Several iPhone users have said that they are unable to send tex messages to an Android device after iOS 17 update. Users have further said that they can make phone calls but text messages do not go through.
iPhone users can use the Messages app to send messages. You can send texts and photos using SMS / MMS. When you send a message to an Android user, you will see a green message bubble indicating that your message is sent using MMS/SMS instead of iMessage.
Some users have said that they receive an error message saying “Cannot Send Message” or “Message Failed to Send”. And sometimes, your iPhone may say “Not Delivered” when they attempt to send text messages to an Androi phone.
When your message is failed to send, you will see a text saying “Message Send Failure”.
There are two main players: iPhones running iOS 17 and smartphones (including Samsung, HTC, LG, Huawei, Xiaomi, etc) running Android.
A lot of issues can cause this factor. And we understand that you want to fix this problem. In this article, we explain how you can troubleshoot this problem.
Please try the steps below. Please ensure to check the Messages app after each step to see if text sending to Android contacts starts working.
1. First
Before trying the steps below, make sure of the following:
- Ensure that your line is active. As you can guess, if your iPhone does not have an active cellular service plan that is in good standing, you will not be able to send text messages to Android. If your device is saying “No Service” or “Searching”, you can’t connect to a cellular network or cellular data. Contact your carrier to see if they can help you fix the problem.
- If you are using a “Pay as you go” MMS plan or something similar, please ensure that you have enough credit to send MMS messages.
- Ensure that Airplane Mode is turned off. To turn off Airplane Mode, open the Settings app and turn off the switch next to Airplane Mode. You’ll know Airplane Mode is off when the switch is white and positioned to the left. If Airplane mode is already off, try toggling the switch on and back off to see if this can fix this problem.
- Ensure that there are no outages in your area. To check, again contact your carrier.
- Ensure that you’ve installed the latest iOS software updates. Open the Settings app and tap General > Software Update. If an iOS update is available, tap update now.
- Toggle cellular data off and on. Open the Settings app and tap Cellular or Mobile Data. . Tap the switch to the right of Cellular Data to turn it off. You’ll know cellular data is off when the switch is white and positioned to the left. Tap the switch again to turn Cellular Data back on. You’ll know Cellular Data in on when the switch is green. Check out this article if you need help with Cellular Data.
2. MMS Messaging
Make sure MMS Messaging is enabled on iPhone. MMS stands for Multimedia Messaging Service. If MMS is turned off on your iPhone, youll be able to send regular text messages (SMS) to Android, but pictures will not go through. To make sure MMS is turned on, go to Settings > Messages and make sure the switch next to MMS Messaging is turned on.
If you see an error message saying “MMS Messaging needs to be enabled to send this message.” If you see this error message even when MMS Messaging is turned on, see the following troubleshooting tips.
3. Restart
Simply restart your iPhone to see if this can help. Here is how:
To turn off your iPhone SE (2nd generation) or newer, press and hold the power button until "slide to power off" appears near the top of the display. If you have an iPhone XR or newer, press and hold either volume button and the side button until "slide to power off" appears.
Then, slide the red and white power icon from left to right to turn off your iPhone. Wait a few seconds, then press and hold the power button (iPhone SE (2nd generation) or newer) or the side button (iPhone XR) until the Apple logo flashes onto the center of the screen.
4. Force restart
If you are still unable to send text messages to Android, try force restarting your iPhone. Here is how:
- Press and release the volume up button.
- Press and release the volume down button.
- Press and hold the side button until you see the Apple logo.
5. Carrier updates
Our next step when iPhone can’t send texts to android after iOS 17 update is to check for a carrier settings update. Apple and your wireless carrier release updates in order to help your iPhone connect to your wireless carrier’s network more efficiently.
Usually when a carrier settings update is available, you’ll receive a pop-up on your iPhone that says “Carrier Settings Update”. Whenever this pop-up appears on your iPhone, always tap Update.
You can also manually check for a carrier settings update by going to Settings > General > About.
If there is an update, a popup will appear saying “New settings are available. Would you like to update them now”. Simply tap Update. If pop-up doesn’t appear, there probably isn’t a carrier settings update available, so let’s move onto the next step.
6. Reset Network Settings
Another option you can explore is resetting your network settings. This can help address unexpected network issues that you may be facing. Resetting your network’s settings might sound scary, but it’s not. This will reset your network settings such as saved Wi-Fi networks and passwords, cellular settings, etc. This will also reset the SMS and MMS settings so that they are correct.
To reset the network settings on your iPhone, go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset Network Settings, enter your passcode, and tap Reset Network Settings. Try sending another test message after your iPhone reboots to see if the problem was resolved.
7. Contact Your Carrier
After trying everything above, If your iPhone can’t send texts to Android, contact your carrier to see if they can help you fix the problem. Customer account issues and technical outages can hinder an iPhone ability to send text messages to Android phones, and the only way to know for sure is to call your carrier and ask.
The easiest way to find out what number to call is to search Google for "your wireless carrier (Verizon, AT&T, etc.) wireless customer support number". For example, if you Google "Verizon wireless customer support number", you’ll find the number at the top of the search results.
