iMessage is Signed Out Error in Messages on iPhone, How to Fix

What you need to know

• The "iMessage is Signed Out" alert is a sign of misconfigured iMessage settings.
• Most people get this error because they accidentally disabled the service, signed out of their Apple ID, or haven’t linked their phone number yet.
• Server-side issues and software bugs can also sometimes cause this pop-up.

When you open the Messages app on your iPhone and try to send a message, you may see an error message saying, “iMessage is Signed Out. You may wonder why you are signed out of iMessage. Many factors can contribute to this. With this issue, the iPhone shows an error message that says, “An error occurred and your account (your number or Apple ID) is signed out of iMessage. You may miss messages as a result. Please go to settings to address this issue.” The message also includes two buttons: Settings and Ignore. If you tap Settings, you will be directed to your iPhone Settings. If you tap Ignore, the error message will be dismissed.

This issue may be more complex than it seems. You may think that if you sign back in to iMessage, the problem will be fixed. This can be true. However, you may also run into issues when you are trying to sign into iMessage:

• The first problem that you may run into an issue where iMessage is stuck on the “Waiting for Activation” screen during sign in. You may also see activation error messages saying, “An error occurred during activation. Try again” or “Activation Unsuccessful.”
• The other problem you may have is that you may not be able to sign in for iMessage on your iPhone because iMessage is greyed out in Settings.
• And the last one, you may be able to sign in, but your iPhone may keep signing out of iMessage repeatedly. In other words, you may be having trouble staying signed into iMessage.

How to Fix the "iMessage Signed Out" Error

To fix this problem, try the steps below one by one until your issue is resolved.

Make sure iMessage is turned on

First ensure that iMessage is enabled on your iPhone. Here is how:

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
2. Scroll down and tap Messages.
3. Turn on iMessage if it is disabled.

Update your iPhone

If iMessage is already enabled and the error persists, please ensure that you’ve installed the latest software updates on your iPhone. Here is how you can update your iPhone:

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Tap General.
3. Tap Software Update and then follow the onscreen instructions if there is an update available.

Turn off iMessage and then turn it on again

Try this: Disable iMessage and then re-enable it. Here is how:

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Scroll down and tap Messages.
3. Toggle off the iMessage switch. Wait a few seconds, and then turn it on again.

Check Your iMessage Addresses

The next step is to review your iMessage addresses and make sure that either your phone number or Apple ID email address is selected, which is needed for iMessage to work properly. You can run into this issue if you swap SIMs often or sign out of your Apple ID on your iPhone.

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Scroll down and tap Messages.
3. Look for the Send & Receive option below the iMessage toggle. If you see "No Addresses" next to it, that’s exactly why you’re getting the "iMessage is Signed Out" error on your iPhone.
4. Tap Send & Receive and.
5. Select use your Apple ID for iMessage. When you get a pop-up, tap Sign In to log in with the Apple ID linked to your iPhone. However, if you want to use another account, select Use Other Apple ID instead.

If your phone number appears in this menu, make sure that’s selected too. Your carrier will send an SMS to activate iMessage. By default, iMessage will start new conversations using your phone number, but you can change this to your Apple ID email address from the same menu.

Make sure the Date & Time are correct

Make sure that the Date and Time are correct on your iPhone. Here is how you can check this:

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Tap General.
3. Tap Date & Time.
4. Are the settings correct?
5. You may also want to turn on the “Set Automatically” switch.

Restart

Restart your iPhone. This may fix your problem. Follow these steps specifically

1. Go to Settings > Messages and turn off iMessage.
2. Restart your iPhone:
   • IPhone models with a Home button: Press and hold the power button until the power off slider appears. Drag the slider. Then wait a few seconds for your device to turn off completely. Then press and hold the power button until the Apple logo appears.
   • iPhone models without a Home button: Press and hold the volume up (or down) button and the Side button until the power off slider appears. Drag the slider all the way to the right. Wait a few seconds for your iPhone to fully turn off. Then press and hold the power button until the Apple logo appears.
3. Go to Settings > Messages and now turn on iMessage.

If after turning on iMessage you see “activating,” be patient. Wait 24 hours. If it still has not activated, then keep reading.

Check Apple’s Server Status for iMessage

If you’re still getting the "iMessage is Signed Out" pop-up when you open a thread in Messages, it’s possible that Apple’s iMessage servers are temporarily down. You may want to check Apple’s System Status page (direct link). This page lists outages or scheduled maintenance. Go to this page and check to see if there are any issues affecting iMessage. If the circle next to iMessage is green, everything is good, up and running. This means that iMessage should work. And the problem is in your end.

If you notice a yellow indicator (instead of green) next to iMessage on this page, it means Apple’s servers are down. You’ll have to patiently wait until Apple fixes it to send and receive iMessage texts again.

Replace SIM or re-activate eSIM

If the issue still occurs after trying the steps above, you may need to contact your cellular carrier (T Mobile, Verizon, AT&T, Mint Mobile, etc.). If you are using an eSIM, re-activate your card. For more details, contact your cell company. You may have to remove your cellular plan. You may also need to reset the eSIM card. If you are using a regular SIM card, contact your carrier and replace your card. You may want to do this after resetting the network settings (the next step) if you prefer.

After doing this, try to turn on and activate iMessage.

Reset your network settings

Corrupted network settings may cause this problem. Resetting network settings on your iPhone may fix your problem. This does not delete any content like your photos. But this does delete your network settings. For example, your saved Wi-Fi passwords will be wiped. If you want to do this, follow these steps:

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Tap General.
3. Tap Transfer or Reset iPhone.
4. Tap Reset.
5. Tap Reset Network Settings and follow the onscreen instructions.