How to Turn On iMessage on iPhone

To turn on iMessage, open the Settings app on your iPhone, tap Apps, tap Messages, and turn on the iMessage switch. On iOS 17 or earlier, go to Settings > Messages instead. Activation can take a few moments, and once it finishes, messages to other Apple users show up in blue bubbles.

iMessage is Apple’s free messaging service. It sends texts, photos, and videos over Wi-Fi or cellular data to people who also use iMessage. Messages to everyone else, such as Android users, go through your carrier as SMS, MMS, or RCS and appear in green bubbles. These steps are for iOS 26 and iOS 27 as of October 2026, and they match iOS 18. They follow Apple’s Messages setup guide for iPhone.

What You Need Before You Start

iMessage has to activate with Apple before it works. Check these first:

• An internet connection. Connect to Wi-Fi or turn on cellular data.
• The latest iOS update. Go to Settings > General > Software Update.
• The correct time zone. Go to Settings > General > Date & Time. A wrong time zone is a common reason activation stalls.
• SMS on your plan. Your iPhone sends a hidden text message to Apple to register your phone number. Depending on your carrier, that text may cost the same as a normal international SMS.
• An active SIM or eSIM for the phone number you want to use. Without one, you can still use iMessage with your Apple Account email address.

How to Turn On iMessage

1. Open the Settings app. It’s the gray gear icon on your Home Screen.
2. Scroll to the bottom and tap Apps. (On iOS 17 or earlier, skip this step.)
3. Tap Messages. Apps are listed alphabetically, and you can type in the search field at the top to find it faster.
4. Turn on the iMessage switch. It turns green.

5. If a message says your carrier may charge for SMS messages used to activate iMessage and FaceTime, tap OK or Turn On to allow it. Activation can’t finish for your phone number without that text.
6. Wait while it activates. You may see Waiting for activation under the switch for a minute or two.

If you see Use your Apple Account for iMessage on this screen or on Send & Receive, tap it and sign in. Your Apple Account is the same account you use for iCloud and the App Store. It used to be called an Apple ID.

How to Check That iMessage Is Working

• Look at Send & Receive. Go to Settings > Apps > Messages > Send & Receive. Your phone number should have a check mark next to it. A spinning wheel next to the number means your iPhone is still verifying it.
• Send a test message. Open Messages, start a new message to someone you know has an iPhone, and type something. If iMessage is working, the send arrow is blue and the message appears in a blue bubble.

A green bubble doesn’t always mean something is wrong. It usually means the other person isn’t using iMessage, often because they have an Android phone. Our guide to the difference between green and blue texts on iPhone explains when each one appears.

Choose the Phone Number and Email iMessage Uses

You can send and receive iMessages at your phone number, at an email address on your Apple Account, or both.

1. Go to Settings > Apps > Messages.
2. Tap Send & Receive.
3. Under You can receive iMessages to and reply from, tap each number or email you want to use. A check mark shows which ones are on.

4. Under Start new conversations from, tap the address you want people to see when you start a new message. Your phone number is usually the best choice.

Using both a number and an email can split a conversation with the same person into two threads. Picking one address for new conversations helps prevent that.

Use iMessage on Your iPad or Mac Too

Each Apple device has its own iMessage switch, and they all need to be signed in to the same Apple Account.

• iPad: Go to Settings > Apps > Messages, turn on iMessage, then tap Send & Receive and select your Apple Account and phone number.
• Mac: Open the Messages app, sign in if asked, then choose Messages > Settings and click iMessage. Select your phone number and email.

To keep the same conversation history on every device, turn on Messages in iCloud: on your iPhone, go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud, tap Messages (tap See All first if you don’t see it), and turn on Use on this iPhone. Keep in mind that deleting a message on one device then deletes it everywhere, and your messages count against your iCloud storage. Apple explains the device setup in Add or remove your phone number in Messages or FaceTime.

If you also want your green-bubble texts on the iPad or Mac, turn on Text Message Forwarding on iPhone.

What to Do If iMessage Won’t Turn On

When activation fails, you may see Waiting for activation, Activation unsuccessful, An error occurred during activation, Could not sign in, please check your network connection, or Unable to contact the iMessage server. The same fixes apply to all of them. Apple lists them in If you can’t turn on or sign in to iMessage or FaceTime.

1. Recheck the requirements. Confirm you’re online, iOS is up to date, and Date & Time shows the right time zone.
2. Turn iMessage and FaceTime off, restart, and turn them back on. Turn off iMessage in Settings > Apps > Messages and FaceTime in Settings > Apps > FaceTime. Restart your iPhone, then turn both back on.
3. Give it time. Your carrier can take up to 24 hours to verify your number. If you see the spinning wheel next to your number, leave iMessage on and let it keep trying instead of switching it off and on again.
4. Ask your carrier about international SMS. The activation text goes to an international number, so your line needs to be able to send one.
5. Use your email for now. In Send & Receive, select your Apple Account email. iMessage can work with that address while your phone number finishes activating.

You Added an eSIM After Setting Up a New iPhone

Apple notes a specific case on iOS 26. If you skipped activating iMessage or your eSIM during setup and added the eSIM later in Settings, iMessage doesn’t activate on its own. Your messages may show Not Delivered, go out as green texts, or come from your email instead of your number. Go to Settings > Apps > Messages and turn iMessage off and back on.

The Messages Setting Is Hard to Find

On iOS 18 and later, Messages is inside Apps at the bottom of Settings, not in the main list. You can also swipe down on the main Settings screen and type Messages in the search field. If you get an alert that says MMS messaging needs to be enabled, that’s a different setting; here’s how to fix the MMS messaging alert.

How to Turn iMessage Off

Go to Settings > Apps > Messages and turn off iMessage. As long as you have a cellular plan, you can still send and receive SMS, MMS, and RCS texts, which appear in green.

If you’re switching to an Android phone, turn off iMessage before you move your SIM card. Otherwise, texts from iPhone users may keep going to iMessage and never reach your new phone. If you no longer have the iPhone, Apple has an online option in Deregister iMessage on your iPhone or online.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does iMessage cost money?

No. Apple doesn’t charge for iMessage. It uses Wi-Fi or cellular data, so data charges can apply on a limited plan when you’re off Wi-Fi. Your carrier may also charge for the one activation text.

Can I use iMessage with Android phones?

No. iMessage only works between Apple devices. Messages to Android phones go out as SMS, MMS, or RCS in green bubbles.

Why are my messages still green after I turned on iMessage?

The other person may not use iMessage, or your number may still be activating. Check Send & Receive for a check mark next to your number, and give activation up to 24 hours.

Can I use iMessage without a phone number?

Yes. Select an email address from your Apple Account under Send & Receive. This is how iMessage works on an iPad or iPod touch without a phone plan.

Do I need to turn on FaceTime too?

No. iMessage and FaceTime have separate switches, though they activate the same way. Once iMessage is working, you can also turn read receipts on or off to control when people see that you’ve read their messages.