imessage activation issues with ported numbers

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hamish225

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#146845 30-May-2014 19:04

i have an ex 2degrees number i've been using on vodafone for a while now, i've been trying to activate imessage on my new iphone but all i get from it is "waiting for activation" and then a few hours later it will say "activation unsuccessful, turn on imessage to try again"

i can still send and receive imessages from the email addresses i've associated with it but i'd much rather send them from my mobile number so i don't confuse everyone.

i've been on the phone to apple care who've been in touch with vodafone about this, apparently it's a known issue.

has anyone else managed to get their ported number working with imessage? if so, how did you do it?

apple care are escalating this to their technical teem on monday.

*Insert big spe*dtest result here*

konfusd

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#1056873 30-May-2014 21:10

Just wanna check some of the "obvious" things:

- You're either on account or have prepaid $$ credit?
- You can browse the web over cellular?
- You've reset your network settings? (Settings > General > Reset, be careful which one you tap! You'll lose any saved WiFi passwords, VPN, custom APN settings etc)
- Signed out of iCloud then back in?
- Removed your SIM then back in?
- You haven't asked for international barring to be added to your account?

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hamish225

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#1056877 30-May-2014 21:15

konfusd: Just wanna check some of the "obvious" things:

- You're either on account or have prepaid $$ credit?
- You can browse the web over cellular?
- You've reset your network settings? (Settings > General > Reset, be careful which one you tap! You'll lose any saved WiFi passwords, VPN, custom APN settings etc)
- Signed out of iCloud then back in?
- Removed your SIM then back in?
- You haven't asked for international barring to be added to your account?

- just changed to on account but i did have credit before hand anyway
- i can indeed browse the web on 3g and 4g
- i've reset the entire iphone twice at apple cares request
- apple care got my to turn imessage and facetime off and sign out of icloud on both and sign back in
- i tried that before i called apple care, no change
- and no, a supervisor at applecare contacted vodafone with me on the line to authorise it and he made sure there was no bar on my account and that the texts were in fact being sent, i have a screenshot of my account that shows all the messages and the times they were sent, i sent that away to apple care too, hopefully they can find the messages in their system.

*Insert big spe*dtest result here*

johnr

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#1056916 30-May-2014 23:01

It's better I take a look something next week from the Vodafone side and make sure Apple are getting the SMS from Vodafone they should be but I suspect it's the way activation SMS is getting routed back

Batman

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#1056925 31-May-2014 00:16

not sure if related but i sold a product on trademe, the guy (on vodafone) sent me tens of sms which i did not receive (vodafone), but i sent him 2 sms he got them both. he was so anxious he nearly cancelled the trade!

(sorry i had ported to skinny since)

stocksp

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#1056940 31-May-2014 07:50

Funny. I'm having real problems activating my new iphone today. Using the same sim that I had in my old one, but just will not activate my Vodafone phone number. Done complete restores, set up as a new phone, tried everything!

Wonder if this is something up with the Vodafone system?

hamish225

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#1060581 6-Jun-2014 21:51

johnr: It's better I take a look something next week from the Vodafone side and make sure Apple are getting the SMS from Vodafone they should be but I suspect it's the way activation SMS is getting routed back

did you find anything out about this?

*Insert big spe*dtest result here*

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Tockly

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#1068855 18-Jun-2014 20:46

I am also having real issues activating iMessage on my replacement iPhone 5 with a number ported from 2Degrees to Vodafone.

I have rebuilt the phone twice, followed all the steps being suggested on the Interweb without any joy.

I am noticing however A LOT of SMS charges to an overseas number...+447786205094. There are current 36 of them which is so far costing me $6.12!!

Has anyone had any joy with either Vodafone or Apple over this? (BTW not blaming either company, just want it sorted)

chewster

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#1068872 18-Jun-2014 21:13

Tockly: I am also having real issues activating iMessage on my replacement 5 with a number ported from 2Degrees to Vodafone.

I have rebuilt the phone twice, followed all the steps being suggested on the Interweb without any joy.

I am noticing however A LOT of SMS charges to an overseas number...+447786205094. There are current 36 of them which is so far costing me $6.12!!

Has anyone had any joy with either Vodafone or Apple over this? (BTW not blaming either company, just want it sorted)

So you've followed apple KB to the t? Section that says:
> If you see "Waiting for Activation", "Activation unsuccessful", or "An error occurred during activation"

From:
http://support.apple.com/kb/ts4268

Especially the part about waiting 24hours. They advise touching base with Apple support if you still don't get anywhere.

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hamish225

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#1068906 18-Jun-2014 21:55

KieranReid:
Tockly: I am also having real issues activating iMessage on my replacement 5 with a number ported from 2Degrees to Vodafone.

I have rebuilt the phone twice, followed all the steps being suggested on the Interweb without any joy.

I am noticing however A LOT of SMS charges to an overseas number...+447786205094. There are current 36 of them which is so far costing me $6.12!!

Has anyone had any joy with either Vodafone or Apple over this? (BTW not blaming either company, just want it sorted)

So you've followed apple KB to the t? Section that says:
> If you see "Waiting for Activation", "Activation unsuccessful", or "An error occurred during activation"

From:
http://support.apple.com/kb/ts4268

Especially the part about waiting 24hours. They advise touching base with Apple support if you still don't get anywhere.

i went through all of that with apple care, got nowhere.

just tried again, i disabled wifi to be sure it wasn't that, i have 3G connectivity and it still says waiting for activation right now.

in a few hours ill check and i bet it will say "activation unsuccessful" again.

i would change to an 021 number if i could keep the rest of my number the same but only if there is no other solution.

*Insert big spe*dtest result here*

surfisup1000

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#1068917 18-Jun-2014 22:23

Telecom had a very similar sounding issue with ported numbers a year or so back.

Telecom told me it was apples problem so I went to apple.

Apple told me it was telecoms issue so I went back to telecom and a day or 2 later it was fixed.

At least, it was roughly like that.

Tockly

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#1068921 18-Jun-2014 22:31

KieranReid:
Tockly: I am also having real issues activating iMessage on my replacement 5 with a number ported from 2Degrees to Vodafone.

I have rebuilt the phone twice, followed all the steps being suggested on the Interweb without any joy.

I am noticing however A LOT of SMS charges to an overseas number...+447786205094. There are current 36 of them which is so far costing me $6.12!!

Has anyone had any joy with either Vodafone or Apple over this? (BTW not blaming either company, just want it sorted)

So you've followed apple KB to the t? Section that says:
> If you see "Waiting for Activation", "Activation unsuccessful", or "An error occurred during activation"

From:
http://support.apple.com/kb/ts4268

Especially the part about waiting 24hours. They advise touching base with Apple support if you still don't get anywhere.

Yup I have waited over 24hrs and tried everything on the KB article.

Still no joy.

iMessage was working fine on my old iPhone 5 but on this one which I received as a replacement under the faulty lock button program just doesn't want to activate at all.

Samsung

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stocksp

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#1068940 18-Jun-2014 23:09

I have the same problem and have been waiting on an apple fix for almost 3 weeks now. Vodafone say the activation text is going out, but nothing is coming back