Can't activate Facetime or iMessage on iPhone 4

[KuRuPtIoN]

I've been searching and reading all kinds of things tonight and can't get anything to work. I tried to do a search here but for some reason it won't let me. I've tried resetting my network settings, changing my DNS # for my wifi and adding myself on my contacts and nothing. Those 3 were the top 3 I always saw when I searched on Google. Anyone else having this problem? Thanks for any help.

Oh btw i'm on an iPhone 4 on iOS 5 and jailbroken.

[Ibaad]

Are you on an unofficial carrier? I have a similar problem, but I'm on t-mobile. If you initially activate the phone with an AT&T sim card, you'll be able to imessage using an email address. I haven't gotten it to work with my phone number yet, but there's this tutorial that claims you can do it: Fix iOS 5 iMessage on Hacktivated/Jailbroken iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4 Using SAM | iPhoneJailbreak.me

Let me know if you have any luck.

[KuRuPtIoN]

I'm on AT&T, I took a look at that but didn't try it. It's my girlfriends phone and she's been getting a lil annoyed with me because of all the restoring i've had to do on her phone lol

[-JailbreakeR-]

You have to go into settings and use your apple id to activate iMessage and FaceTime. If its an AT&T phone you might need an AT&T sim to activate the phone for use (after restore). Seen many people on tmo, h20 all have both working.

FYI, its the same username and password as your app store ID.

[KuRuPtIoN]

It's an AT&T phone on AT&T. I've used the Apple ID every time to try and activate it and it never works. It's really annoying.

[aneagle]

Activation of Facetime and iMessage needs:
- a unique certificate assigned to the phone. If the phone is from AT&T and activated using AT&T the certificate is unique. If the phone is hactivated the certificate is universal. If SAM is used the certificate is pseudo-unique, it may work and may not. Once activated (unique certificate is obtained) don't go back and try different way.
- in settings, phone, My Number showing the phone number in international format of the sim in use ( not necessarily the sim used for activation). If the phone number is not shown and not possible to edit, call the mobile operator and ask them to send the number to the SIM by OTA.
- sign in appleid.apple.com with your apple ID and make sure the phone number in use for Facetime activation is listed as mobile number.
- if the phone has been Facetime - activated with another number: get the number owner to remove the old number from his appleid.apple.com account until Favetime activation is completed.

Precaution: turn off Facetime and iMessage before changing sim or selling the phone to avoid mis-routed call and imessage.

[-JailbreakeR-]

I don't know why you'd hactivate an AT&T phone on AT&T that's why I never mentioned that. Also I don't believe it has to do much to do with the number of the phone, if it did itouch and iPad users wouldn't be able to use either one (FaceTime or iMessage). You were right about the unique certificate to activate. I've never personally had issues with activating either one on different carriers. It always works if the appleid is good. Does your id work in the AppStore?

[aneagle]

Once Facetime is sucessfully activated, the phone number will be attached to the phone ID (hardware) on the server, when there's an incoming call the server will look for the phone ID to start a SIP call. If the sim is hot switched, i.e. without turning off Facetime before removing the old sim, Facetime can be ON but still receives calls intended to the old number because on the server side the old number is not detached from the phone ID.

[-JailbreakeR-]

Once Facetime is sucessfully activated, the phone number will be attached to the phone ID (hardware) on the server, when there's an incoming call the server will look for the phone ID to start a SIP call. If the sim is hot switched, i.e. without turning off Facetime before removing the old sim, Facetime can be ON but still receives calls intended to the old number because on the server side the old number is not detached from the phone ID.

I don't know if that's right either. Let me explain why. I have in my hand currently an iPhone 4 (fresh restore to 5.0 set up as new)with the original AT&T sim (no service on sim at all) and all I have to do is enter my apple id and both activate and work flawlessly. Why is that if it's associated to the phone number and not the phone id and/or appleID?if what your saying is true, it shouldn't work since a phone number is not associated with this phone and sim.

