iMessage Activation issue

whiterebel

Seems to be back working again now.

SpaceTime

It definitely wasn't a carrier issue.
It's been resolved server side.

Switch iMessage and FaceTime off and on again and it should activate.

whiterebel

SpaceTime wrote: »

It definitely wasn't a carrier issue.
It's been resolved server side.

Switch iMessage and FaceTime off and on again and it should activate.

Yes, all on Apple's side by the looks of it.

RVN10

Mine was resolved aswell last night , guy from apple phoned this morning to check was it up and running. Delighted to have it sorted

SpaceTime

I think it was hitting a lot of iPhones and iPads, as I'm not seeing some of the people who I know have iPhones showing up as "blue" on screen in message.

People need to reboot their phones or switch iMessage and FaceTime on and off again to get past the glitch.

I'd say a lot of people will stay off line not realising that they need to do that. Hopefully as their phones get naturally rebooted they reconnect.

I can't fault Apple's tech support, it was really excellent but they seem to have had a bit of an iMeltdown with cloud services / online services over the last few days. Hopefully it's the last outage we see for a long time. They are lashing a lot of money into new data centres though, including one in Athenry !

JonMac

I'm with eMobile. Just iMessaged Help to 51368 "Not Delivered;" settings show Carrier Meteor 18.0.
Powered off and on; FaceTime and iMessage off and on.
Send Help again, no change.
What next?

guil

JonMac wrote: »

I'm with eMobile. Just iMessaged Help to 51368 "Not Delivered;" settings show Carrier Meteor 18.0.
Powered off and on; FaceTime and iMessage off and on.
Send Help again, no change.
What next?

I think that number is bogus, are you sure it was showing as iMessage? If it's green its a normal message. It failed on me both times I tried when iMessage was not working and when it was working. The woman I spoke to in Apple supoort never heard of it and Google shows nothing relevant to it except this thread.

To check if iMessage is working, try text yourself. Blue is iMessage and green is standard text message.

whiterebel

JonMac wrote: »

I'm with eMobile. Just iMessaged Help to 51368 "Not Delivered;" settings show Carrier Meteor 18.0.
Powered off and on; FaceTime and iMessage off and on.
Send Help again, no change.
What next?

Make sure time zone is set correctly in settings as well. Mine was showing Munich for some reason.

JonMac

Well, iMessage is working fine to a known iPhone friend. Is this all a red herring?

guil

It wasn't worning the other day but is now. I wouldn't worry about texting that 51 number for the reasons I stated above.

SpaceTime

guil wrote: »

I think that number is bogus, are you sure it was showing as iMessage? If it's green its a normal message. It failed on me both times I tried when iMessage was not working and when it was working. The woman I spoke to in Apple supoort never heard of it and Google shows nothing relevant to it except this thread.

To check if iMessage is working, try text yourself. Blue is iMessage and green is standard text message.

The number is absolutely not bogus but Apple seem to be completely uninformed at first level tech support!

SpaceTime

Before I'm accused of posting bogus numbers :

From comreg number search

SpaceTime

The problem would appear to be resolved at this stage.

Basically the way iMessage sets up is as follows:

1) You activate iMessage.
2) Phone sends a silent message (hidden from you) to that number with a verification code. This verifies that you own the number.
3) Apple then register your number on the iMessage servers.

This process is totally seamless normally and you shouldn't notice it happening.

The issue over the last few days was down to a problem on Apple's side.

If you're sending a message via iMessage, SMS screen changes from Green to Blue and iMessage appears in text entry area.

They have that "help" test to verify if your carrier has blocked access.
Typically this would be because 1) You've no call credit / expired credit or because access to SMS short codes has been blocked entirely for some reason.

It just means that the 2nd level tech support can verify that your carrier isn't an issue.

FourFourRED

SpaceTime wrote: »

The number is absolutely not bogus but Apple seem to be completely uninformed at first level tech support!

This is accurate. Not something that's normally used however.

SpaceTime

It's also 51369not 51368 that was a typo on my behalf earlier in the thread!
See screenshot above.

