WTF is wrong with Facetime and iMessage

[WhackyNinja]

I got a new iPhone 5 (great btw) but I cant Facetime OR even iMessage

They are both stuck in "Waiting for activation" ever since I got it.

Now I cant iMessage because its not enable when it clearly is....SOMEONE HELP

 

[Arelunde]

Do you have iMessage settings listing not only your phone number but also ALL your emails? This is really important for making connections.

Also, you need to enable the automatic sending as an sms (regular text) if iMessage doesn't apply or isn't available. That's in the Settings, too.

Perhaps this will help.

 

[WhackyNinja]

Do you have iMessage settings listing not only your phone number but also ALL your emails? This is really important for making connections.

Also, you need to enable the automatic sending as an sms (regular text) if iMessage doesn't apply or isn't available. That's in the Settings, too.

Perhaps this will help.

Well I had @me.com email and a new @icloud.com email that were listed but I deleted them and left only my hotmail

 

[Arelunde]

Well I had @me.com email and a new @icloud.com email that were listed but I deleted them and left only my hotmail

That is likely your problem. Add back the @me and @icloud - those are clues to iMessage that you are indeed an iDevice.

 

[WhackyNinja]

That is likely your problem. Add back the @me and @icloud - those are clues to iMessage that you are indeed an iDevice.

I just did but still I have the same problem....

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That is likely your problem. Add back the @me and @icloud - those are clues to iMessage that you are indeed an iDevice.

Should I have them checked off? Like enabled

 

[Smurfqq]

Are you on wifi? If so -- Turn off iMessage, Turn off wifi, make sure cellular data is on. Turn iMessage back on.

If that doesn't work, reset network settings (which will drop your wifi) after turning iMessage off. Then turn iMessage on, wait for it to activate, then put your wifi info back in.

 

[krixtian]

1) Go here: http://www.apple.com/support/appleid/manage/
2) Click on Sign in to manage your Apple ID
3) Click on Manage your Apple ID
4) Type in your Apple ID and Password and click Sign in
5) Select Addresses from the left hand side
6) Click Edit
7) In country region type United Kingdom
8) Click Save at the bottom of the page
9) Go to your Apple Device Settings - General - International - Region Format - Select United Kingdom
10) Press the Home button
11) Log into Facetime and iMessage with your CORRECT APPLE ID AND PASSWORD
*
This should work for all of you guys. Hope it helps.

 

[Gutwrench]

If all here fails make a Genius appointment, that's what I did...or restore from bu which ultimately resolved it.

My I5 Facetime and iMessage worked fine right out of the box for about a week. Then it suddenly froze while in Safari requiring a hard reset. Upon restart both FaceTime and iMessage were permanently stuck in Waiting Activation status. The Genius fiddled with it for a while in the magic room behind the counter w/o success. Eventually settled on a restore from b/u which solved it. I wasn't sure as I was concerned whatever caused the original corruption might be reintroduced from the bu too. So far clear sailing. The Genius had no explanation at all.

 

[HMI]

1) Go here: http://www.apple.com/support/appleid/manage/
2) Click on Sign in to manage your Apple ID
3) Click on Manage your Apple ID
4) Type in your Apple ID and Password and click Sign in
5) Select Addresses from the left hand side
6) Click Edit
7) In country region type United Kingdom
8) Click Save at the bottom of the page
9) Go to your Apple Device Settings - General - International - Region Format - Select United Kingdom
10) Press the Home button
11) Log into Facetime and iMessage with your CORRECT APPLE ID AND PASSWORD
*
This should work for all of you guys. Hope it helps.

Also, You can add any unique personal email address that you want to your Apple ID account, then verify it via the verification email notification Apple sends you. When you enter that email address into your iOS device, be careful to match the address exactly. Sometimes the first character in a text box defaults to an uppercase when your email address might be lowercase, in which case iOS will become stuck in a "waiting to activate" process because it can't reconcile what it sees as two different email addresses. The email address you use for FaceTime/iMessage is case sensitive.