Messages

Several users have said that they are unable to send text messages to Android after iOS 18 update. In this article, I will show you how to fix this problem.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• If your iPhone is not sending texts to Android phones after installing iOS 18 update, there are a number of ways to troubleshoot the problem.
• To fix the problem, make sure that your iPhone is configured to send SMS and check that the Android’s phone number isn’t registered with Apple’s iMessage system.

There are two main players: iPhones running iOS 18 and non Apple phones (including Samsung, HTC, LG, Huawei, Xiaomi, etc) running Android.

A lot of issues can cause this factor. And we understand that you want to fix this problem. In this article, we explain how you can troubleshoot this problem.

Why is my iPhone not sending messages to android on iOS 18?

• You might be having trouble texting an Android phone on iOS 18 because your iPhone has no service.
• Your iPhone is not configured to send SMS.
• The Android’s phone number could be registered with Apple’s iMessage system.

Here are ten ways to troubleshoot if your iPhone isn’t sending texts to Android users in iOS 18.

How to fix iPhone not sending texts to an Android phone in iOS 18

Please try the steps below. Please ensure to check the Messages app after each step to see if texts sending to Android contacts starts working.

1. Check the Number You’re Texting

If you’re trying to send a text message from your iPhone to an Android user, but they aren’t receiving it, the first thing you should do is make sure you’re sending the message to the correct number.

Often, many people tend to ignore small mistakes like this, and mistyping a digit or two of a phone number could be the reason your message isn’t getting delivered.

Confirm the recipient’s phone number to ensure you have the correct contact details. If the contact number is correct, the recipient might have blocked your phone number.

2. Close and reopen the Messages app

Another solution for your iPhone not sending texts to Android phones is to restart the Messages app. Here’s how:

iPhones With Face ID

1. Swipe up from the bottom of the screen to open the app switcher. You should see all of your apps represented as cards.
2. Swipe side-to-side through your apps until you find the Messages app.
3. Swipe Messages up and off the top of the screen to close it.
4. Tap the app icon to reopen it.

iPhones Without Face ID

1. Double-press the Home button. This starts the app switcher, where you should see all of your apps represented as cards.
2. Swipe side-to-side through your apps until you find the Messages app.
3. Swipe Messages up and off the top of the screen to close it.
4. Tap the app icon to reopen it.

3. Configure your iPhone to send SMS messages

You won’t be able to send text to Android if you haven’t enabled the Send as SMS option on your iPhone. So, turn it on to send SMS to Android from your iPhone. Here’s how:

1. Open the Settings app and tap Apps.
2. Scroll down and then tap Messages.
3. Turn on Send as SMS by swiping the button to the right.

4. Toggle Airplane mode

One of the most common reasons iPhone can’t send text to Android is because of a glitch with your cellular connection. You can generally fix this by toggling it off and then back on again. To do this, enable and disable Airplane Mode. You can toggle your iPhone’s Airplane Mode on and off from the Control Center.

1. To reveal the Control Center on iPhone with Face ID, swipe down from the top right corner of the screen. If you’re on iPhone without Face ID, swipe up from the bottom of the screen.
2. Tap on the Airplane Mode icon, which is represented by a plane inside a circle. When the icon is orange, Airplane Mode is enabled; when it’s grayed out, it’s disabled.

Quick tip: You can also turn Airplane Mode on or off by opening the Settings app and tapping the toggle for Airplane Mode.

5. Restart the iPhone

Sometimes, the problem is related to a software problem on your iPhone, but toggling Airplane mode didn’t do the trick.

In a situation like this, try turning your iPhone off, wait a minute, and then turn it back on again. Restarting the phone can flush out any misbehaving software or corrupted data and restore it to full operation.

Considering there are different iPhone models out there, here are the ways you can restart them all:

iPhones with Face ID

1. Press and hold down the side button and either the volume up button or volume down button.
2. When the power slider appears, swipe the power button inside it to the right.
3. After the iPhone has completely shut down, press and hold the side button again until the Apple logo appears.

iPhones without Face ID

1. Press and hold down the side button.
2. When the power slider appears, swipe the power button inside it to the right.
3. After the iPhone has completely shut down, press and hold the side button again until the Apple logo appears.

