- If your iPhone is unable to send SMS, first make sure your phone has service, as the issue may be with the cellular network, not your device itself.
- Make sure Send as SMS option is turned on in iPhone Settings so that your phone can dispatch texts if iMessage fails.
- Turning your iPhone off and back on again can usually refresh the software and restore better signal connections, enabling your messages to send once again.
There are few sadder phrases than those two little red words your iPhone displays when a message fails to send: "Not Delivered." Those words, along with that exclamation point in a circle, mean your charming photo or witty comment didn’t go through.
Fortunately, as in life, with the iPhone: the simplest answer is usually the correct one. If your iPhone is not sending SMS messages, first make sure you have a connection to cellular network, and make sure your phone is not set to Airplane Mode.
Why is my iPhone not sending SMS?
There are various reasons your iPhone may be unable to send SMS. Here are some of the most common ones:
- Airplane Mode is turned on.
- Send as SMS is turned off.
- You don’t have network signal.
- Software glitch.
- You’ve exceeded your monthly limit of text messages.
- There’s a network outage.
How to troubleshoot your iPhone if it isn’t sending SMS
If these quick fixes below don’t do the trick, the solution will be a bit more involved, but you can usually get SMS sending again without support from Apple.
Try these fixes to get your iPhone SMS messages sending smoothly again.
But, first, of course, try just tapping that exclamation point beside your failed message and then tap "Try Again."
Check Your Network Signal
If you don’t have good cell coverage you won’t be able to send SMS, even if your iPhone is working fine. First, check if your iPhone is receiving a signal. You can check this by looking at the signal indicator in the top-right corner of your iPhone screen. Even a single bar should indicate enough of a signal to send SMS. However, if the signal occasionally drops out so that you see “No Service,” “No Signal,” “Searching,” or “SOS only,” you may find that SMS don’t work.
If this is the case, you should try moving to an area or location with a stronger signal. Note that certain locations and premises — such as tunnels and underground car parks — will prevent you from receiving any signal. As such, look for places on or above ground that aren’t too remote (i.e., that aren’t out in the middle of nowhere).
Make sure you’re not in Airplane Mode
When checking the signal bar, you may instead find a symbol indicating Airplane Mode (this will usually look like a plane). If you do, this means Airplane Mode is activated and that you can’t receive any kind of communications signal. It also means you’ll have to switch it off if you want to send SMS on your iPhone. You can do this by following these steps:
- Swipe down from the top-right of the display. On older iPhones (iPhone 8 or earlier), you’ll need to swipe up from the bottom of the screen.
- If the Airplane Mode symbol is orange, this means it’s on. Turn it off by tapping it so that it turns clear.
Toggle Airplane mode on and back off
You might be having trouble sending SMS on your iPhone because there is something wrong with your cellular connection. Glitches happen, and toggling your iPhone’s cellular radio off and back on again can often resolve a temporary problem. Follow these steps:
- Swipe down from the top-right of the display. On older iPhones (iPhone 8 or earlier), you’ll need to swipe up from the bottom of the screen. This will reveal the Control Center.
- Turn on Airplane mode.
- Wait a few seconds.
- Turn off AirPlane mode to re-enable the wireless networks.
Configure your iPhone to send SMS messages
When you message another contact with an Apple device, your iPhone sends it via iMessage by default.
Because iMessage texts sometimes fail to send, your iPhone might instead try sending SMS (Short Message Service) messages, even to other iPhone users. However, you need to switch this feature on in Settings for it to work.
- Start the Settings app and then tap Apps.
- Scroll down and tap Messages.
- Turn on Send as SMS by swiping the button to the right.
Check the phone number
Confirm that you are texting the right number. If you entered the number wrong or the intended recipient now has a new number, you may be prevented from sending the SMS.
Restart your iPhone
Another easy fix: Reboot your iPhone. This will clear out any temporary glitches not just in the wireless network software, but also the Messages app and various background services. Start the Settings app on your iPhone, then tap "General." Tap "Shut Down," then swipe the power off slider to power down. When you turn it back on, it may well be able to send SMS again.
Check for iOS updates
Yes, we’re starting to get a little desperate now, but updating to the latest available version of iOS can often help in cases where your iPhone won’t send SMS. Start the Settings app on your iPhone, then tap "General." Tap "Software Update" and install any updates that are waiting.
Reset your network settings
If you’ve tried all of the above steps and your iPhone still can’t send SMS, you may want to reset your network settings. Start the Settings app on your iPhone, then tap "General." Tap "Transfer or Reset iPhone" > "Reset", then tap "Reset Network Settings."
Check your plan/contact your carrier
One reason why your iPhone can’t send SMS messages may be that You don’t have an active mobile service plan.
While the vast majority of phone plans offer standard unlimited texting, you might have exceeded your monthly limit of text messages if you have a limited plan. As such, you may need to contact your carrier in order to change your monthly limit and/or block.
The above cause usually prevent you from sending SMS messages. However, in rare cases, your SIM can be deactivated or blocked, particularly if you’ve repeatedly failed to pay monthly bills on time. You may therefore have to contact your carrier in order to resolve any issues.
Even if you don’t have any issue with your contract or SIM, it may still be worth contacting your carrier in case there are any network outages. Alternatively, you can check sites such as Downdetector.com for third-party updates on network statuses.