"Could Not Activiate iPhone"

[mrfoof82]

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1251499/

Not sure why this comment was down voted, as this *is* a duplicate thread.

I've been trying to activate AT&T service using iTunes and the phone itself for the past hour. About 20 activation attempts at this point. No success just yet.

Just in the past minute I received the message "The activation server could not be reached". This is not the activation attempt timing out after 3 minutes. It just plain can't connect. So to say their activation infrastructure is overloaded right now is an understatement.

You figure to activate 200,000 phones an hour, they'd need to be able to handle around 110 activations *per second*. However the reality is they'll probably need to deal with something around 1 to 1.5 million phones this weekend, with far in excess of 110 attempting to activate at a given time. As with the 3GS and onward, they've failed to handle this load -- and I wonder if they care, since they only have to handle this activation crush on 1-2 days, and not have to care as much the rest of the year.

 

[Aviator189]

Why can't things just work? Looks like I'll be enjoying Siri sometime this afternoon....afternoon delight?

 

[WizardHunt]

Says my activation is still pending. And that they're sorry there was a problem connecting to the server and to try later??? Anyone else with this issue?

What is the exact procedure you use to activate your iPhone 4s?

 

[AHDuke99]

Mine didn't even prompt me to actiivate. How do I do it?

 

[WizardHunt]

Mine didn't even prompt me to actiivate. How do I do it?

Exactly that is what I want to know as well.

 

[JRoDDz]

AT&T should have hired more gerbils to man the server wheels..

 

[jvette]

Can't activate mine either, I've tried 6 times and no luck will try again a little later.

 

[mrfoof82]

Mine didn't even prompt me to actiivate. How do I do it?

Did you 1) Buy your phone at an Apple Store, and they activated it for you, 2) Buy your phone at a carrier store, and they activated it for you? If so, you don't need to activate it -- Apple or your carrier did this for you.

If you just got your phone from UPS, FedEx, DHL, etc -- turn the phone on. Start going through the Welcome section. It'll confirm your language, country, whether or not to enable location services, and ask if you want to set up WiFi now. After that, it'll start the activation process with your selected carrier.

 

[WizardHunt]

If you just got your phone from UPS, FedEx, DHL, etc -- turn the phone on. Start going through the Welcome section. It'll confirm your language, country, whether or not to enable location services, and ask if you want to set up WiFi now. After that, it'll start the activation process with your selected carrier.

cool. Thanks for the info

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If you just got your phone from UPS, FedEx, DHL, etc -- turn the phone on. Start going through the Welcome section. It'll confirm your language, country, whether or not to enable location services, and ask if you want to set up WiFi now. After that, it'll start the activation process with your selected carrier.

So that's all u have to do to activate the iPhone. After activation then hook up to iMac to sync with iTunes and restore from current backup right?

 

[evanrousso]

At this point I think I have tried 20 times, still nothing. This is ridiculous.

 

[brian540]

I did it at least 20 times as well finally over WIFI it decided to activate or give up... i have no service but it let me access the phone

 

[mrt209]

Same here

 

[evanrousso]

Same here

I mean, you would think that after 4 and a half years At&t would have figured this out.

 

[iZeeshan]

On my 2nd try...looks like it's going to be a long hour.

I have a meeting in 53 minutes!

 

[GoCubsGo]

At this point I think I have tried 20 times, still nothing. This is ridiculous.

It's ridiculous but almost expected, no?

 

[coolweirdo]

ok so if it dont go thru how do i try again

 

[evanrousso]

ok so if it dont go thru how do i try again

Disconnect the phone from the computer, and then reconnect.

 

[3460169]

It's ridiculous but almost expected, no?

Heh. AT&T didn't learn from the previous 4 generations of iPhone launches.

So yes. Definitely expected.

 

[evanrousso]

It's ridiculous but almost expected, no?

Exactly, it's expected, so why does this happen every year? Couldn't at&t rectify the issue by now?

 

[AHDuke99]

cool. Thanks for the info

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So that's all u have to do to activate the iPhone. After activation then hook up to iMac to sync with iTunes and restore from current backup right?

Did that, but did not go to the activation screen. Just went straight to the home screen...

 

[mrfoof82]

Success at 12:15PM EST! 34 attempts. Compared to the iPhone 4, I now have a consistent 3-4 bars of signal in my home; before I had 2-3 bars of signal in my home which would occasionally drop to 1 bar.

 

[evanrousso]

Success at 12:15PM EST! 34 attempts. Compared to the iPhone 4, I now have a consistent 3-4 bars of signal in my home; before I had 2-3 bars of signal in my home which would occasionally drop to 1 bar.

Good to hear that there is hope hahah

 

[AHDuke99]

Now it says it was invalid and could not be completed...

 

[am17]

I now no longer have service on my 4, but my 4S is still not activated. Hmm

 

[duncan35]

I hope all you numbskulls quit playing games and get activated and out of the way so it works when I'm ready. 'Course that's assuming my freaking phone ever gets here.