iPhone not sending or receiving text messages? 13 Best Fixes

Staying in touch with friends and family isn’t easy if your iPhone is not sending or receiving text messages!

Despite many modern alternatives, SMS messaging apps are still a standard tool. This is why we can understand how frustrating it can be when iPhone is not sending or receiving text messages. Thankfully, most problems can be solved with some troubleshooting, and we’re here to help with that.

There is nothing new about the problem of iPhone not sending or receiving text messages as it has existed on almost all iPhone models. The issue has affected many iPhone models, including iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6S, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone X, iPhone XR, iPhone XS, XS Max, iPhone 11, 11 Pro, 11 Pro Max, iPhone 12, 12 mini, 12 Pro, 12 Pro Max, iPhone 13, 13 mini, 13 Pro, 13 Pro Max, iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max and iPhone SE.

Getting a good hang of the problem is key to discovering the cause and finding a possible solution. Hence, we have first talked about what could be the possible reason why some iPhones don’t send or receive text messages before learning the different ways to resolve the issue.

Why Won’t My iPhone send or receive text messages?

The reason why your iPhone won’t send or receive text messages may be due to a software glitch. Even a minor software crash could prevent you from sending or receiving messages from your family and friends!

If your iPhone won’t send SMS but will make phone calls, you might need to check your mobile plan. To send a SMS using your iPhone’s Messages app, you need an active mobile plan with sufficient SMS credit or texts.

Some plans may state they include unlimited SMS, but the catch is that this feature may not apply to all types of phone numbers, or you can only use it during certain times of the day.

There’s also a possibility the cell service is to blame. Check the upper left-hand of your iPhone’s display. Does it show “No Service” error?

If your iPhone is displayinga “No Service” error, that may explain the reason why it can’t send or receive text messages. Our first troubleshooting steps below will help you diagnose and fix network related problems your iPhone is experiencing.

13 ways to fix iPhone not sending or receiving text messages issue

1. Check Your Phone Signal

While very uncommon, there is a chance your carrier network is having an outage. This could be why you have problems sending or receiving text messages on your iPhone. Some carriers may have status pages, and they often send announcements when there are any widespread issues.

Another way to check is by using an online tool like DownDetector.com. Just enter the website and search for your carrier name. This website collects user reports and lets you know if there is an outage. You can even check out their live maps, which show if any local outages are going on.

If your iPhone won’t send or receive text messages, there’s also a good chance that you’re in a location that has poor service — good enough that your phone thinks it has cellular service, and you’ll see a bar or two of signal strength at the top of your phone — but bad enough that it can’t actually enable you to send or receive text. If you’re indoors, go outside, or otherwise try to change your location and check if you can send or receive text messages.

2. Is Airplane mode on?

It may seem like a silly suggestion, but you have no idea how often we accidentally switch settings on and off. Maybe you inadvertently turned Airplane mode on, which will obviously stop your iPhone from sending or receiving text messages.

Here’s how to turn Airplane mode on/off:

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
2. Toggle off Airplane mode.

Furthermore, turning airplane mode on and off can reset settings and bring everything back to normal. If your iPhone wasn’t actually in Airplane mode, then go ahead and turn the feature on and off and see if that gets your iPhone sending or receiving text messages again.

3. Restart the device to fix iPhone messaging problems

This is a very common troubleshooting step. While it might sound a bit silly, it very often fixes iPhone messaging issues! We don’t know what kind of magic happens when you restart an iPhone, but it’s worth giving a try.

Here’s how to restart your iPhone:

On iPhone X and later models: Hold down the volume up/down button and the side button until the power off slider shows up. After that, drag the power off slider to shut down your device. Then, press and hold the side button until the Apple logo appears.

On iPhone 8 and earlier models: Press and hold the side/top button and then drag the power off slider to turn off your device. After that, press and hold the side/top button to reboot your device.

Alternatively, follow the steps below to restart your iPhone:

1. Start the Settings app.
2. Go into General.
3. Tap Shut Down.
4. Wait for a few minutes then press the power button to turn your iPhone back on.

4. Force Restart Your iPhone

Force restart (also known as hard reset) flushes out the cache and deletes useless temporary files, which often works in fixing many software glitches, on your iPhone. Thus, you should give this nifty solution a try if your iPhone is not sending or receiving SMS.

• On iPhone 8 or later: Press the volume up button. Then, quickly press and release the volume down button. After that, press and hold the power button until you see the Apple logo on the screen.
• On iPhone 7/ 7 Plus: Press and hold the power button and the volume down button simultaneously until you see the Apple logo on the screen.
• On iPhone 6s/ 6 Plus or earlier: Hold down the power button and the home button at once until the screen goes black and the Apple logo appears.

