Cannot Receive Text Messages

Try turning your phone off and waiting for 30 seconds before turning it back on. Sometimes this can help.

For steps on how to restart an iPhone or Android phone, visit Restart your wireless phone.

Once your phone is back on, try making a phone call and sending out a text. If phone calls are not working, and you don’t have bars of signal on your phone, learn how to restore service on your phone.

Check to see if the number is blocked on your phone.

• Select Settings.
• Select Messages.
• Select Blocked Contacts.
• Check if the number you are having issues with is there. If so, select Edit.
• Slide the Unblock toggle to the left.

Note: Every Android is slightly different, but all should follow this basic formula.

• Select the Messages App.
• Select the Menu Button. (3 dots at the top right)
• Select Settings.
• Select Block Numbers and Messages.
• Select Block numbers.

Check the list for any numbers. If so, hit the Remove Button to the right.

Make sure your phone has enough storage.

• Select Settings.
• Select General.
• Select iPhone Storage.

If it says no storage remaining at the top, you may want to delete some pictures or videos you don’t need as that could be causing this issue.

Note: Every Android is slightly different, but all should follow this basic formula.

• Select Settings.
• Select the Device Care (sometimes called Device Management, or Battery and Device Care).
• Select Storage.

If it says no storage remaining at the top of your screen, you may want to delete some pictures or videos you don’t need as that could be causing this issue.

Confirm the time and date on the phone.

• Select Settings.
• Select General.
• Select Date & Time

Make sure the time is correct, and if it is off, toggle on Automatic.

Note: Every Android is slightly different, but all should follow this basic formula.

• Select Settings.
• Select General Management (sometimes called General).
• Select Date & Time.

Make sure the time is correct, and if it is off, toggle on Automatic.

Turn off Wi-Fi on your phone to make sure the issue is not related to Wi-Fi calling.

• Select Settings.
• Select Wi-Fi.
• Toggle off the switch beside Wi-Fi so the green is no longer showing.

Note: Every Android is slightly different, but all should follow this basic formula.

• On the main screen, use your finger to pull down from the top of the screen which should show notifications as well as the Quick Settings bar.
• You should see an icon for Wi-Fi highlighted. Tap on the icon to turn off Wi-Fi.
• If you do not have Wi-Fi in the Quick Settings, then you will need to select Settings from your app list.
• Select Connections (sometimes called Network and Internet).
• Toggle Wi-Fi off.

If the problem persists with Wi-Fi turned off, you can turn it back on and continue to the next step.

If the problem you are having is with Apple iMessage (typically in blue message bubbles) or Android RCS Messaging (text messages that use data, typically in dark blue message bubbles), please make sure that your data works on your phone by trying to visit a website.

If your data is working, please follow these steps:

• Select Settings.
• Select Messages
• Toggle iMessage off and check whether text messaging works.
• Toggle iMessage back on.

If iMessage is still not working but text messaging is working, please contact Apple for assistance.

Note: every Android is slightly different, but all should follow this basic formula.

• Select the Messages App.
• Select Settings.
• Select the Menu Button (3 dots at top right).
• Select Settings.
• Select Chat Features or Enhanced Features.
• Toggle Chat Features off and check whether text messaging works.
• Toggle Chat Features back on.

If RCS Messaging is still not working but text messaging is working, please continue to the next step.

Note: if you just switched from an iPhone to an Android phone, or Android to iPhone, you may still be registered under the iMessage or RCS Messaging for that phone. Learn how to disable iMessage or disable the RCS Messaging for your number.

If the steps above have not fixed your issue, please visit the Wireless Troubleshooting page for additional support, where you will be able to check for outages and get assistance from our Virtual Assistant Anna.

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