9 Working Ways to Fix Unable To Activate iPhone

Have you met an unable to activate iPhone screen when you set up your iPhone as a new device? Most of the situation is because the activation server cannot be reached. But No worries! In this article, we will show you 9 tips to solve it.

“After updating my iPhone, I got a SIM card error. I erased all my contacts to start fresh, but now my iPhone keeps saying no SIM card. How can I fix it?”

Setting up an iPhone, whether brand new or second-hand, isn’t rocket science and can be done in just a few steps. But one thing that can drive you up the wall is when you see an “unable to activate iPhone” error lolling its visual tongue at you. The worst part is, that it’s not just one error, there’s a whole bunch of messages accompanying it.?

So, you’ll be left reeling trying to find solutions according to different situations. But, don’t pull your hair out as this post discusses most common reasons why this error pops up. It also gives you nine different ways to fix it, depending on various scenarios.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfQHmILJBH0

Part 1: Why Is My New iPhone Saying Unable to Activate?

When setting up your iPhone or after updating it if an error occurred during activation it could be due to various reasons. This error is often accompanied by different messages depending on why it occurred. This could be confusing for you, so we’ve mentioned below the situations in which an ‘iPhone unable to activate’ glitch may happen:

• Dual SIM cards aren't inserted correctly or are incompatible with activation server.
• The carrier might be having technical problems or your iPhone is locked to a specific carrier.
• Your iPhone carrier doesn’t allow you to unlock your iPhone.
• Activation info couldn’t be fetched because your iPhone is not recognized.
• The activation server is unreachable or might be down temporarily.
• There’s no internet connection.
• The activation lock is still on.
• Your iPhone needs an update to activate.
• iTunes can’t verify your iPhone.
• Activation can’t proceed at the moment due to server overload or a technical glitch.

Part 2: Fix ‘Unable to Activate iPhone’ in 9 Ways

Here are 9 ways to fix your ‘iPhone won't activate’ error when trying to set it up. Try them out according to the situation your phone is in:

Way 1. Ensure Proper Insertion of SIM Card?

If you could not activate iPhone, try removing and reinserting SIM tray. If it’s not inserted correctly, your iPhone won’t recognize it. Therefore, place SIM card carefully in insertion tray, and for dual SIM iPhones, make sure both cards are in place. If that doesn’t work, check whether your SIM card is compatible with your iPhone or its carrier is supported under activation server.

Drawbacks:

• It won’t fix the issue if problem is due to an incompatible SIM, software bugs, or network connectivity.

Way 2. Best Efficient Way to Fix Unable to Activate iPhone

The best and most efficient way to fix ‘unable to activate iPhone’ error is through an iOS fixer without data loss. It can repair 150+ iOS issues including iPhone being unable to activate, or stuck on verification, recovery mode, or in DFU mode during/after an iOS update. But that’s not all. This tool can do a lot more such as:

• Fix iTunes errors and iOS issues like blue/black screen, stuck on Apple logo, etc without losing data.
• Upgrade or downgrade iOS, including iOS Beta on iDevices.
• Reset iDevices without iTunes, passcode, or Finder.
• Erase all data on iDevices before selling or giving them away.

Follow steps below carefully to fix ‘unable to activate iPhone’ error with help of Tenorshare ReiBoot:

Step 1: Download, install and open Tenorshare ReiBoot on your PC, and connect your iPhone to your computer. Choose “Start Repair.”

Step 2: Select “Standard Repair” and following that press “Download” to get latest firmware package.

Step 3: Once latest firmware is downloaded, choose “Start Standard Repair.” Wait for iOS repair process to finish and hit “Done” once it does.

Way 3. Wait for a While?

It’s often best to wait for a while if your iPhone won’t activate during setup. Sometimes, Apple’s activation servers are really busy, especially after a new iPhone release or an update. Just give it some time, then try activating your iPhone again later.

Drawbacks:

• Waiting time for activation varies, could be minutes to hours.
• If activation issue is not due to server overload, waiting won’t help.

Way 4. Force Restart Your iPhone

Force restarting your phone is another way to repair ‘iPhone unable to activate’ error. It can fix software bugs or conflicts if they are preventing your phone from activating. Here’s how to force restart your iPhone depending on its version:

For iPhone 8 or Newer:?

• Tap “Volume Up,” then “Volume Down” quickly, and hold “Side” button until you see “Apple logo.”

For iPhone 7, 6s, and Older:

• Hold “Sleep/Wake” and “Home” buttons (“Volume Down” for iPhone 7) together for about 10 seconds until “Apple logo” appears, then release.

Drawbacks:

• Force restart only helps with small software issues. It won’t fix an activation error caused by network or hardware issues.

