Maybe you have recently switched from Android to iOS or upgraded from an old iPhone to a new one and are setting up everything, including iMessage. But, you seem to have run into a problem. Your iMessage is stuck on the “Waiting for Activation” error screen and doesn’t want to work even after multiple tries and hours of wait. If my prediction is spot on, here are 6 tips to fix the iMessage Waiting for Activation issue in iOS 14 or iPadOS 14.

When activating iMessage on iOS, you might run into 5 familiar error messages:

Irrespective of which of these error messages have popped up on your iPhone or iPad, the following solutions can help you resolve iMessage activation issues on iOS 14 or previous versions.

  • Things to Keep in Mind
  • Turn on/off Airplane Mode
  • Turn Off/On iMessage and Restart Your Device
  • Ensure That Your Time Zone is Set Correctly
  • Check Apple’s System Status for iMessage
  • Reset Network Settings
  • Update Software

Things to Keep in Mind If iMessage Not Working on Your iPhone

First and foremost, make sure you have ticked off the basic requirements since they play a key role in successful iMessage activation.

1. Turn on/off Airplane Mode

The very first tip that you should try is to turn on/ off Airplane mode. While it may sound funny, Airplane mode can help fix random network-related issues. So, before trying out other solutions to troubleshoot the iMessage activation issue on your iPhone/ iPad, make sure to give it a shot.

Wait for some time and then disable Airplane mode. Now, head over to ‘Messages’ under the Settings app to check if the iMessage waiting for activation error is gone. If the issue is resolved, you are good to go!

If the first trick did not help you resolve the iMessage activation issue on your iOS 14 device, then turn off iMessage and restart your device. At times, simply turning the iMessage toggle on and off lets you sort out this error.

  • On iPhone X, 11, and 12: Press and hold either the volume down or up button and side button. Then, drag the power off slider to shut down your device. After that, press and hold the side button to restart your device.
  • On iPhone SE 2, 8, or Earlier: Press and hold the power button and then drag the power off slider to turn off your device. Next, press and hold the power button to turn on your device.
  • On iPad without Home Button: Press and hold either the volume up or down button and the top button. After that, drag the power off slider to shut down your iPad. Then, press and hold the top button to turn on your device.
  • On iPad with Home Button: Press and hold the top button and then drag the power off slider to shut down your iPad. Next, hold down the top button again to restart your device.

Once your device has restarted, go turn on the iMessage toggle. Now, wait for some time to check if the iMessage activation is successful on your device.

Apple recommends users set the time zone correctly for the successful activation of iMessage. So, make sure to checkoff this essential box to steer clear of the Waiting for Activation error. To do so, navigate to Settings -> General -> Date & Time. Now, turn on the toggle for Set Automatically.

4. Check Apple’s System Status for iMessage

Whenever Apple’s system hits an outage, many of its essential services and features, including iMessage, come to a standstill. Therefore, make sure to check Apple’s system status for iMessage to determine whether or not it’s operating normally.

Navigate to Apple’s system status page. If the circle next to iMessage is green, that means it’s functional. However, if there is a red or yellow circle next to iMessage, it means the service is facing an outage. Now, all you can do to get rid of this issue (you guessed it!) is to wait for the back-end issues to get resolved.

As outlined above, a sloppy internet connection could be one of the main reasons for iMessage not working as intended on your iPhone/iPad. So, ensure that your Wi-Fi or cellular connection is up to the mark. If you find your internet connection is weak or it doesn’t seem to work well, you can reset the network settings to try and fix this issue.

6. Update Software

If none of the tricks mentioned above help solves the iMessage Waiting for Activation problem, there is a high chance that the outdated software is the culprit. So, what’s the solution? Pretty simple, check for a software update.

Now, if iMessage is working fine for you, but your iPhone is restarting randomly, then do check out our handy guide to fix the issue. You can also improve the security and privacy of your iOS 14 device using the linked article.