What's going on with iMessage on Verizon's network?

[MaximusMMIV]

As of this week, my wife's iPhone absolutely will not send pictures or videos via iMessage to Verizon customers. It says "Delivered" for about five seconds, and then reverts to "Not Delivered" with the red exclamation point symbol. We thought it was the phone, so we went through an exhaustive gauntlet of fixes:

• Rebooting the phone
• Clearing all iMessages and text messages
• Deleting and re-adding contacts for which the issue occurs
• Disabling iMessage, rebooting the phone, enabling iMessage
• Disabling iMessage on all other devices (iPads, etc.)
• Reset network settings
• Reset all settings
• Erase all content and reset all settings; restore via backup
• Erase all content and reset all settings; configure as new iPhone

Nothing fixed the issue, so we took the phone to an Apple store, assuming there might be something wrong with it. At the Apple store, the geniuses were able to further isolate the issue: it ONLY occurs when my wife tries to iMessage Verizon customers. She can iMessage to our friends on AT&T just fine. In speaking about the issue with coworkers and friends, I found multiple people I know experiencing the same issues. "Oh yeah, I haven't been able to send pictures to <X> all week!".

Is Verizon aware of this issue? Is something being done to fix it?

[rcschnoor]

Are these iMessages or SMS messages? Do you have SMS activated. Have the people you are trying to send the messages to switched to android phones?

I can't imagine how an iMessage failing could possibly be a Verizon problem. iMessages don't necessarily go through Verizon at all. iMessages use data, not Verizon's SMS system. Even if there were a problem with Verizon's data system, I would think the recipient would get the message once they hooked into a wifi signal, thereby bypassing Verizon all together.

Now if these messages are being sent via SMS and NOT iMessage, there could be other problems at work.

[MaximusMMIV]

It happens with iMessages only. She does have SMS activated, and the picture and video messages will fail over to SMS/MMS ("Send as text message") and send just fine that way. The reason that I'm asking this question from a Verizon point of view is that it only occurs for Verizon to Verizon iMessages. It's the strangest thing.

Also, I neglected to mention that the issue occurs on both WiFi and cellular data.

[rcschnoor]

Are you positive the recipients have not recently switched from an iPhone to another platform. This certainly sounds as if it could be the case. When switching from an iPhone to an android, for example, if the person making the switch does not correctly deactivate their iMessage ID, other iPhone users would continue to think they are sending an iMessage to said user. The iMessage will undoubtedly fail since the recipient is no longer using an iPhone. The problem lies in that your phone STILL thinks the contact has an iPhone when that is not the case.

Check with the recipient(s) to see if this is the case. If so, simply have the recipient text "stop" to 48369. This will de-register the phone number from iMessage and your text should automatically go through as SMS instead of your phone attempting to send an iMessage to an android phone. This is an APPLE problem, not a Verizon problem.

When you say the same thing happens over cellular AND wifi certainly leads me to believe this is NOT a Verizon problem. Apple prides itself for having FULL control over the iOS with no outside interference from individual providers. So you have an OS completely controlled by Apple and a messaging system completely controlled by Apple utilizing a wifi network with no control by Verizon and this is a Verizon problem??? Doesn't make sense.

Now when you send the message after the fact via Verizon's SMS network, the message goes through. More reason to think it is not a Verizon problem.

[MaximusMMIV]

I know for a fact that the recipient(s) have not switched messaging platforms. In fact, I am one of the recipients for which the issue occurs. I know that it doesn't necessarily make sense that this is a Verizon issue, however I'm asking here because I am running out of options. Ostensibly, there could be something going on with the way in which the iPhone activates iMessage and disables SMS for iPhone to iPhone communication.

The part I cannot figure out for the life of me is why it ONLY happens when she communicates from her Verizon iPhone to another Verizon iPhone. Later today, I'm going to call Apple customer care to troubleshoot it from their side of things.

[rcschnoor]

MaximusMMIV wrote:

I know for a fact that the recipient(s) have not switched messaging platforms. In fact, I am one of the recipients for which the issue occurs.

So does your Verizon iPhone send pictures/videos via iMessage to her Verizon iPhone. How bout to other Verizon iPhones? If so, sounds as if it is more a problem with her phone rather than anything else.

[Kawboy718]

Just thought I would jump in here to say you are not alone. As of about a week or so ago, post iOS upgrade, my wife's iPhone 5 is experiencing the same problem (we both have iPhone 5) and she got a similar response from a local verizon service center. I'll be watching this thread and keep my fingers crossed that Verizon/Apple are aware of it and working to resolve the issue.

[vzw_customer_support]

MaximusMMIV,

I am so sorry to hear about the issues with the iMessages not working on your wifes phone. Thank you for the many troubleshooting steps you have already done. I would like to investigate further. Please private message me so we can review the account in regards to this iMessage issue.

LindseyT_VZW

Follow us on Twitter @VZWSupport

[vzw_customer_support]

MaximusMMIV We want all of your messages to work correctly. If the imessage on your device isn't working you can try to reset the network settings. Go to settings, general,reset,reset network settings.


Sheritah_vzw
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@VZWSupport

[Kawboy718]

No luck here. My wife just sent a pic to a friend with an android phone and it worked fine. I did not receive the pic on my iphone from her. Thanks.