FourFourFM: How could it not normally be used? That's how iMessage setup works there's no other way of verifying your mobile number.
Basically the process is quite simple:
Apple push a message to your phone using the internet containing a verification code.
Your iPhone silently sends that code as an SMS message to the verification number (you not not see this)
The servers then know that you own the mobile number and iMessage activates for your mobile number.

You can use iMessage with your registered iCloud email addresses too, but that's really only for non-SMS enabled iPod Touches and iPads or as an alternative to using your phone number on an iPhone.

The whole point of iMessage on iPhone is that it will take over automatically from the carrier SMS service where the number you're sending to is another iPhone with iMessage enabled and where you've internet access. So, you get a free "text" and can send long texts/multimedia messages via the internet rather than MMS.

So, you can use either any verified iMessage registered phone number OR any iCloud email address, or iCloud registered 3rd party email linked to an iOS device with iMessage enabled (and that is online).

SMS verification is only likely to fail for a few reasons:

1) Unpaid bill, No credit or expired account may block all SMS access.
2) You requested to block all premium SMS messages, and that has somehow also blocked non-premium short codes like this.
3) A temporary error with your carrier's SMS service system or, you've no coverage at all (e.g. you're in a basement). It will not activate if you have no mobile coverage, even if you're on WiFi.
4) Sometimes it may not work if you're roaming (but usually should as you're using your carrier's SMS centre, not the roaming network's)

SpaceTime

SpaceTime wrote: »

I got onto Apple it's not the carrier. Got it assigned to a senior techie etc they're following up.

To test the activation relay text Help to 51368
Should read 51369

If one of the mod's could please edit my post!
(Evidence of number's correctness and non bogus nature posted : http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=94728451&postcount=42) and here : http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=94728489&postcount=43

SpaceTime

aine1980 wrote: »

Text to 51368 failed for me also, I've spent the best part of an hour this morning discussing the issue with a Meteor Agent who told me that iMessage/FaceTime not activating is nothing to do with the network... Agent told me my phone is faulty and needs to go for repair - along with the other 2 iphones in the house with the same issue, definitely not Meteor's issue. They don't know why an SMS is being sent as it's facetime.

Escalated it to a Supervisor who said it's definitely not an issue with the phone or the network. He seemed to think that Apple no longer use mobile number for iMessage & has had me setup again using my email only, will have to wait & see if that works.

From looking online it definitely doesn't seem to be an isolated incident but I haven't found a 'fix' as yet.

Just contact Apple directly, don't bother with the carrier as they won't be able to help with issues to do with iCloud / iMessage etc.

Apple Tech support: 1800 804 062

If you still have an issue with iMessage / FaceTime now, just switch the services on/off and they should activate within a few mins (or straight away). Also try rebooting your handset.

The problem should be resolved by now, but your handset may not have re-tried if it's failed too many times and given up, so you might need to start the process again by doing off/on on the two settings options.

Basically with Apple devices:

Physical problem with device : your contract's with the carrier (Meteor) so, ring them first. They're the retailer, and you've also got a contract wit them.

For anything else i.e. technical support for iOS, iCloud services etc : Ring Apple first as the carrier's staff aren't all that aware of the technicalities and all they can do really is inform Apple of issues.

guil

SpaceTime wrote: »

Before I'm accused of posting bogus numbers :

From comreg number search

That number you posted originally was bogus. It was posted a few times after as well.

Are you sure that's the number iMessage and FaceTime is activated with? It was always an English number.

SpaceTime

guil wrote: »

That number you posted originally was bogus. It was posted a few times after as well.

Are you sure that's the number iMessage and FaceTime is activated with? It was always an English number.

Yeah, I hit a wrong key on my keyboard and am slightly dyslexic! I've corrected myself and asked a mod to correct it too!

Yup, the tech guy said that's how it's done.

They may well have used an English number in the old days but I suspect that was likely to have caused issues for some prepay customers or run up bills if carriers weren't zero pricing it. Getting charged at full whack for international SMSs would be pretty annoying.

Also, the carriers wouldn't necessarily appreciate floods of international SMS traffic either if loads of iPhones were setting up and generally prefer the use of local codes for those kinds of things.

They've test and setup numbers in each country at this stage.

Normally, you shouldn't even need to be aware of this stuff, and your iMessage should just 'magically' setup.