5. Check your mobile plan

Did you try to send a text message from your iPhone, but it’s not going through? If you see an error message saying “message send failure,” or “not delivered,” there is a good chance you forgot to pay your monthly cellphone bill. It happens to the vast majority of us. Additionally, automatic payments can sometimes be declined for no apparent reason. This may have happened to you.

As we’ve already pointed out, you need an active mobile plan with sufficient call credit or texts to send SMS using your iPhone’s Messages app.

Therefore, check with your network to see if your mobile plan has expired or has insufficient credit. If this is the case, simply reload your account, switch to a more suitable plan if needed, and you should be able to start sending SMS again.

6. Inspect the SIM card

Sometimes SIM card pins can get out of line. If your iPhone is not sending or receiving text messages, it’s always a good idea to check the SIM card and see if that gets your messaging app up and running again. Pull it out and reinsert it. Maybe try to clean it a bit? It won’t hurt to try!

7. Make sure the number isn’t blocked

Make sure that the number that’s trying to text you isn’t blocked. If it is, you will need to unblock it in order to receive texts messages from this number.

Here’s how to check for any blocked contacts on your iPhone:

1. Go to Settings.
2. Scroll down and tap on Phone.
3. Tap Blocked Contacts.

8. Check for a carrier settings updates

If your iPhone won’t send or receive text messages after trying the above solutions, go ahead and check if your carrier provider has network-related updates. First, connect your iPhone to Wi-Fi or enable cellular data. Then, follow the steps below:

1. Go to the Settings app.
2. Select General.
3. Tap About.
4. If an update is available, you’ll see a Carrier Settings Update prompt. Tap Update to begin the installation.

9. Check for an iOS software update

A common but effective fix for most tech issues is to simply update your device. Apple’s iOS software updates often come with bug fixes that fix minor software bugs. Sometimes, you can resolve your iPhone’s messages issues by simply keeping your iPhone up to date.

Here’s how to update your iPhone:

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
2. Select General.
3. Tap Software Update.
4. If an update is available, hit Download & Install.

10. Reset the network settings to fix iPhone messaging problems

Sometimes resetting the network settings may fix the problem of iPhone not sending or receiving text messages. This is because SMS messaging operates directly through your carrier network instead of mobile data. Resetting the network settings will get everything back to default and undo any discrepancies.

Here’s how to reset network settings:

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
2. Select General.
3. Go into Transfer or Reset iPhone.
4. Hit Reset.
5. Tap on Reset Network Settings.

11. Reset All Settings to fix iPhone not sending or receiving SMS issue

If your iPhone still can’t send or receive messages, it’s time to reset all the settings on your iPhone. This process can be time consuming especially if you have a lot of data on your device. Before trying this solution, please consider whether the problem could actually be with the network glitch in your location before spending more time resetting settings on your own device.

Here’s how to reset all settings on your iPhone:

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Select General.
3. Go into Transfer or Reset iPhone.
4. Tap Reset.
5. Hit Reset All Settings and follow instructions to complete the process.

12. Factory reset your iPhone

This is an extreme measure, but it fixes most issues, and it might get your iPhone sending and receiving text messages again. A factory data reset will clean your device and bring it back to how it was when you first turned it on. All your files and apps will be deleted, so make sure to back up all your important data before proceeding.

Here’s how to factory reset your iPhone:

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Select General.
3. Go into Transfer or Reset iPhone.
4. Hit Erase all Content & Settings.
5. Follow instructions to finish the process.

13. Seek professional help

If you’re still having issues sending or receiving texts messages on your iPhone, maybe it’s time you let a professional help you out. The best option is likely to go with your carrier. They will provide both network and hardware support, and also have access to their systems, which probably have more in-depth information that could help.

Here are the customer support numbers of the major US carriers:

• Verizon Wireless: 800-922-0204
• AT&T: 611 from an AT&T phone or 800-331-0500
• T-Mobile: 611 from a T-Mobile phone or 1-877-746-0909 from another phone
• U.S. Cellular: 611 from a US Cellular phone or 1-888-944-9400 from another phone

If the problem is not on your carrier side, your iPhone may be having a hardware problem. Contact Apple Support if the iPhone is still under warranty, or your insurance provider if you have one.

If you don’t have an official Apple store near you, there are also third-party options. You can seek help from any Apple authorized repair shop.

Your iPhone is sending and receiving text messages Again

If you’ve been stuck wondering why you can’t send or receive text messages on your iPhone, we hope this list of fixes and suggestions has helped you to fix the messaging problems you were experiencing. If the issue persists, it’s always a good idea to contact your mobile carrier or Apple Support for further help.