After updating to iOS 26, a lot of iPhone users have complained that iMessages sometimes won’t deliver. It’s an annoying problem, but one which does have some solutions.
So why is iPhone iMessage not being delivered after iOS 26 update? Your blue messages, i.e. the ones sent from one iOS device to another, should say Delivered when they arrive on a recipient’s device, but that’s not always the case. This can affect multiple contacts or one person specifically. It’s more infuriating when the message says Delivered, but the recipient didn’t actually receive it.
So why are your iPhone messages not being delivered to one person? Or to numerous people? Here are a few tricks to try when your iPhone iMessage is not being delivered after iOS 26 update.
What Does “Delivered” Mean on iMessage?
We need to first understand the difference between Delivered and Read. Delivered means the recipient received the message on their device. Read means the recipient has open the message. Of course, this doesn’t mean they’ve actually read it—it only means the message has been opened. Don’t panic if you don’t hear back immediately; they might have tapped on it but subsequently got distracted.
Not everyone has this feature activated either. You can toggle read receipts on your iPhone by going to Settings > Apps > Messages > Send Read Receipts, where you can turn this function on or off. In fact, this subsection of Settings is essential if iMessage is not working properly on your iPhone.
Why Does iMessage Say “Delivered” When It’s Not?
Sometimes, a message will say it’s Delivered, but the recipient will insist they never got it. Don’t automatically think they’re lying: there are many reasons you may experience this issue. It could be a glitch with iMessage, but it could also be that the message was delivered to another Apple device.
If the recipient has an iPhone, iPad, and Mac all signed in with the same Apple account, 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.
Why is iMessage showing not delivered on iPhone?
The recipient might have simply powered their phone off. Your message will arrive when they turn on their device again. Be patient. Not everyone keeps their phone turned on all the time, especially during the nighttime.
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.
iPhone iMessages Won’t Deliver After iOS 26 Update: Troubleshooting
It’s tough to narrow down why your iPhone iMessages won’t deliver after iOS 26 update 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.
Do You Both Have Internet Access?
The obvious reason your iPhone message won’t deliver is because the recipient has no service. iMessage relies on an internet connection, so if no Wi-Fi or cellular data is available, it won’t appear until their phone is connected. This is a particular concern in rural or underground areas without free online access, or if the recipient is on vacation.
If iOS 26 says Not Delivered when you try to send an iMessage, you’re probably the one without an internet connection. Check this by going to Settings > Wi-Fi, where you can see any networks you’ve joined. You can turn Wi-Fi off and on again (then rejoin networks) to clear potential issues. Next, tap the red exclamation point, then tap Try Again.
Review the options at Settings > Cellular (or Mobile Data) if you’re relying on roaming. If you do have service, you’ll simply have to wait until the recipient connects too.
Do You Have iMessage Turned On?
This could be a quick fix to your problem so give it a try. Go to Settings > Apps > Messages. iMessage should already be turned on; if not, turn it on. Even if iMessage is already on, it’s worth toggling off then back on again. Wait a few moments while it reactivates.
See also: How to Fix iMessage Not Working on iPhone After iOS 26 Update
Send as SMS Instead of iMessage
If the person you’re contacting doesn’t have an iPhone, iPad or Mac, iMessage won’t work. You need to rely on SMS to text Android devices, for example. In these instances, your messages will say Sent as Text Message, not Delivered, and appear in green bubbles.
But texts aren’t just useful when sending between different operating systems. You can revert iMessages to SMS if your internet connection is weak. Go to Settings > Apps > Messages > Send as SMS to enable this. Next, tap the red exclamation point, then tap Send as Text Message. Messaging rates may apply.
iPhones default to iMessage when chatting between Apple devices. Messages will only send as traditional texts if there’s no internet. You can’t disable iMessage on cellular data while keeping it enabled for Wi-Fi connections—it’s an all-or-nothing service. However, iMessage may fail to send if you’ve exceeded your cellular data limit.
