iMessage activation issue

Ported to Vodacom yesterday. iMessage refuses to activate. Gives me the activation error instantly after clicking Ok.

Any idea? Or am I just too eager lol
 
Anyone got their ESIM imessage or SMS working correctly with the "workaround" for iPhones?
 
has the activation issue popped up again ? I have literally tried everything to get this morning and nothing works
 
@nemisi and others with the same issue. It is easy to bleat like goats on this forum before reading or putting some thought into the problem. This a common problem with the use of our modern media unfortunately.
  1. Your iPhone runs with a proprietary OS the opposite to Open-Source OS Like Android etc.
  2. Vodacom or any other network has NO direct access to Apple iOS to activate/authenticate services etc.
  3. Vodacom has to contact Vodafone in the UK to authenticate your ZAR Cell number before your +44 SMS will be operational on the iMessage server in the UK.
  4. Vodacom's access to the Google service has no issues on an Open-source OS.​
The answer is contact customer support in the WRITTEN FORMAT to assist you with this problem instead of bleating on this forum. These forums are abundantly filled with consumers who do not apply common sense by utilizing "If you do not understand the product adding -let the buyer beware- to the issue ends being posted on this forum. Remember the salesperson WILL ONLY recommend what is beneficial to his/her commission payment. Note the story of the Eskimo building his Igloo with ice bricks- the business of phones etc. are about the selling of the ice bricks to the Eskimo from various sellers or re-sellers, the selling of "Hot Air" Bulls**t
 
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VC-1 said:
@nemisi and others with the same issue. It is easy to bleat like goats on this forum before reading or putting some thought into the problem. This a common problem with the use of our modern media unfortunately.
  1. Your iPhone runs with a proprietary OS the opposite to Open-Source OS Like Android etc.
  2. Vodacom or any other network has NO direct access to Apple iOS to activate/authenticate services etc.
  3. Vodacom has to contact Vodafone in the UK to authenticate your ZAR Cell number before your +44 SMS will be operational on the iMessage server in the UK.
  4. Vodacom's access to the Google service has no issues on an Open-source OS.​
The answer is contact customer support in the WRITTEN FORMAT to assist you with this problem instead of bleating on this forum. These forums are abundantly filled with consumers who do not apply common sense by utilizing "If you do not understand the product adding -let the buyer beware- to the issue ends being posted on this forum. Remember the salesperson WILL ONLY recommend what is beneficial to his/her commission payment. Note the story of the Eskimo building his Igloo with ice bricks- the business of phones etc. are about the selling of the ice bricks to the Eskimo from various sellers or re-sellers, the selling of "Hot Air" Bulls**t
Click to expand...

It’s all in Vodacom’s power and has nothing to do with Apple.

If your message can’t get to Apple it’s because the routing is broken along the way and it happens all the time with loads of stuff.

UK numbers have little to do with it, it’s just least cost (bad) routing so they can save a buck.
 
SauRoNZA said:
It’s all in Vodacom’s power and has nothing to do with Apple.

If your message can’t get to Apple it’s because the routing is broken along the way and it happens all the time with loads of stuff.

UK numbers have little to do with it, it’s just least cost (bad) routing so they can save a buck.
Click to expand...
Okay, but at which end is the routing broken?
(a) Vodacom OR (b) Vodafone
Our advice is to allow Vodacom to resolve.
 
VC-1 said:
Okay, but at which end is the routing broken?
(a) Vodacom OR (b) Vodafone
Our advice is to allow Vodacom to resolve.
Click to expand...

I mean it’s really hard to say as an external party it could be breaking down anywhere in the chain.

Also don’t assume that Vodacom routes to Vodafone in the UK.

Apple’s number may be sitting with BT and Vodacom has an agreement with them and so it would route Vodacom > BT or otherwise Vodacom > Vodafone > BT.

Unfortunately the issue these things is finding someone with half a brain to understand the issue and then actually have the ability to check the routing and follow the problem end to end which is sadly quite rare.