Way 5. Update Your iPhone With iTunes?????????

Sometimes, you might get ‘unable to activate touch ID on this iPhone’ due to a bug in iOS. In such a case, you can activate your iPhone with iTunes even if you haven’t inserted a SIM card. Here’s what to do:

Step 1: Open iTunes (make sure it’s latest version) on your computer, turn off your iPhone, and connect it to a computer using a USB cable.

Step 2: Turn on your iPhone and when iTunes sees your iPhone, it’ll ask to activate it. Or, click “Activate your iPhone” on iTunes if it doesn’t.

Step 3: Log in with your Apple ID and continue to activate your iPhone.

Drawbacks:

• This method is inconvenient if you don’t have a computer at hand or it won’t work if you haven’t synced your iPhone with iTunes.? ???????????????????????????????????????????????????????

Way 6. Unlock/Lock SIM Status

A locked SIM status can also cause an ‘unable to activate iPhone’ error. This could happen if your iPhone is tied to a specific network, you might not use another network’s SIM card. First, unlock your iPhone from old network so you can use a new SIM card. If you’re still unable to activate your iPhone, contact your carrier to unlock it and your SIM card.?

Drawbacks:

• Unlocking your SIM card could cost money, depending on your carrier’s rules.
• Some carriers make you wait before unlocking, which is frustrating if you need to activate your iPhone quickly.

Way 7. Fix Unable to Activate iPhone via Recovery Mode

If you could not activate iPhone via recovery mode, ReiBoot iOS Repair tool also offers a way to fix that. It enables you to enter/exit recovery mode with one click and activate your iPhone in a few minutes. To do so:

Step 1: Open Tenorshare ReiBoot on your computer, connect your iPhone to your PC, and press “Enter” on “Recovery Mode” in tool to enter it.

Step 2: Open iTunes on your computer, and it’ll detect your device in recovery mode, asking you to update or restore it. Use it to restore and update your iPhone.

Drawbacks:?

• This method will erase all data on your iPhone so make sure you’ve backed it up before using this method.

Way 8. Check Wi-Fi Network

When you get ‘unable to activate eSIM, QR code iPhone’ error this doesn’t mean there’s an issue with QR code. This could occur because of a poor or unstable network connection. Try switching from cellular to Wi-Fi if you’re using cellular as these networks can sometimes be unreliable. If your current Wi-Fi network is blocking certain ports, it could also prevent activation. So, connect to a different Wi-Fi network or find a more reliable one.?

Drawbacks:

• Using Wi-Fi to fix activation errors doesn’t address deeper cellular network issues.
• If the problem is with carrier or eSIM, Wi-Fi is just a temporary fix.
• If using public Wi-Fi it can be risky and slow.

Way 9. Check if the Activation Lock Is On

Your iPhone may not be able to activate if activation lock is on. This happens if you’ve bought a used iPhone and its activation lock was enabled byprevious owner. So, if you’re wondering “How do I fix my activation lock on my iPhone” enter an Apple ID and password previously used on your device. If you’re new owner, you can ask previous owner to remove iPhone from their iCloud. Or you can prove ownership and get help from Apple Support.

Drawbacks:

• If you bought a used iPhone from a third-party seller getting its previous owner to remove activation lock can be tough.
• Even if you bought your iPhone legitimately, proving you own it to Apple can be hard if you don’t have its receipt.

Hot Questions

1. How do I stop iOS update while preparing?

To stop iOS update while preparing your iDevice, go to “Settings,” then “General,” and tap on “Software Update.” Next, choose “Automatic Updates” and turn off “iOS updates.”

1. Why is my iPhone stuck on preparing to transfer?

Your iPhone might get stuck on preparing to transfer if devices aren’t close enough, usually within 5-15 feet. Software bugs can also cause this issue. If you’re setting up a new iPhone and encounter this, set it up as brand new, update it, and then reset it. Afterward, choose to transfer data from your old phone or restore a backup.

1. Why is the new iPhone update taking so long?

iPhone updates can take a while due to reasons like bad internet, incomplete downloads, or other software problems. The update size also affects how long it takes. Besides, when a new update comes out, lots of people rush to get it, which can overload Apple’s servers.

The Bottom Line

The ‘unable to activate iPhone’ error may happen regardless of whether you’re setting a new iPhone or used one. It’s quite difficult to catch on, especially with its various causes. However, we’ve shared nine effective solutions in this post to fix it depending on situation in which this error appears.?

Among them, Tenorshare ReiBoot stands out as most efficient solution. It can fix ‘activation problem’ without needing recovery mode or even if your iPhone can’t enter recovery mode. Besides, it won’t erase your data.