Not Receiving iPhone Verification Texts? How to Fix It

If you're not receiving verification code texts on your iPhone, it can be incredibly frustrating. Here are some solutions to help you resolve this issue quickly.

How to Fix Not Receiving Verification Code Texts on Your iPhone​

1. Contact Your Carrier​

• Call Customer Support: Contact your carrier's customer support. Inform them that you are not receiving verification codes, which are usually sent via short code messaging.
• Explain the Issue: Mention that these messages come from a 5 or 6-digit number.
• Request Action: Ask them to check if short code messaging is enabled on your account and if it might have been inadvertently blocked or filtered.

This solution is crucial because carriers manage the delivery of short code messages. Ensuring that they are enabled on your account can resolve the issue.

2. Toggle Airplane Mode​

• Open Control Center: Swipe down from the top right corner of your screen (or up from the bottom on older models).
• Enable Airplane Mode: Tap the airplane icon to turn it on.

• Wait: Leave it on for about 10-15 seconds.
• Disable Airplane Mode: Tap the airplane icon again to turn it off.

By toggling Airplane Mode, you refresh the network connection, which can solve temporary glitches affecting message delivery.

3. Verify Your Phone Number​

• Open Settings: Tap the Settings app on your home screen.
• Go to Phone: Scroll down and tap on the Phone option.
• Check My Number: Tap on My Number and ensure the number listed is correct.

• Edit if Necessary: If the number is incorrect, enter the correct one and save the changes.

Verifying your phone number ensures that the correct number is registered for receiving messages, which can resolve the issue.

4. Disable SMS Filter​

• Open Settings: Tap the Settings app.
• Go to Messages: Scroll down and tap on the Messages option.
• Scroll to Unknown & Spam: Tap on Unknown & Spam.

• Disable Filter: Toggle off the Filter Unknown Senders option.

Disabling SMS filters can help if the verification codes are being mistakenly categorized as spam.

5. Reset Network Settings​

• Open Settings: Tap the Settings app on your home screen.
• Go to General: Scroll down and tap General.
• Select Transfer or Reset iPhone: Tap on this option.
• Tap Reset: Select Reset Network Settings.
• Enter Passcode: If prompted, enter your device passcode.
• Confirm Reset: Tap again to confirm.

Resetting network settings will reset all network-related configurations, which can resolve many issues related to message delivery.

6. Remove and Reinsert SIM Card​

• Turn Off Your iPhone: Hold down the power button and slide to power off.
• Remove SIM Card: Use a SIM ejector tool to remove your SIM card.
• Wait a Few Seconds: Wait for about 10 seconds.
• Reinsert SIM Card: Place the SIM card back into the slot.
• Turn On Your iPhone: Press the power button to turn your phone back on.

This can resolve issues if there is a temporary problem with the SIM card connection.

7. Check for Carrier Settings Update​

• Open Settings: Tap the Settings app.
• Go to General: Scroll down and tap General.
• Tap About: If there’s a carrier settings update available, you’ll see a prompt to update.
• Update Carrier Settings: Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the update.

Updating carrier settings ensures you have the latest configuration required for message delivery.

8. Deregister and Re-register iMessage​

• Turn Off iMessage: Open Settings, go to Messages, and toggle off iMessage.
• Deregister iMessage: Visit Apple's Deregister iMessage website and follow the instructions.
• Reset Network Settings: Follow the steps in Solution 5 to reset network settings.
• Turn On iMessage: Go back to Settings, go to Messages, and toggle on iMessage.

Deregistering and re-registering iMessage can resolve issues related to message filtering by iMessage.

9. Remove Spam Blockers​

• Call Your Carrier: Contact your carrier’s customer support.
• Request Removal of Spam Blockers: Ask if there are any spam blockers on your account that may be filtering out verification codes.
• Confirm Changes: Once removed, attempt to receive a verification code again.

Removing spam blockers ensures that important messages are not being filtered out by mistake.

By systematically following these solutions, you should be able to resolve the issue of not receiving verification code texts on your iPhone. Remember, contacting your carrier is often the most effective step, as they control the delivery of these messages.