How to fix if iPhone is not receiving texts?.
We’ve all been there before. You are waiting for an SMS or SMS notification from someone. But for some reason, the message doesn’t arrive or is delayed.
This can be frustrating and you can feel cut off from family and friends. It’s even worse if you’re not aware of the problem and then someone calls to see why you don’t answer.
Some of the reasons for missing or delayed text messages include:
- Problems with your device.
- Problems with your cellular network or Wi-Fi.
- Errors or other glitches in your messaging application.
Sometimes it is not easy to determine the root cause, but you can quickly fix the problem. In this guide, we are going to show you what to do if your iPhone is not receiving text messages.
What to Do When Your iPhone Is Not Receiving Texts
If your iPhone is not receiving messages, try these tips to get it working again. You can start with simple fixes and work your way down the list.
- Try sending text to your iPhone from another phone to make sure you can’t receive messages.
- Check your network connection. If you’re using iMessage or MMS, you’ll need Wi-Fi or cellular to receive text messages on your iPhone. A reliable cellular network connection is required for SMS messages. Using Wi-Fi or a signal booster can also improve reception in your home.
- Check with your mobile operator if they support the type of message you expect from the sender.
- Check your mobile operator’s website for updates or warnings regarding network problems.
- Make sure your iPhone has enough space to receive texts with images and videos. See our guide to backup and delete iPhone messages to save space.
- Make sure you block the number of the person sending you the text.
- Refresh your text application.
Refresh your iPhone
Updating your iPhone may not necessarily be related to the issue you’re experiencing. However, updates include fixes such as bug fixes and others that may affect features or operations of your messaging app.
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- Open Settings> General.
Then click Software Update.
- Click Download & Install> Install. After installing the updates, check if you can receive text messages again.
Disable airplane mode
When airplane mode is on, you will not be able to receive text messages. Airplane mode turns off wireless features on your iPhone, including Wi-Fi.
- Open the Control Center and click the Airplane Mode button.
- Or go to Settings> Airplane Mode to turn it off.
Set up your iPhone to receive text messages
If you still don’t receive text messages on your iPhone, check if your device can receive text messages. You can do this using the Settings app on your iPhone.
- Click Settings> Messages.
- Then click send and receive.
- Look for the checkbox next to your phone number under “You can receive iMessage”. If not checked, check the box and see if you can receive text messages.
Note. If your phone number isn’t in this section, link it to your Apple ID and check the box next to it.
Restart iPhone
Restarting your iPhone is a quick way to clear any device glitches that might prevent you from receiving text messages. Restarting also installs any updates that the text application might need to run optimally.
- iPhone X / 11/12: Press and hold the side and volume buttons and drag the power slider. Wait 30 seconds for the phone to turn off and then turn it on using the side button.
- iPhone SE (2 nd gen), Aug 7, 2006: Press and hold the side button and drag the power slider. Wait for your device to turn off and use the side button to turn it back on.
- iPhone SE (1 st gen), 5 or older: Press and hold the top button and drag power off the slider. Wait for the device to turn off and press the top button again to turn it back on.
If you’re having trouble restarting your iPhone, see our guide on what to do if your iPhone freezes or the screen goes black.
Clear the cache in the text application
If you’ve installed a text app from the App Store, it may or may not allow you to clear its cache. It depends on whether the developer has added this feature to the application.
You can clear the text app cache to free up storage space and speed up your device.
Tap Settings> Your Text App and toggle the Reset Cached Content slider to enable it. Check if you can receive text messages again.
Update carrier settings
If you still cannot receive text messages, update your local carrier settings. Your carrier may have released updates to ensure you enjoy the flawless text and call features on your iPhone.
- Click Settings> General.
- Then click the About menu and scroll to see the network name and current version of your network provider.
- Click on a network provider to update to the latest version available.
Enable MMS messaging
If someone is trying to send you a video or photo as a text message, enable MMS messages on your iPhone to receive the message.
- Click Settings> Messages.
- Scroll down to SMS / MMS and toggle the MMS message switch to enable this feature.
Reset network settings
You can reset network settings to fix network problems that prevent you from receiving text messages on your iPhone.
- Click Settings> General.
- Then click the Reset menu> Reset Network Settings.
Didn’t Work? Other Things to Try
If you’ve tried all of the above solutions but still can’t receive text messages on your iPhone, try using an offline messaging app or using your computer to send and receive texts.
You can also contact Apple Support for further assistance or to book a repair.
Did any of the fixes in this guide work for you? Let us know in the comments.
How to fix if iPhone is not receiving texts?
How to fix if iPhone is not receiving texts?