The new iPhone 12 is only a few weeks old but there are already reports coming in of software issues. Users of the iPhone 12 are reporting widespread issues sending and receiving text messages on Apple’s new device.
MacRumors gave a rundown of the complaints. Many users say they are unable to send or receive SMS messages or that they are missing entire messages in group chats. Some are also reporting no notifications coming through. Not good.
@AppleSupport I’ve been missing text messages, particularly in group chats but also some individual ones, since upgrading to the iPhone 12 Pro. Contacted Apple Support and T-Mobile, tried a number of things but nothing’s helped. Seeing many others having this issue. Please help!
— Ajay (@island_hopper) November 16, 2020
@Apple please I bought the new iPhone 12 pro Max for my wife and she can’t send or receive texts from anyone that isn’t an iPhone. Fix it!
— Dan Nadeau (@DanKmnco) November 16, 2020
The problem is being reported mostly on the new iPhone 12 models, but some older models are also reportedly being affected. It’s unknown at present why this issue is happening but it comes off the back of Apple’s release of the new iOS 14 updates. The problems are said to be occurring for users of any version of iOS 14. But it’s unclear if the new software update is the cause of these issues. It also seems that the messages being affected are most often from non-Apple devices.
What does Apple suggest?
Until Apple has an official fix, there are a number of general tips for troubleshooting why your iPhone may be having messaging issues. Apple support suggests these steps:
- Restart your device
- Check your network connection. To send a message as iMessage or MMS, you need a cellular data or Wi-Fi connection. To send an SMS message, you need cellular network connection. If you turn on Wi-Fi Calling, you can send SMS messages over Wi-Fi.
- Check with your carrier to see if the type of message you’re trying to send, such as MMS or SMS, is supported.
- If you’re trying to send group MMS messages on an iPhone, go to Settings > Messages and turn on MMS Messaging. If you can’t see an option to turn on MMS Messaging or Group Messaging on your iPhone, then your carrier may not support this feature.
- Make sure your device has enough space to receive images and videos.
- Make sure you’ve entered the correct phone number or email address for the contact.
Many have tried these suggested steps from Apple but are still reporting issues. In that case, your best bet is to contact Apple Support for further information or check with your individual carrier. It’s likely that a new software update from Apple or a firmware update from mobile carriers will be needed to resolve the issue entirely.
It may also be best to hold off on upgrading to an iPhone 12 or to iOS 14 until this issue is fixed. Hopefully it won’t take too long.