You can resend a message via SMS if it reads Not Delivered by tapping on the exclamation point next to the message. Alternatively, switch to another popular messaging app. Major options like WhatsApp and Telegram work on all platforms and offer secure (and sometimes encrypted) messaging. Of course, the recipient has to have the same app installed…
Try a Force Restart
A forced restart reboots your iPhone, stopping any problematic processes. This might fix your problem if your iPhone messages are not being delivered after iOS 26 update. To force restart your iPhone, quickly press and release the volume up button. Quickly press and release the volume down button. Press and hold the side button until the Apple logo appears on the screen. Release the side button.
Is iOS Up to Date?
Apple regularly releases patches to known bugs through iOS updates. This could include problems with iMessage. Check whether your iPhone is running the latest version of iOS 26 by going to Settings > General > Software Update.
This will automatically check if your software is updated and, if not, suggest an installation. You won’t lose any photos or messages, although some apps may ask you to log in again after updating.
Apple account: Sign Out and Back In
This is one of the most common fixes for iOS 26 iMessage issues: you just need to sign out of your Apple account and back in again. Go to Settings > Apps > Messages > Send & Receive and tap Apple Account. You should then Sign Out, after which all your details, except the phone number, will disappear. Select Use your Apple account for iMessage and sign back in. This may take a few moments.
iphone cell number and email address
You can send an iMessage via both phone numbers and email addresses. If there’s only one person you’re having trouble sending to, check which email address you have listed for them. Do you have any details listed for their contact? Perhaps their Apple account uses a different address? Ask them in person or via another messaging service if possible.
To add an email address, go to Contacts, select a name, and choose Edit.
Should You Delete Previous Messages?
Have you ever tried sending an email that was too large? It stays in your outbox, attempting to send again and again. Eventually, you have to give up and delete it. That’s what you should try here too. This primarily applies when iPhone iMessages won’t deliver to only one or two contacts.
You can delete a whole conversation and start again by swiping left on it and choosing Delete. That’s the nuclear option, and one you likely won’t want to take. But you shouldn’t need to. Be careful because this will make you lose your whole chat history with that person. It’s a last resort only.
Go to the conversation with the person you’re struggling to keep in touch with. Hold your most recent message (Copy it into Notes or Pages if you don’t want to completely lose your text, or screenshot if you want to remember dates, etc.). Go on More and select all the messages you’ve sent since the problem occurred—anything since they stopped responding—then hit the Trash symbol at the bottom.
There could be just one message causing the issue, so this clears the backlog and lets you try again.
Swap Your SIM Card
Does your iPhone have a physical SIM card? It’s possible yours has decided it doesn’t like a particular number. Head to the store of your service provider if you’ve exhausted everything else.
You’ll likely have to assure the staff that you’ve performed the above troubleshooting steps. Talk to them about swapping to a new SIM card. If you’re on a contract, they should do this for free. You’ll still use the same device, and shouldn’t lose any data.
They’ll activate a new SIM and you’ll have to wait until your old one has no service before swapping to the new card. Transferring between SIMs can take up to 24 hours. From personal experience, it rarely takes longer than an hour before carrier settings are restored.
Reset All Settings
This should really be your last resort because you’ll need to sign into accounts and set up network settings like Wi-Fi and VPNs again. Most importantly, this does not delete your data.
Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset All Settings—careful you don’t select anything else, as there’s also the option to erase everything. You may need to sign back into your Apple account afterwards. This should patch any Settings-related glitches, so it’s worth remembering in case you have further issues with your iPhone.
iPhone iMessage Won’t Deliver on iOS 26: Is My Phone Number Blocked?
Don’t immediately think that someone’s blocked you. In most situations, your number won’t be blocked. However, it’s a possibility. If you have been blocked, iMessage could still say Delivered. Nonetheless, it won’t actually appear on the recipient’s device.
This thought will trouble you, but if you can contact that person elsewhere (on Facebook, Twitter, or Snapchat, for example), then they’re unlikely to have blocked your phone number.
Why Is My iPhone iMessage Still Not Delivering on iOS 26?
If you’ve tried everything above and iOS 26 iMessage still won’t deliver, there are further possibilities to entertain. The first is that there’s nothing wrong with your iPhone; the problem is with the recipient’s device. This is likely if messages to your other contacts are delivered correctly, although that’s not always the case.
You should advise your contacts to take the same steps you already have by sending them this troubleshooting guide. Another possibility is that they’ve switched numbers and haven’t alerted you yet.