[aneagle]

I don't know if that's right either. Let me explain why. I have in my hand currently an iPhone 4 (fresh restore to 5.0 set up as new)with the original AT&T sim (no service on sim at all) and all I have to do is enter my apple id and both activate and work flawlessly. Why is that if it's associated to the phone number and not the phone id and/or appleID?if what your saying is true, it shouldn't work since a phone number is not associated with this phone and sim.

You're correct, it's the same case as Facetime on a Macbook. But a phone is rarely without a phone number, if no phone number associated with the phone people can't Facetime to your number and if a number has been associated to the phone in the pass without your knowledge, calls to that number will continue to be routed to your phone. There's a case a person sold his iPhone for cash, just changing hand, after sometime he realized that some iMessages from his girl friend have been delivered to the phone he sold, you can imagine the trouble he ran into because he can't get the buyer back.

[-JailbreakeR-]

There's got to be a way to get it deactivated by calling apple or something. Never had the problem but there's got to be an easy solution to that whole issue. I bet his apple id is still in the phone and the new owner has no idea it is. It could be as simple as changing the password for his apple id. Gonna look into this and I'll let you know what I find.

[aneagle]

With iOS 4.3.3 on my iPhone 4 I only see Facetime ON but my iPhone 4s with iOS 5.0.1 it shows the associated phone number. I swap the sims, the 4s shows the new number as verifying, I have to put the sim back on the other phone and turn Facetime off and again swap the sims, "verifying" is shown for a few seconds and disappears.

[Ibaad]

So, am I correct to gather that the phone number is associated with the apple id or the device, and has no connection with the network? Should iMessage and Facetime work (with the phone number) even with a non-AT&T sim card?

[aneagle]

when Facetime activation is completed, a phone number and several e-mail addresses are associated with the device, Facetime calls and iMessages destinated for that number and those e-mail addresses will be routed to that device until a change is recorded by the server. An e-mail address can not be associated with more than 1 device, the same goes for the phone number. Facetime and iMessage can work with non-AT&T or unofficial sim card.

[Ibaad]

Any idea how to get iMessage and Facetime to work with my phone number? I have an iPhone 4 on t-mobile with a preserved baseband (1.59.00) and an ultrasn0w unlock. 5.0.1, but I can downgrade to 5.0 if need be.

[aneagle]

Any idea how to get iMessage and Facetime to work with my phone number? I have an iPhone 4 on t-mobile with a preserved baseband (1.59.00) and an ultrasn0w unlock. 5.0.1, but I can downgrade to 5.0 if need be.

Please go back to post #6 and see if your phone is properly activated and sign in at appleid.apple.com with your apple ID and if your phone number is there in international format. iPhone Activation and Facetime activation are 2 different things, iPhone activation has to be done right after restoring ipsw to get the unique certificate. If JB, it should be JB without activation. Facetime activation comes after Ultrasn0w if the phone needs to be unlocked.

[KuRuPtIoN]

Please go back to post #6 and see if your phone is properly activated and sign in at appleid.apple.com with your apple ID and if your phone number is there in international format. iPhone Activation and Facetime activation are 2 different things, iPhone activation has to be done right after restoring ipsw to get the unique certificate. If JB, it should be JB without activation. Facetime activation comes after Ultrasn0w if the phone needs to be unlocked.

I logged in to the website and looked under phone numbers and my cell number is listed beside mobile number but it is not in international format only area code and number. I tried to change to add the +1 but there isn't enough space to add it to that field. In my phone setting's it is listed in international format though. I still can't seem to get this to work.

[aneagle]

I logged in to the website and looked under phone numbers and my cell number is listed beside mobile number but it is not in international format only area code and number. I tried to change to add the +1 but there isn't enough space to add it to that field. In my phone setting's it is listed in international format though. I still can't seem to get this to work.

Just put 1 in the country code box, the rest in area code and phone boxes.

[KuRuPtIoN]

Just put 1 in the country code box, the rest in area code and phone boxes.

I did, it wouldn't let me input any other numbers.

[aneagle]

I did, it wouldn't let me input any other numbers.

It's weird the way phone number is analyzed by appleid, if it doesn't accept 1 in country code box you can try to put all 1xxxxxxxxxx in the phone number box.