How to fix iMessage Not Working on iPhone 15 Issue

If your iPhone 15 won’t send or receive iMessages, these troubleshooting tips and fixes will get you back to chatting fast.

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If I message is not working on your iPhone 15, you can troubleshoot the problem by toggling your Wi-Fi, cellular, and iMessage on and off.

iMessages are texts, photos, and video messages that are sent between iPhones, iPads, iPod touches, or Macs using Wi-Fi or a cellular network. iMessages are encrypted and have a signature blue color.

If iMessage is not working on your iPhone 15, You might have problems sending or receiving iMessages. For example, you might see a red exclamation mark next to an iMessage you want to send, indicating your message did not send. You might also see an alert saying “not delivered”. Sometimes, your messages might be delivered as regular text messages (green bubbles), instead of iMessages (blue bubbles). Furthermore, you might also have problems receiving iMessages that your friends send to you. You may not receive iMessages at all.

Another problem reported by iPhone 15 users is iMessage activation. Some iPhone 15 users have said that they see an error message saying “Activation unsuccessful. Turn on iMessage to try again”. Other iPhone 15 users are seeing a “waiting for activation” when they want to turn on iMessage.

Are you having iMessage problems on your iPhone 15 as well? Try the troubleshooting steps below in order. Please test iMessage to see if you’ve fixed your issue after trying each step.

Note: information in this article apply to iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max.

Test iMessage by Sending Texts to Multiple People

Before you assume the worst, it can’t hurt to examine the problem. Are you sure iMessage isn’t working with everyone, or is it just not working when you message one contact? Try sending iMessages to a few different people who you know use iMessage to find out if it works for any of them.

If you’re having trouble with iMessage when sending messages to a single contact, the problem is probably on their end. On the other hand, if iMessage isn’t working with any of your contacts, and you know they’re using iMessage, the problem is probably with your iPhone 15. So, move to the next solution.

Not delivered

If you keep getting a “not delivered” alert saying “this iMessage was not delivered” when you try to send iMessages on your iPhone 15, simply tap the red exclamation mark and tap Try Again.

When you resend, is your iMessage delivered this time? If you are still having this problem, try the next step.

Check your settings

Please check the following settings:

• Head over to Settings > Messages and make sure that the toggle next to iMessage is turned on.
• Head over to Settings > Messages > Send & Receive and then make sure that your Apple ID and your phone number (if applicable) are set to send and receive iMessages.
• Head over to Settings > Messages > Blocked Contacts and make sure that the sender is not on your block list. Because you will not receive iMessages from people who are on the list.
• Make sure that your recipient has an Apple device. Make sure that iMessage is enabled on your recipient device.

Update your iPhone

Whenever iMessage is not working on your iPhone 15, you should ensure that your device is running the latest version of iOS. You can check this by following the steps below:

1. Open Settings.
2. Go into General.
3. Select Software Update. This will check for updates.
4. If there is an update, tap Download and Install and follow the onscreen instructions.

Now check if iMessage is working again. If it’s still not working, move onto the next solution.

Check the System status for iMessage

If iMessage is still not working on your iPhone 15 even after updating your device, check the system status for iMessage. You should do this especially if you start having this problem suddenly. It is possible that Apple is experiencing outage with its iMessage services. You can easily check this by going to the Apple System Status website (direct link). This page will show iMessage problems if there are any.

• If everything is green, then this means Apple servers are up and running and there are problems. The problem is on your end.
• If you see a red, blue, or anything other than green circle next to iMessage, this means that iMessage services are disrupted and not running. The problem is on Apple’s end. Just wait and Apple will fix it.

Restart your iPhone 15 to fix iMessage problems

Restarting your iPhone 15 may fix your iMessage problem. Here is how:

1. Press and hold the Side and volume up (or down) buttons together until you see the power off slider.
2. Move the onscreen slider from left to right.
3. Wait about 30 seconds for your iPhone to completely shut down.
4. Press and hold the Side button until you see the Apple logo on the screen.

Turn iMessage off and back on

If iMessage still isn’t working on your iPhone 15, turn off iMessage, reboot, then turn it back on. Follow these steps:

• Turn off iMessage by going to Settings > Messages.
• Reboot your iPhone.
• once your iPhone is back on, go back to Settings > Messages and turn on iMessage.

Check your Internet connection

You can’t send or receive iMessage if your iPhone 15 is not connected to the internet. If your iPhone 15 is not connected to the Internet, you may see an error message that says: “Unable to contact iMessage server” when you try to activate iMessage in settings. To solve this problem, please ensure that your iPhone 15 has a Wi-Fi connection or cellular data connection. If you are having poor or unstable connection issues, please try these:

• Turn on Airplane Mode and wait 30 seconds and then turn it off (Settings > Airplane Mode).
• Restart your iPhone
• Restart your router. Unplug it from the power outlet. Wait around one minute. Then turn it on by replugging.
• It is possible that your Internet service provider is having issues. You may want to contact your service provider for more help.
• Turn Celluar Data off and wait 10 seconds and turn it on again (Settings > Cellular Data or Cellular).
• Go to Settings > General > About. This will check for a Carrier Settings update. If there is an update, a popup will appear.
• Again there may be issues with your cellular company. Contact your carrier.

Check the date and time

If I message is still not working on your iPhone 15 after trying the above troubleshooting steps, please ensure that the date and time settings on your phone are set correctly for your time zone. To check this, follow the steps below:

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
2. Tap General.
3. Tap Date & Time. If they are incorrect, change them. You may also want to turn on Set Automatically.

Sign out and back in to iMessage

If iMessage still isn’t working on your iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, or iPhone 15 Pro Max, sign out entirely and then sign in again. Follow the steps below:

1. Go to Settings > iMessage.
2. Tap Send & Receive.
3. Tap your Apple ID under the YOU CAN RECEIVE IMESSAGES TO AND REPLY FROM section and choose to Sign Out from the popup that appears.
4. After signing out, tap Use your Apple ID for iMessage and sign in using your Apple ID details.

Reset your Network Settings

If I message is still not working on your iPhone 15 after trying the above troubleshooting steps, it’s time to reset your network settings. Please note that doing so will also reset your Wi-Fi passwords, VPN settings, etc. Here is how you can do this:

1. Open Settings.
2. Go into General.
3. Select Transfer or Reset iPhone.
4. Tap Reset.
5. Tap Reset Network Settings.

iMessage still not working on iPhone 15?

Contact Apple Support for further help.