Why imessages wont send

It could be a quirk of iMessage, but it could also be that the message was delivered to another device. If your contact has an iPhone, iPad, and Mac all signed in with the same Apple ID, your message could've appeared on one of these other devices, not their smartphone. In theory, this shouldn't cause a problem—your message should show across all devices.

However, iMessage is far from perfect in this regard. Not everyone keeps their phone turned on all the time, especially around bedtime. So, what does it mean when iMessage doesn't say Delivered? If an iMessage doesn't say Delivered, the recipient might have simply turned their phone off.

Your message will arrive when they turn on their device again. Be patient. Even if you think the person is unlikely to turn off their phone, they might have activated Airplane Mode. This cuts off all connections, so they won't receive iMessages, SMS, or calls. If you normally receive read receipts from your contact, or it shows Delivered but you don't have a reply, there's another possibility.

Their device might be set to Do Not Disturb, which silences alerts. If it's an emergency, call them instead. At first, you won't get a response. But call again within three minutes and, if your contact hasn't changed the default settings, your repeated call will bypass Do Not Disturb mode.

It's tough to narrow down why iMessages won't deliver without some trial and error. One of the following solutions should work.

You may have to try them all to get to the bottom of the problem. The obvious reason your message won't deliver is because the recipient has no service.

This is a particular concern in rural or underground areas without free online access, or if the recipient is abroad on vacation. If your iPhone says Not Delivered, you're probably the one without an internet connection. You can turn Wi-Fi off and on again then rejoin networks to clear potential issues.

If you do have service, you'll simply have to wait until the recipient connects too. This could be a quick fix to your problem that's easy to overlook. Even if iMessage is already on, it's worth toggling off then back on again.

You'll need to wait a few moments while it reactivates. If the person you're contacting doesn't have an Apple product, iMessage won't work. You need to rely on SMS to send to Android devices, for example. In these instances, your messages will say Sent as Text Message, not Delivered, and appear in green bubbles.

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. Check out 9to5Mac on YouTube for more Apple news:. A collection of tutorials, tips, and tricks from the 9to5Mac team helping you fix and get the most out of your favorite gear. Michael is an editor for 9to5Mac. This happens when iPhone users who used to have your iMessage account try to send a message to your number, but those messages never get to your new phone because they get stuck in iMessage. How you fix it depends on whether or not you still have your old iPhone.

If you still have your old devices, you just need to disassociate your phone number from your iMessage account before switching to Android. Do the same thing on your iPad if you have one.

This piece was originally published in May and updated on July 9, by Emily Long. Our updates include the following: updated guidance to reflect changes to iMessage interface, added screenshots, added a new lead image, rewrote the introduction.

Swipe left over the conversation. Tap Delete. Learn more If you still can't send or receive messages, contact Apple Support. If you don't receive SMS messages, contact your carrier. If you switched to a non-Apple phone, learn how to deactivate iMessage. Learn how to report unwanted iMessages. Published Date: September 20, Yes No.

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