6. Ask the Android owner to deregister iMessage

This problem can catch a lot of people off-guard. If the Android user previously had an iPhone and transferred the SIM card to an Android without changing the phone number, that phone number may still be registered as an iPhone in Apple’s database, and so when iPhone users text a number that’s still in the iMessage system, the text goes to iMessage and can’t be delivered to the Android phone. The solution? Ask the Android user to deregister his or her phone number from Apple’s iMessage system.

7. Check for iOS updates

If you are still having trouble texting an Android phone, ensure your iPhone is running the latest version of iOS. iOS updates routinely contain fixes to iPhone bugs and glitches. Here’s how to make sure your iPhone is running the latest version of iOS:

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
2. Tap General.
3. Tap Software Update.
4. At this point, your iPhone will check if an update is available. When one is found, tap Update Now.

8. Check for a carrier settings update

Carrier settings update may potentially fix this problem, so see if there is any pending update that need to be installed. Here’s how:

1. Connect to a cell phone or Wi-Fi network of your choice.
2. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
3. Tap General.
4. Tap About. Should an update be available, you’ll be able to do so from this screen.

9. Reset your network settings

If you’ve tried everything else and you can’t send text messages to Android phone, you might need to reset your iPhone’s network settings.

Save this as a last resort, because this troubleshooting step will erase all your network settings, including saved Wi-Fi network passwords and paired Bluetooth devices, so in some ways it’ll be like you have a new iPhone again.

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
2. Tap General.
3. Select Transfer or Reset iPhone at the bottom.
4. Tap Reset.
5. In the menu that appears, tap Reset Network Settings.

10. Contact your carrier network or Apple Support

If you’ve tried all the other troubleshooting options in this list and one or more Android users aren’t getting your texts, contact your carrier to ensure that the network isn’t experiencing outages, that your account is in good standing and your service operational, and that your iPhone isn’t blocked from sending text messages.

You might also need to contact Apple Support for further help or visit your nearest Genius Bar.

If your iPhone won’t send text messages after iOS 18 update, these troubleshooting tips and fixes will get you back to texting fast.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• To fix an iPhone that won’t send text messages on iOS 18, first try restarting it or checking for updates.
• Check if you’ve been blocked by the recipient, or if your carrier is having network issues.
• You should also make sure your SIM card is installed properly.

Many people depend on the Messages app as their main form of communication, so not able to send SMS messages might means you won’t be able to communicate partners, friends, or family. Below, we’ll go through all the solutions you should try when your iPhone isn’t sending SMS after iOS 18 update

Why is my iPhone suddenly not sending text messages after iOS 18 update

If you are having trouble sending texts on your iPhone after upgrading to the latest iOS 18 update, it could be that something is wrong with your phone, the recipient, or the mobile service provider.

Fortunately, fixing the problem is usually pretty easy.

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h2>How to fix an iPhone not sending text messages after iOS 18 update/h2>

There are a variety of potential solutions here, and it may be hard to gauge which one will actually address your situation. If that’s the case, try going through these steps one-by-one — chances are you’ll eventually come across something that works for you.

1. Try improving your connection quality

The first thing you should do is ensure that you have a decent signal — without network connectivity, you might not be able to send texts until a stable connection returns. The status bar on your iPhone is usually a good enough indicator — if cellular is down to a single bar, “SOS only,” or “no service” for example, you may need to walk or travel until you find a place with two bars or better. Usually at least the texts should go through with a single bar.

If the signal is good and the messages still aren’t going through, move on to the next troubleshooting step.

2. Restart The Messages App

If your iPhone can’t send text messages in iOS 18 first try restarting the Messages app. On many occasions, I have managed to fix issues related to messages by closing and reopening the Messages app. So, you should give this nifty troubleshooting tip a chance.

• If your iPhone has a Home Button: Double-press the Home button -> Find Messages in the app switcher and swipe it up.
• On iPhone without the Home Button: Swipe up from the bottom of the screen to access the App Switcher -> swipe left/right to find Messages and swipe it up.
• Now, launch Messages and try sending texts again.

3. Check that both Send as SMS and MMS Messaging are enabled

While these are usually set up automatically on iPhone, the wrong settings will cause texts to fail.