I would assume the phone gets this info in the carrier file or it identifies the country of origin of the SIM and has a database of uptodate numbers in a file somewhere in the system so if you use a foreign SIM in a unlocked iPhone, it would get the correct info automatically, assuming it's able to recognise the SIM anyway.

FourFourRED

SpaceTime wrote: »

It's also 51369not 51368 that was a typo on my behalf earlier in the thread!
See screenshot above.

FourFourFM: How could it not normally be used? That's how iMessage setup works there's no other way of verifying your mobile number.

You mentioned that it's not known on basic support level, my "it's not normally used" statement was with regards to troubleshooting iMessage it isn't used often.

I'm very familiar with how it works, you just read me wrong. Sorry

guil

There was an awful uproar when iMessage and FaceTime were introduced. O2 and I think vodafone didn't charge for the 2 texts to the 0044 number but other networks did.

SpaceTime

FourFourFM wrote: »

You mentioned that it's not known on basic support level, my "it's not normally used" statement was with regards to troubleshooting iMessage it isn't used often.

I'm very familiar with how it works, you just read me wrong. Sorry

I'm sorry I posted the info at all now tbh.
I'm getting into all sorts of nonsense over a typo in that short code lol :P

SpaceTime

guil wrote: »

There was an awful uproar when iMessage and FaceTime were introduced. O2 and I think vodafone didn't charge for the 2 texts to the 0044 number but other networks did.

Yeah, I'd say they've improved localisation a LOT in the last while due to things like needing to be able to text out SMS codes for things like 2-factor iCloud verification etc etc..

Just using a +44 7X number was never going to be a very good solution.

Covering Europe for those kinds of services is FAR more complicated than the US because it's umpteen smaller markets.

SpaceTime

guil wrote: »

That number you posted originally was bogus. It was posted a few times after as well.
.

No, it simply contained a typo!

Bogus imples a deliberate fraud / fake that's the only reason I'm a bit annoyed. I do not like the implication being made that I'm trying to scam someone!!

Won't be posting this kind of info again! Too much confusion caused.

culabula

aine1980 wrote: »

Text to 51368 failed for me also, I've spent the best part of an hour this morning discussing the issue with a Meteor Agent who told me that iMessage/FaceTime not activating is nothing to do with the network... Agent told me my phone is faulty and needs to go for repair - along with the other 2 iphones in the house with the same issue, definitely not Meteor's issue. They don't know why an SMS is being sent as it's facetime.

Escalated it to a Supervisor who said it's definitely not an issue with the phone or the network. He seemed to think that Apple no longer use mobile number for iMessage & has had me setup again using my email only, will have to wait & see if that works.

From looking online it definitely doesn't seem to be an isolated incident but I haven't found a 'fix' as yet.

Please note it's 51369. Original contributor made a boo-boo.

guil

SpaceTime wrote: »

No, it simply contained a typo!

Bogus imples a deliberate fraud / fake that's the only reason I'm a bit annoyed. I do not like the implication being made that I'm trying to scam someone!!

Won't be posting this kind of info again! Too much confusion caused.

Sorry, bogus was the wrong word to use after you realised it was the wrong number. As a matter of interest I can't get a reply from the updated number but my iMessage is working fine now.

SpaceTime

guil wrote: »

Sorry, bogus was the wrong word to use after you realised it was the wrong number. As a matter of interest I can't get a reply from the updated number but my iMessage is working fine now.

Is your iMessage sending the correct caller ID though? Or just your email address ?

guil

SpaceTime wrote: »

Is your iMessage sending the correct caller ID though? Or just your email address ?

Yeah I only have it set to send and receive from my phone number. It's the same if I add any email address.

SpaceTime

If it's working, it's working the behind the scenes stuff is fairly well hidden and unexplained in iOS

guil

SpaceTime wrote: »

If it's working, it's working the behind the scenes stuff is fairly well hidden and unexplained in iOS

It certainly is. I got an iPhone replaced in Belfast in February. It was mad the diagnostic stuff they have on the iPads. This and that was appearing on the screen of the iPhone and when the tech walked away, everything disappeared. I presumed they used gps in store as well to find who was who with an appointment.