Your iPhone won’t send texts after iOS 18 update and you don’t know what to do. No matter which number or contact you try to text, nothing happens. In this article, I’ll explain what to do when your iPhone is not sending SMS after iOS 18 update!
How to troubleshoot your iPhone if it isn’t sending texts after iOS 18 update
Check your network connection
If you’re not able to send SMS after iOS 18 update, it could be that your iPhone does not have cellular signal, and you should make sure that it has.
- See if you have signal. Sending SMS messages require that you have a cellular signal.
- Make sure that you’re in an area with cellular network coverage. Go to another location and try there to send messages.
Toggle Airplane Mode on and off
On your iPhone, go to Settings and turn on Airplane Mode. Wait 30 seconds. Then turn off Airplane Mode.
Make sure that you’re addressing the message to the correct 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 text.
Ensure that SMS sending is enabled
Next, ensure your SMS sending ability is enabled. On your iPhone, follow these steps:
- Go to Settings > Apps, then tap Messages.
- Find the Send as SMS option and ensure that it is enabled. Please note that this setting will not be available if iMessage is turned off.
- If this was already on, turn it off and then on again.
Now try sending the message again.
Furthermore, ensure that the recipient’s device settings are also enabled to accept SMS messages.
Quit the Messages app and open it again
Simply restart the Messages app to fix this problem. If your iPhone has a Face ID, go to the Home screen, swipe up from the bottom of the screen and stop in the middle to open the App Switcher. If your iPhone has Touch ID, double press the Home button to open the App Switcher. Swipe up on the Messages app, then open Messages and try again. You may worry about losing the unsent message draft. I tested this myself, and when you open Messages, your draft will be there. You can continue editing the message.
Install the latest iOS 18 updates
check for software updates, and then if there is an update, update your iPhone to the latest version of iOS 18.
- Go to Settings > General, then tap Software Update.
- Tap Install Now. If you see Update Now instead, tap it to download the update, enter your passcode, then tap Install Now.
Check for carrier settings update
After ensuring that your iPhone is running the latest version of iOS 18, check to see if there is a carrier setting update. A carrier setting update may fix this. The root of the problem is probably something to do with your carrier. Here is how you can check for carrier settings updates:
- Go to Settings > General, then tap About.
- A popup will appear if there is an update. If you see the popup, follow the onscreen instructions.
Restart your iPhone
Simply restarting your iPhone may fix this, as the device may be experiencing a temporary glitch. If you are using an iPhone XR and later, swipe down from the top-right corner of your screen to bring up the control Center. Tap the power button then drag the power-off slider. Wait about 30 seconds, and then press and hold the Side button until the Apple logo appears. If you have an iPhone SE (2nd or 3rd generation), swipe up from the bottom edge of any screen to open Control Center. Tap the power button then drag the power-off slider and wait for 30 seconds. Then, press and hold the Side button to turn on your iPhone.
Try sending lower quality images
If you use SMS or MMS messaging to send photos or videos, your carrier may set size limits for attachments. Larger files may take more time to send, and your iPhone can compress photo and video attachments when necessary. If you experience an issue when you try to send pictures after iOS 18 update, try sending lower quality images:
In the Settings app, Tap Apps. Tap Messages.
Tap Low Quality Image Mode.
Reset your network settings
Misconfigured network settings may cause connection problems. Resetting network settings may resolve your iOS 18 texting problem. Please note that your network settings, including your Wi-Fi passwords, VPN, and APN settings will be erased. Here is how you can reset network settings:
- Go to Settings > General, then tap Transfer or Reset iPhone.
- Select Reset and then tap Reset Network Settings.Before you do this, you can view and save or write down your Wi-Fi passwords so that you can re-enter them after the reset.
Contact Your Wireless Carrier
It’s time to get in touch with your wireless carrier if your iPhone still won’t send texts messages after iOS 18 update. Even if your signal looks good, there could be an issue with your cell phone plan. Contact your carrier (Verizon, T Mobile, etc) to ensure that there are no issues with your cellular plan. Although most plans include sending unlimited SMS text messages, there are also plans with limited text plans. For example, some plans state that you can only send 500 text messages a month. If you are over your limit, you will not be able to send new SMS messages until you purchase more SMS packets or until the next billing cycle starts.
See also: Does Green “Sent as Text Message” Mean You Are Blocked?
contact Apple
If you’ve contacted your wireless carrier and they can’t help you, your next course of action is to contact Apple Support for further help.