1. Open the Settings app and tap Apps.
2. Scroll down and tap Messages.
3. Make sure Send as SMS and MMS Messaging are toggled on.

4. Restart your iPhone

Restarting your iPhone may potentially solve caching issues or stuck processes. So, it would be wise to give soft reset a chance to show its magic as well.

• To restart iPhone with a Face ID including iPhone 16: hold down the side button and one of the volume buttons until a set of sliders appear onscreen. Drag the Slide to power off slider all the way to the right. To turn your iPhone back on, hold down the side button until you see the Apple logo.
• To restart iPhone with a Home Button including iPhone SE (iPhone SE 3rd generation): hold down the power button until a set of sliders appear onscreen. Drag the Slide to power off slider all the way to the right. To turn your iPhone back on, hold down the power button until you see the Apple logo.

5. Check for iOS update

If the restart didn’t work, you should check if there is a pending iOS update.

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Tap General.
3. Tap Software Update.
4. If an update is available, tap Update Now.

6. Check for carrier settings updates

These are rare, and you’ll normally be prompted to install them automatically, but if you’re missing one your cellular service may not work as intended, if at all.

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Tap General.
3. Tap About, and if there’s an update, you should be prompted to install it within a minute or so. Wait at least a couple of minutes before bailing.

7. Check your SIM card

Next make sure that your iPhone’s SIM card is properly installed.

You can pop out the SIM tray using the SIM ejector tool that came with your iPhone or by unwinding a small paperclip pushing it into the tray’s eject hole.

If the card was physically out of place, that was likely the cause of the problem.

8. The recipient blocked your messages

If your text messages aren’t going through to a particular recipient, it could very well be that they have blocked your number. There’s no easy way to find out since you don’t get an alert when someone has done this. However, there are a few ways to check.

Try the following and keep an eye out for red flags of being blocked:

• Call the person: If your call goes to voicemail, it means they haven’t blocked you. However, if it tells you that the person you’re trying to call is unavailable, even after multiple calls at different times of the day, there’s a chance they may have blocked you.
• Text someone else: Try texting other people to see if they are receiving your messages. If they are going through to everyone else except this one person, then chances are, you have been blocked.

9. Your texts were flagged as spam

If too many people have reported your text messages as spam, which can happen if you’re using the number to text customers a lot, carriers could blacklist your number. That means every time you try to text a number belonging to those carriers, their spam filters will prevent your message from going out.

Depending on the severity of the spam reports, your number could be temporarily or permanently banned from texting.

10. Contact your carrier

Sometimes, if you’re unable to send a text message on iPhone, it could be that your mobile service provider is experiencing issues with their SMS service. Call them to find out if that is the case and when you can expect normal service to be restored so you can try sending the text messages again.

11. Reset your network settings

Resetting your network settings is a last-ditch attempt before seeking help from Apple, but it might be your last chance for getting those messages out.

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Tap General.
3. Tap Transfer or Reset iPhone.
4. Select Reset.
5. Tap Reset Network Settings.

See also: 10 Fixes for an iPhone Not Receiving Text Messages

Here are ten ways to fix your iPhone if it isn’t receiving text messages after iOS 18 update.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• To fix an iPhone that’s not receiving text messages on iOS 18, first ensure that you have a solid cellular connection.
• Next, try toggling Airplane Mode and restarting the Messages app.
• You should also make sure you’re not blocking the phone number that’s trying to text you.

Missing and delayed text messages can be frustrating, especially since you may not be aware of the problem until somebody contacts you using another method to ask why you’re not responding or where you are. Luckily, troubleshooting an iPhone that’s not receiving text messages after the recent iOS 18 update is pretty easy. Here’s what we’ve found works.

How to Fix iPhone Not Receiving Text messages on iOS 18

If you don’t receive texts on iPhone in iOS 18, and you know someone is sending them to you, these troubleshooting steps can help you clear up the issue. Before getting started, it’s always a good idea to test your ability to receive texts from a few different people, if possible. That could yield some clues as to what the problem might be.