In their eternal conquest for doing things as cheaply as possibly they do least cost routing wherever possible and almost like flights this is often a case or the least direct one being the cheapest as little as that makes sense.
 
Well this issue has popped up in my life this week, and strangely I haven't changed anything relating to my Vodacom contract recently nor changed phones or applied any updates.
I just started experiencing iMessage failures out of the blue and when checking the settings, saw that the "wait" icon was hovering next to my phone number in the "You can receive iMessages to and reply from" in the settings on my phone.
Then discovered I couldn't send ANY sms on the Vodacom network, queried it with their online support - got smses working, but no luck with iMessage. I reckon I'll just use iMessages linked to my email addresses - I don't feel like jumping through hoops for Vodacom on this matter and only a handful of people actually chat to me on iMessage anyway. It still irks me though.
 
OnlyOneKenobi said:
Well this issue has popped up in my life this week, and strangely I haven't changed anything relating to my Vodacom contract recently nor changed phones or applied any updates.
I just started experiencing iMessage failures out of the blue and when checking the settings, saw that the "wait" icon was hovering next to my phone number in the "You can receive iMessages to and reply from" in the settings on my phone.
Then discovered I couldn't send ANY sms on the Vodacom network, queried it with their online support - got smses working, but no luck with iMessage. I reckon I'll just use iMessages linked to my email addresses - I don't feel like jumping through hoops for Vodacom on this matter and only a handful of people actually chat to me on iMessage anyway. It still irks me though.
Click to expand...
might not be related but I know on Telkom I had to recharge with airtime strangely enough and then mine activated with no issues.
 
Retro1337 said:
might not be related but I know on Telkom I had to recharge with airtime strangely enough and then mine activated with no issues.
Click to expand...
Thanks, I'm on a contract, so I don't need to recharge airtime
--edit:
Tried your suggestion and it worked.
That's really weird. What is the difference between "voice" and "airtime"? I noticed my airtime had run out somehow and when I added a bundle the iMessage activation went through.
 
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always remember guys if your iMessages don’t work just load airtime on the sim it should work in the next few minutes that’s the trick …

Glad you found someone that could explain this but yes loading airtime on the sim seems to work, iMessages does ask you to accept the chargers that they will ask you to pay via your service provider and that’s through airtime, but it only needs airtime to active the annoying waiting thing …
 
Kiemo said:
always remember guys if your iMessages don’t work just load airtime on the sim it should work in the next few minutes that’s the trick …

Glad you found someone that could explain this but yes loading airtime on the sim seems to work, iMessages does ask you to accept the chargers that they will ask you to pay via your service provider and that’s through airtime, but it only needs airtime to active the annoying waiting thing …
Click to expand...
And if this doesn't work: deregiser from WASPA's don't contact me, that also worked for some of us. (https://mybroadband.co.za/forum/threads/imessage-activation-issue.1127030/post-30163277)
 
2025, Vodacom Business Contract user on top-up.

The solution for me per (5th) support contact attempt:

Dial *135#
Next (Page 2)
Look for Services
Next (Page 2)
Look for Out of Bundle Limits
Look for SMS
Opt in and/or adjust limit to 0.

I did this for both voice and data as I couldn't make calls or SMS internationally which, as identified in the original post, was the issue for verifying iMessage and FaceTime.

Though I imagine this solution works for anyone on business plans also looking for how to fix calls and SMSes.
 
Adding to the noise: I seem to be unable to send international SMSs to the US, while UK works fine. On prepaid.

Using https://www.proovl.com/test for testing, I can see my SMS arrive for the +1 number when sending from Afrihost airmobile (R2 per SMS), but nothing when sending from my Vodacom number. I assume iMessage is now trying to verify using a non-UK number but I don’t know what.

Activating iMessage for the airmobile number works quickly.

I will try via Support tomorrow to find out why I can’t SMS to all countries.
 
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