Unable to use iMessage on de-activated 3GS?

[Coffeegrower]

Is there any reason iMessage shouldn't work on a de-activated iPhone? I upgraded to the 4S, and gave my 3GS (running iOS 5) to a friend, who will use it as an iPod touch. Where I have on/off toggles on the settings screen for Message, his shows "waiting for activation". Any ideas?

 

[anon(5335877)]

Is there any reason iMessage shouldn't work on a de-activated iPhone? I upgraded to the 4S, and gave my 3GS (running iOS 5) to a friend, who will use it as an iPod touch. Where I have on/off toggles on the settings screen for Message, his shows "waiting for activation". Any ideas?

I think it needs to be activated so push notifications will work. If you have an inactive AT&T SIM I think that will work.

 

[E_Brown]

I would assume it would work since it works on an iPod touch. Not sure how to do it since I haven't owned an iPod touch in years.


---
I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=42.794887,-73.917801

 

[Srenit]

any correct and helpful answers to this issue? I'm in the same boat with deactivated 3GS, just using as iPod and iMessage just keeps saying "waiting..."

 

[jclisenby]

You need to make sure you change the "receive at" fields in settings to just your email address. If you leave the phone number checked, it'll keep requesting activation.

 

[The_Chosen_One]

my son has a deactivated iPhone 4 and uses it as an iTouch. Imessage is intermittent today as well.

 

[Just_Me_D]

my son has a deactivated iPhone 4 and uses it as an iTouch. Imessage is intermittent today as well.

Widespread iMessage Outage Is Currently Affecting iOS users

 

[Srenit]

You need to make sure you change the "receive at" fields in settings to just your email address. If you leave the phone number checked, it'll keep requesting activation.

I see that it is still trying to verify my phone number but it's grayed out so I do I remove?

 

[Srenit]

I see that it is still trying to verify my phone number but it's grayed out so I do I remove?

 

[jclisenby]

I see that it is still trying to verify my phone number but it's grayed out so I do I remove?

Make sure you also go into "general" under settings and turn off the cellular connections from there.

 

[TFausett]

I am having similar problems I have a 3GS unlocked on TMobile and everything has been verified phone number and email address. But it won't send the message any ideas?

 

[jonj125]

I no longer have att but i have a deactivated sim card. So i tried to put that in my deactivated 3gs but imessage still wont work. I tried with out the im and it still says waiting for activation. It used to work before but i put it on airplane mode and it has not worked since then. What can i do?

 

[Noah Jefferies]

Make sure you also go into "general" under settings and turn off the cellular connections from there.

I have the same problem. I have changed everything to just an email address and even turned off cellular connections and it is still saying "waiting for activation"