Ported to Skinny and iMessage broke

Forums › Spark New Zealand (including Skinny and BigPipe) › Ported to Skinny and iMessage broke

quandum

204 posts

Master Geek

#185155 11-Nov-2015 22:04

Okay so it has been a while since I broke something....

Anyhow finally ported to Skinny from VF...

Bought a Skinny Sim
Activated it
Registered on the Skinny website
Requested 021 number port
021 port initially failed (my mistake - typo in sim number)
Resubmitted 021 port - This was successful

Phone is working fine on incoming and outgoing calls and text
No issues with data
APN is wapaccess.co.nz

When I try to activate imessage or facetime it stays on waiting for activation....
However it also seems like it is trying to activate the OLD skinny number on the 'waiting for activation' bit.

Frustrating much.

Have tried

sign out of itunes
turn off / sign out of facetime & imessage
restart phone
banged head on wall...

I would love to change the world, but they won't give me the source code

#BOFH

clicknz

467 posts

Ultimate Geek

Trusted

#1426688 12-Nov-2015 08:17

Hi - there have been issues with people losing iMessage/text access - generally changing from iOS to Android I think.

I suspect your issue may stem from not having signed out from iMessage/iCloud while still on VF... is there a way you can do that? Hmm... just re-reading your post it seems that it may be due to that incorrect number you tried. The only other thing I can think of is to try signing out of iMessage, iCloud & iTunes/App Store then use the 'Reset Network Settings' and try signing in again. Good luck.

Cheers,
Mike

Photographer/Videographer clickmedia.nz

andyb

236 posts

Master Geek

Trusted

Spark NZ

#1426724 12-Nov-2015 08:55

Try this https://selfsolve.apple.com/deregister-imessage

Deregister imessage, then try turning it on again.

andyb

Behodar

10501 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#1426741 12-Nov-2015 09:29

Go to Settings > Phone > My Number and ensure that it's set correctly.

LivingSkinny

513 posts

Ultimate Geek

Trusted

Skinny

#1426830 12-Nov-2015 12:22

I asked our support team if they had any suggestions and the response was:

Because Apple accounts are linked to email address and not phone number has the customer verified their email address?

Worth checking the Apple account.

Also...

Does the Apple account know that this device is linked to it?

Does the customer have other devices on the same Apple account i.e. iPad that can use imessage/facetime?

Makoura

49 posts

Geek

#1426870 12-Nov-2015 13:12

Hi I changed from Vodafone to 2Degrees. Broke iMessage I went through all support sites and phoned voda and 2degrees and apple. No On ecould point problem. Then one morning I woke up and it was working. Appered to be a part of the port that took a while. Weird but I guess I can suggest just be patient even tho it's a real hassle.

quandum

204 posts

Master Geek

#1426930 12-Nov-2015 14:34

Behodar: Go to Settings > Phone > My Number and ensure that it's set correctly.

Thanks, tried this - didn't work.
Also changed to a fake number and changed back - no change.

I would love to change the world, but they won't give me the source code

#BOFH

quandum

204 posts

Master Geek

#1426942 12-Nov-2015 14:35

LivingSkinny: I asked our support team if they had any suggestions and the response was:

Because Apple accounts are linked to email address and not phone number has the customer verified their email address? Worth checking the Apple account. Also... Does the Apple account know that this device is linked to it? Does the customer have other devices on the same Apple account i.e. iPad that can use imessage/facetime?

Hi guys, thanks - email is verified and has been an existing email for a few years now...
The Apple account does know about the device i.e. it is linked.
No other Apple devices on this account.

I would love to change the world, but they won't give me the source code

#BOFH

Equinox IT

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quandum

204 posts

Master Geek

#1426943 12-Nov-2015 14:36

andyb: Try this https://selfsolve.apple.com/deregister-imessage

Deregister imessage, then try turning it on again.

Now I didn't know this existing...pretty cool - trying it now - will keep you posted...
Cheers!

I would love to change the world, but they won't give me the source code

#BOFH

jmosen

551 posts

Ultimate Geek

Lifetime subscriber

#1429324 17-Nov-2015 07:51

As someone who relies on iMessage for business and has done a bit of carrier hopping, this is the situation as I understand it.
Yes, it's important to be sure that your phone number is set correctly as suggested already in the thread, but the problem also relates to the way iMessage activates. To ensure you really do own the number, iPhone detects that a new SIM has been inserted, and that causes the iMessage and FaceTime services to require activation again.
To do that, it sends an SMS to a UK number. The UK number replies with an SMS of its own, and it's usually here that the problem lies after a port.
An international database records the carrier your phone number belongs to, so it can route the SMS to the right place. Your iMessage acknowledgement SMS will be going to Vodafone where it's discarded. It would be good for customers if there were some sort of protocol that forwarded these messages on after a port, but there isn't.
Two things need to happen. The database needs to be updated, but then the service Apple is using also needs to have updated to the latest information. It seems that Apple's provider can take some days to update.
The bottom line for those of us who port, is that the only thing we can do is wait for the database to catch up to the fact that you're now on a new carrier.
There are other glitches that may occur from time to time that might require intervention from your carrier, but in general, this is why iMessage and FaceTime take ages to work after a port.
There does seem to be a work-around.
Make an encrypted backup of your iPhone to iTunes while the SIM is active on your old carrier with your number. When the port is complete, insert the new SIM and restore from that encrypted backup. The iMessage activation token is restored and accepted because you still have the same number.

Jonathan

richms

28168 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#1429328 17-Nov-2015 08:00

Unfortunatly this happens when one service takes an arbitary identifier from another to use for their own use. Its why I will not use any internet messaging platform that is reliant on a "phone number" as the means of identifying me as a user, since phone numbers are an artifact from a pre-IP communication era.

Richard rich.ms

surfisup1000

5288 posts

Uber Geek

#1479604 27-Jan-2016 09:12

Interesting thread-- i'm in the process of moving our 3 numbers to skinny --- is there anything i can do to make the imessage transfer a little smoother?

I can do the encrypted backup , is there any benefit in disabling imessage from all my devices first? Then reactivating once on skinny?

jmosens post seems useful.

quandum

204 posts

Master Geek

#1479717 27-Jan-2016 11:01

surfisup1000:

Interesting thread-- i'm in the process of moving our 3 numbers to skinny --- is there anything i can do to make the imessage transfer a little smoother?

I can do the encrypted backup , is there any benefit in disabling imessage from all my devices first? Then reactivating once on skinny?

jmosens post seems useful.

In hindsight, turn off imesssage and facetime at least 24 hours before you port.

And don't turn back on until 48 after.

I would love to change the world, but they won't give me the source code

#BOFH