-Fi and Cellular are enabled.
To prevent any network issues that lead to iOS 18 iMessage not working, you can consider resetting network settings by following steps below.
To reset all settings on your iPhone, go to the Settings app > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Choose Reset Network Settings to fix iOS 18 iMessage issue.
If none of the above methods work, it may be time to reach out to Apple Support for assistance. Visit the Apple Support website. Choose your device and issue to get help or schedule a call with an Apple representative.
It can be frustrarting to experience the iOS 18 iMessage not working issue, but most problems are solvable with the right approach. By following the fixes outlined in this article, you can troubleshoot and resolve the issues preventing you from using iMessage effectively.
If problems persist, don’t hesitate to contact Apple Support for professional assistance. Enjoy all the features iOS 18 has to offer with a fully functional iMessage!