Don’t worry! Here are some tested solutions to fix this issue and start enjoying iMessage again on your iPhone or iPad.
1. Ensure iMessage is enabled
If iMessage is on, we can move on to the subsequent fixes.
2. Enable and disable Airplane mode
This is a pretty easy and quick thing to try before going for other complex solutions. Swipe down from the screen’s top left to open the Control Center. If you have an iPhone with a Home button, swipe up from the bottom of the screen. Next, tap the Airplane icon. It will become orange. After 30 seconds, tap again to disable it.
3. Force quit the Messages app
After you follow the above solution (Airplane mode on and off), force-quit the Messages app. To do this, enter the App Switcher on your iPhone. On iPhone with Face ID, swipe up from the bottom and hold. If your iPhone has a Home button, quickly double press it. You will see all currently open apps. Close the Messages app by dragging its card all the way up. After 15 seconds, open the Messages app again and try sending the text.
4. Check iMessage server status
In rare cases, the fault might not be yours but Apple’s. To check this, head over to their System Status Page and if you see a green dot next to iMessage, that’s good news. If it is yellow or red, then iMessage is down, and Apple is working to implement the fix. It may take a few minutes to a few hours for everything to return to normal.
5. Restart your iPhone
This quick solution works wonder in solving several problems like ‘iPhone says cannot send a message as iMessage needs to be enabled.’ To restart your iPhone use the buttons first to turn it off and, after a minute, turn it back on.
6. Disable and enable iMessage from Settings
Although iMessage is enabled, your iPhone may say, ‘iMessage needs to be enabled to send this message.’ In this situation, turning iMessage off and then on can solve the problem.
7. Delete stuck message or conversation
At times, removing the stuck, failed message from the conversation can help clear the way for new messages to be sent successfully. To do this, open the Messages app and go to the conversation. Long-press the failed message and delete it. Now, try to send a new message again. If this does not work, delete the entire conversation and try sending the message. Alternatively, sometimes you may not be able to send messages to a particular contact. Try sending it to others to find out. If this happens, follow the solutions below. It would also help to ask the recipient and ensure their iMessage settings are correct.
8. Sign out of Apple ID and sign in again
9. Reset network settings
This won’t erase personal data like apps, photos, music, etc. But it will set all networks related settings to default. If network reset does not bring any luck, you may try to Reset All Settings. This won’t delete any personal data except all the settings you have changed like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, VPN, notifications, etc.
10. Send as SMS instead of iMessage while you contact support
Finally, if nothing helps, contact Apple Support. Meanwhile, if you really want to send the message, try sending it as a regular SMS instead of iMessage. I hope the above solutions helped you fix the iMessage problem. If you have additional questions, feel free to ask via the comments section below. Other helpful posts:
How to play iMessage games on iPhoneHow to know if someone has blocked you on iMessageSteps to fix iMessage notifications not working on iPhone
