Apple’s messaging application, iMessage, has become critical to iPhone communication. But what happens if it stops working or starts acting up? Don’t fret because this guide has got you covered. Let’s delve into the iMessage troubleshooting world so you never lose your sleep over the messaging app on the fritz.
Before getting into the troubleshooting guide, kindly note that if you cannot message someone or the message is not showing delivered, it might be because your Internet is unstable or your iPhone contact has blocked you. So, if you were wondering how to tell if someone blocked your number iMessage, this is one of the signs. If your number is blocked, there’s not much you can do about it.
Now, let’s see how to make iMessage work again, provided your number isn’t blocked, and your Internet is working fine.
- Fix your Internet
iMessage relies on an active Internet connection. Hence, the performance of the app will be affected if you have a spotty, unstable connection. You must fix your connection before troubleshooting further.
- Restart iMessage
Restarting iMessage is the most basic troubleshooting tip. This will give the application a quick refresh and resolve minor glitches. To restart iMessage, head to the Settings app on your iPhone > toggle off iMessage > toggle it back on after waiting a few seconds.
You can also reboot your iPhone to give it a quick refresh. This fix will only take a few minutes and is usually successful.
- Update the iOS version
Have you not updated your iOS in a long time? This might be why iMessage isn’t working. Go to the Settings app > tap General > Software Update to check whether there are any pending updates. If so, click Update and check whether iMessage is working.
- Check whether iMessage is set up correctly
If iMessage is not set up correctly, it may not work properly. You can check this by opening Settings > tapping Messages > tapping Send & Receive. Here, you will see a list of phone numbers and email addresses that can send and receive iMessages on your phone. Go to the Start New Conversations From tab and ensure the right phone number is selected to activate iMessage.
Did this work? If it didn’t, do not worry, as there are more fixes to try.
- Sign out of your Apple ID
You try signing out of your Apple ID and then signing back in after a few minutes. To do this, tap Settings > Messages > Send & Receive > tap your Apple ID > select Sign Out. Then, go back to Settings and sign into your Apple ID again.
Once you are signed in, send an iMessage to an iPhone user and see if it is working.
- Delete some messages
Is your iMessage app performing slowly? You may have a lot of videos and photos affecting the performance of the app. It might help to delete some of the messages, especially the pens with lots of videos and pictures.
Reducing the size of the iMessage library can boost the app’s performance and speed things up.
You can delete messaging by swiping from right to left on a message and then choosing Delete. Alternatively, you can tap the Edit button and then delete messages.
In Settings > Messages, you will find a Keep Messages option. You must look for Message History and then choose to Keep Messages to select Forever, 30 days, or 1 year. When you are deleting these messages, you must carefully browse them to ensure you aren’t deleting important messages.
While you are here, you can change the settings so you send low-res images. These images will take up less space on your device. So, toggle on Low-Quality Image Mode, and then you can get some relief from the slow performance of the app whenever you have too many pictures in the library.
- Reset the network settings
Have you tried it all? Is iMessage still not functioning? You can reset your phone’s network settings and send them back to factory default. However, ensure to save the Wi-Fi passwords because everything will get deleted and reset.
You can do this by going to the Settings app > General > Reset > Reset Network Settings.
- Talk to Apple Support
If you have tried all the possible fixes and nothing is working, the final option is to contact Apple Support. Ask for their assistance via call or head to your nearest Apple service center. They will be able to help you, and while you are there, ask them to check whether your phone has any other issues.
The Bottom Line
If you run into problems with the iMessage app, try the fixes mentioned above to get back on track. But if the issue gets out of hand and you cannot solve it, contacting Apple Support is the best option.