1. Check your network connection.

If you don’t have good cell coverage you won’t be able to receive text messages on your iPhone. Text messages rely on your phone’s cellular service, not Wi-Fi. So in order to get text messages, you need a solid cellular signal. Take a look at the status bar and if you see SOS only,” or “no service,” you may need to walk or travel until you find a place with two bars or better. Usually at least some texts should get through with a single bar.

2. Toggle Airplane mode

Not getting a text you’re expecting? Perhaps you’re not getting any messages because there’s a glitch with your cellular radio or the wireless software. Turning your iPhone’s Airplane Mode on and off, you’ll force the iPhone to request a new connection to the network, and texting should start working again.

You can toggle your iPhone’s Airplane Mode on and off from the Control Center.

1. To reveal the Control Center on iPhone XR or later, swipe down from the top right corner of the screen. If you’re on iPhone SE (2nd generation) or later, swipe up from the bottom of the screen.
2. Tap on the Airplane Mode icon, which is represented by a plane inside a circle. When the icon is orange, Airplane Mode is enabled; when it’s grayed out, it’s disabled.

Quick tip: You can also turn Airplane Mode on or off by opening the Settings app and tapping the toggle for Airplane Mode.

3. Restart The Messages App

If your iPhone isn’t receiving text messages in iOS 18, try restarting the Messages app. On many occasions, I have managed to fix issues related to messages by closing and reopening the Messages app. So, you should give this nifty troubleshooting tip a chance.

• If your iPhone has a Home Button: Double-press the Home button -> Find Messages in the app switcher and swipe it up.
• On iPhone without the Home Button: Swipe up from the bottom of the screen to access the App Switcher -> swipe left/right to find Messages and swipe it up.
• Now, launch Messages and try sending texts again.

4. Make sure the number isn’t blocked

If the contact or number you blocked sends you a text message, you will not receive it. These text messages will go nowhere. So, if you know someone is sending you texts, but you’re not receiving those texts on your iPhone, check to see if the number is blocked.

1. Open the Settings app and tap Apps.
2. Go into Messages.
3. Tap on Blocked Contacts. If you see any familiar names or numbers there that you still want to talk to, tap Edit.
4. Tap the red minus icon next to the contact(s) you want to unblock.
5. Once you’re satisfied, tap Done.

5. Restart your iPhone

If your problem continues, rebooting your iPhone might get the text coming through again. Sometimes there are endless loops or other issues behind the scenes that you may be unable to diagnose but are easily solved with a reboot.

• On iPhone models with a home button like iPhone SE (2nd generation), hold down the power button on the right side then drag the power off slider. Hold down the Side button to turn on your iPhone.
• On iPhone models without a home button like iPhone 16, hold down the power button on the right side and the volume up button on the left side then swipe the power slider to power down. Hold down the Side button to turn on your iPhone. When you turn it back on, it may well be able to receive messages again.

6. Update your iPhone to the latest iOS 18 version’

It’s also possible that there’s a iOS bug that’s preventing your iPhone from receiving text Messages. Install any outstanding iOS 18 update, even if an update doesn’t seem relevant to the problem you experience. Since Messages is a native iOS app, updating your iPhone might fix it.

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap General.
3. Tap Software Update.
4. If an update is available, tap update now.

7. Check for a carrier settings update

Carrier settings contain important data about your selected network that allow you to send and receive text messages, make calls, check voicemails, and use data. Ensuring that your carrier settings are up to date is important, especially if you are not receiving text messages.

1. Connect to a cell phone or Wi-Fi network of your choice.
2. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
3. Tap General.
4. Tap About. Should an update be available, you’ll be able to do so from this screen.

8. Contact your carrier

If you are still experiencing this problem, contact your carrier to ensure that the network isn’t experiencing outages, that your account is in good standing and your service operational, and that your iPhone isn’t blocked from receiving text messages.

9. Reset your network settings

If you’ve tried everything above and your iPhone still won’t receive text messages, it’s time to reset network settings.

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Go into General.
3. Scroll down and tap Transfer or Reset iPhone.
4. Tap Reset.
5. Press Reset Network Settings.
6. Enter your passcode.
7. Tap Reset Network Settings to confirm.

10. Contact Apple Support

If nothing else has worked thus far, reach out to Apple Support for further help or visit your nearest Genius Bar. reach out to Apple Support for further help or visit your nearest Genius Bar.