Is iMessage not working on your iPhone 14 Pro Max? You are not alone. In this article, I’ll explain why iMessage is not working on iPhone 14 Pro Max and show you how to fix the problem for good.
Note: information in this article apply to iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, and iPhone 14 Pro Max.
iMessage is an internet-based messaging service in the Messages app on iOS, iPadOS, and macOS. It differs from SMS in its use of end-to-end encryption and enhanced chat features. On Apple devices, iMessage chats appear as blue bubbles, while SMS conversations have green bubbles. It supports easy media sharing, message effects, and stickers. But if all of a sudden, iMessage is not working on your iPhone 14, messages are failing and showing red exclamation marks, and texts, photos, videos are not going through, here are the best solutions to fix these problems.
Why Is iMessage Not Working On My iPhone 14 Pro Max?
There are lots of reasons why iMessage can stop working on your iPhone 14 Pro Max: it could be an issue with Apple’s iMessage server, a problem with the Messages app, your cellular network, your Wi-Fi connection, or your settings could need adjusting.
How to fix iPhone 14 Pro Max iMessage not working
1. Make sure iMessage is on and set up correctly
The first solution to fix the issue when your iPhone 14 Pro Max is not sending or receiving iMessages is to ensure iMessage is switched on and is set correctly.
Check you’re set to send and receive iMessages by going to Settings > Messages and checking that iMessage is turned on.
If when you get to this page you see a message suggesting that iMessage is ”Waiting for activation” or ”Activation unsuccessful”, continue reading.
If iMessage is switched on and there is no message about activation, check that your phone is set up correctly to receive iMessages: Go to Settings > Messages and check the addresses and mobile number you have listed in Send & Receive.
- Turn off your mobile number or email address in the list of places where you can Send & Receive from. We suggest trying a process of elimination to see if iMessage works with just your mobile number or just an email address.
- Check there is a tick beside your phone number in the Start New Conversations From section.
2. Close And Reopen The Messages App
Closing and reopening the Messages app can fix a minor software issue. Messages gets a fresh start when you open it again.
- Open the app switcher by swiping up from the bottom of the screen.
- Swipe Messages up and off the top of the screen to close the app.
- Return to the Home screen and reopen the Messages app.
3. Turn on/off Airplane Mode
The next tip that you should try if iMessage is not working on iPhone 14 Pro is to turn on/ off Airplane mode. While it may sound funny, Airplane mode can help fix random network-related issues. So, before trying out other solutions to troubleshoot the problem of iMessage not working on iPhone 14 Pro Max, make sure to give it a shot.
- Swipe down from the top right corner of the screen to access Control Center. Next, tap on the Airplane mode button to turn it on.
- Wait for some time and then disable Airplane mode. Now, open the messages app to check if the iMessage not working problem is fixed. If the issue is resolved, you are good to go!
4. Turn Off/On iMessage and restart your iPhone
If the above tricks did not help you resolve the iMessage not working on iPhone 14 Pro Max issue, then turn off iMessage and restart your device. At times, simply turning the iMessage toggle on and off lets you sort out the problem.
First, head to ‘Settings > Messages’ and turn off the toggle next to iMessage. Then, follow the steps below to restart your iPhone.
- Press and hold the Side button and either of the volume buttons on your iPhone until the slide to power off slider appears on the display.
- Swipe the red power icon from left to right to turn off your iPhone.
- Wait about 30 seconds, then press and hold the Side button again until the Apple logo appears in the center of the display.
Once your device has restarted, go turn on the iMessage toggle. Now, wait for some time to check if the iMessage is working on your iPhone 14 Pro Max.
5. Check iMessage server status
It’s possible iMessage isn’t working on your iPhone 14 Pro Max because of an issue with Apple’s servers. Check out Apple’s System Status page and make sure the dots are green, especially the first one next to iMessage.
If this dot or many others aren’t green, Apple is experiencing some issues and there’s nothing wrong with your iPhone. Apple usually resolves these issues pretty quickly, so your best bet is to be patient and check back later.
6. Unblock the person if you had blocked them
After you block a person, they cannot send messages, FaceTime, or make regular calls to you. Thus if you aren’t receiving iMessage on your iPhone 14 Pro Max, take a few seconds to ensure you have not blocked someone accidentally.
- Open the Settings and tap Messages.
- Tap Blocked Contacts and ensure the person is not added here.
- If they are, swipe left on the name and tap Unblock.
7. Make sure your iPhone is connected to the internet
If iMessage is not working on your iPhone 14 Pro Max, it could be that your phone is not connected to the internet, and you should make sure that it is.
Check you can access the web by performing a quick search in Safari. If you see no results you’ve identified the root of your problem.
8. Update Your iPhone
Updating your iPhone could potentially fix a software issue preventing iMessage from working properly. Open Settings and tap General > Software Update. Tap Download and Install or Install Now if an update is available.
After updating your iPhone, try sending an iMessage and see if the problem is fixed. Move onto the next step if the iMessage is still not working.
9. Check Your Date & Time Settings
If your iPhone Date & Time Settings aren’t set up correctly, it can cause all sorts of problems on your iPhone — including iMessage not working! Open Settings and tap General. Then, tap Date & Time and make sure the switch next to Set Automatically is turned on.
10. iMessage on Your iPhone 14 Pro Max Still Not Working? Make Sure everyone in group chat has iMessage
When you are starting a group chat in iMessage, make sure everyone you add has iMessage. Even if you add one person who isn’t on iMessage, it won’t work.
While typing the person’s name, if it turns blue, they are on iMessage. And if it is green, that means they aren’t.
Plus, when everything is set correctly, the typing text box (above the keyboard) shows the word iMessage. Else, it shows Text Message.
Note: If you have saved multiple phone numbers for a person, make sure to tap the tiny arrow and select their phone number or email that has iMessage.
11. Sign Out Of iMessage and Sign Back In
If iMessage still won’t work on your iPhone 14 Pro Max, head to Settings > Messages > Send & Receive and tap where it says Apple ID. Then, tap Sign Out.
After you’ve signed out of your Apple ID, tap Use Your Apple ID for iMessage at the top of the screen. Enter your Apple ID password to log back into your Apple ID. Now, try sending an iMessage to a friend who has an Apple device.
If it works, then the problem is solved. If you’re still not having any luck, then keep reading.
12. Reset Network Settings when iMessage is not working on iPhone 14 Pro Max
If the iMessage still isn’t working on your iPhone 14 Pro Max, it’s time to Reset Network Settings. Reset Network Settings “forgets” all the Wi-Fi networks you’ve ever connected to, so don’t forget to reconnect to your home Wi-Fi network in Settings > Wi-Fi after your iPhone reboots. This reset also restores all Cellular, Bluetooth, and VPN settings to factory defaults. Reset Network Settings isn’t a magic bullet, but it does fix a lot of internet connectivity problems on iPhones.
To Reset Network Settings on your iPhone, open Settings and tap General -> Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset Network Settings. Enter your iPhone passcode, then tap Reset Network Settings again to confirm the reset.
13. Reset all Settings
If you find iMessage not working on iPhone 14 Pro Max after trying the above solutions, you may reset all settings. This step won’t delete personal data like apps, music, and photos. But settings you have ever changed or added like Wi-Fi, VPN, Bluetooth, Home Screen layout, and more will reset. Here’s how:
- Launch iPhone Settings and tap General.
- Tap Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset All Settings.
14. iMessage Still Not Working on iPhone 14 Pro Max? Time to get help from Apple
If you are still having problems then it’s probably time to get an appointment with a genius at the Apple Store, here’s how.
How to Fix iMessage Waiting for Activation on iPhone 14 Pro Max
Setting up iMessage on an iPhone 14 Pro Max should be a simple process, but it can sometimes be problematic. In some case people are seeing an error message when they try to activate iMessage on their iPhone 14 Pro Max.
You may see one of the following error messages:
- Activation unsuccessful.
- An error occurred during activation.
- Waiting for activation.
- Could not sign in, please check your network connection.
- Unable to contact the iMessage server.
Here’s what to do when iMessage won’t activate on your iPhone 14 Pro Max
- Be patient and wait a full 24 hours before troubleshooting
- Call your mobile phone company in case there’s an issue on their side
- Check that your iPhone can send SMS (texts)
- Toggle iMessage off, wait 20-30 seconds, and toggle back on
- For pre-paid mobile plans, make sure you have a credit on your account
- Toggle Airplane Mode on and off
- Disable any restrictions on your device
- Reset your network settings
- Return all your iDevice’s settings to defaults.
Fixed iMessage not working on iPhone 14 Pro Max
As we’ve seen, there are a lot of reasons why the iMessage is not working on iPhone 14 Pro Max, but with a bit of patience, I’m sure you can fix it. As someone who has dealt with this issue firsthand, it can be very frustrating. Thankfully these steps have resolved the issue for many people. Did our solutions fix your iPhone 14 Pro Max iMessage not working issue? Did another solution work that we didn’t mention? Feel free to share it in the comments section below!