# iPhone 4 Facetime "Waiting For Activation" Issue



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

This issue was being dealt with in the SaskTel thread a bit back, but since I found out why my Facetime would not activate on Telus, I thought I would start this thread to give others a heads up if they were having the same issue. It went like this:



Funk said:


> Is any one else having issues trying to get facetime to work on Sasktel's network? my iphone keeps saying waiting for activation. Sigh... Sounds like there have been lots of people having problems with it at first and I have have tried lots of the solutions I see on the web but with no luck.
> TIA





SINC said:


> You're not alone. I have the identical issue with my iPhone 4 just minutes from Edmonton and the solutions online so far have not made any difference for me either. FWIW our daughter's iPhone 4 on Rogers worked with Facetime right out of the gate.


UPDATE:

I finally called Apple for assistance and made a discovery. If you do not have texting on your phone package, Facetime cannot be activated. It was the first question the Apple rep asked me, so they are well aware of the issue. Apparently the activation is done by the iPhone receiving a text message to enable Facetime. He suggested I call Telus, have them activate texting, then activate Facetime, then remove the texting option again.

I suggested to him and to Apple in the follow-up email I got asking for comments on my phone service experience that Apple include that very important little fact in the "fixes" they offer online which I tried in vain.

I have yet to try getting Telus to activate texting on my iPhone for five minutes to be able to use Facetime. I wonder how much they will charge me to do that?


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## Joker Eh (Jan 22, 2008)

When they setup facetime did they not think somepeople may not have texting? wow I am shocked. Instead of receiving a text message why not receive a phone call? Hmm seems like that would be the way to go.


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## Funk (Aug 4, 2010)

I have both SMS and MMS active on my phone and still nothing I do can fix it. I hope it worked for you sync


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## haber (Sep 29, 2009)

Er...so how do people use Facetime on a 4th gen iPod Touch?


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## whatiwant (Feb 21, 2008)

haber said:


> Er...so how do people use Facetime on a 4th gen iPod Touch?


Apple ID i thought?


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## haber (Sep 29, 2009)

jawknee said:


> Apple ID i thought?


But the OP can't activate without text messaging...which you can't do on a Touch. So how does anyone with a Touch activate Facetime?


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## Joker Eh (Jan 22, 2008)

haber said:


> But the OP can't activate without text messaging...which you can't do on a Touch. So how does anyone with a Touch activate Facetime?


True and thats a very good question then. jawknee right it may be Apple ID then, I jsut don't remember when I first used it. So the issue may not be the text issue.


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Joker Eh said:


> True and thats a very good question then. jawknee right it may be Apple ID then, I jsut don't remember when I first used it. So the issue may not be the text issue.


I very much doubt if Apple is wrong here. Does the iPod Touch does not use WIFI alone without involving the G3 cell signal at all?

The iPhone on the other hand uses the 3G signal to initiate the call, then as I understand it "flips" the call to VOIP, does it not?

I assume that Apple knows what it is talking about when it says it requires a text message to enable that "flip" of signal from G3 to WIFI. At least that is how I interpret things.


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## Joker Eh (Jan 22, 2008)

SINC said:


> I very much doubt if Apple is wrong here. Does the iPod Touch does not use WIFI alone without involving the G3 cell signal at all?
> 
> The iPhone on the other hand uses the 3G signal to initiate the call, then as I understand it "flips" the call to VOIP, does it not?
> 
> I assume that Apple knows what it is talking about when it says it requires a text message to enable that "flip" of signal from G3 to WIFI. At least that is how I interpret things.


but doesn't a text message "SMS" require a phone number? Thats how I understand it, then how would an iPod gets it initial verification "Apparently the activation is done by the iPhone receiving a text message to enable Facetime." how does it do that without a phone number?


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Joker Eh said:


> but doesn't a text message "SMS" require a phone number? Thats how I understand it, then how would an iPod gets it initial verification "Apparently the activation is done by the iPhone receiving a text message to enable Facetime." how does it do that without a phone number?


I don't know the answer to that, thus the thread for those with this issue.

I have to assume the iPod touch enables the Facetime feature in a different way than the iPhone. Would it not be easier for Apple to use the same activation method on both the iPod Touch and the iPhone? Or does the G3 signal for the phone figure into the mix, requiring a different approach, thus the texting issue?


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## rgray (Feb 15, 2005)

SINC said:


> I don't know the answer to that, thus the thread for those with this issue.
> 
> I have to assume the iPod touch enables the Facetime feature in a different way than the iPhone. Would it not be easier for Apple to use the same activation method on both the iPod Touch and the iPhone? Or does the G3 signal for the phone figure into the mix, requiring a different approach, thus the texting issue?


I think it would help to know if getting texting going got FaceTime to work for you... It is not unheard of to get disinformation from the lower echelons of Apple help.


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Sorry, but if I have to activate texting to use Facetime it is a deal breaker for me.

Once the teletype machine died in the early 80s, I vowed I would never use a keyboard to send a message to anyone again. The had invented cheap telephone long distance by then and oddly enough, they still have it today. I can say, "Sorry, I'll be late for supper tonight," much quicker than I can type it, even if it is on voicemail. Texting is a useless, fad form of communication.


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## Joker Eh (Jan 22, 2008)

SINC said:


> Sorry, but if I have to activate texting to use Facetime it is a deal breaker for me.
> 
> Once the teletype machine died in the early 80s, I vowed I would never use a keyboard to send a message to anyone again. The had invented cheap telephone long distance by then and oddly enough, they still have it today. I can say, "Sorry, I'll be late for supper tonight," much quicker than I can type it, even if it is on voicemail. Texting is a useless, fad form of communication.


+1 - I am on the same page with you on this.


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## SnowDX (Nov 10, 2010)

SINC said:


> Sorry, but if I have to activate texting to use Facetime it is a deal breaker for me.


But you could add texting to see if it would allow you to activate. If you can activate, then give a Facetime call and ensure it works. Then remove texting. Then you'll know if texting is required for activation and/or FaceTime use. 

If you call and speak to a CSR, they'll usually give you a short promo of a feature, like the $3 texting plan free for a month or something. Or just speak to tech support and tell them what Apple told you and that you'd like to see if enabling texting allows you to activate and use FaceTime. They have the ability to enable/disable calling features.

If you find out that it's required not only to activate FaceTime, but to use it as well, I'd see if you can sweet talk them into including texting in your plan. In the very least the $3 plan (30 outgoing), unless you'll be doing more than 30 FaceTime calls per month then you'd want to ask for a larger plan. Then you've got it for FaceTime, but don't have to use it otherwise.

Do you actually have texting disabled? Because if you don't, any phone can send/receive texts, it just costs 15¢ each way I think. So, it would be weird that FaceTime wasn't able to send the text. If you have disabled, you could get it enabled, but not get a plan added and activate and pay the 30¢ to send/receive the message and then be on your merry way. Of course that would be lame if it was needed for every call as then you'd be paying each time to use FaceTime. Then resort to the sweet talking for free texting. :lmao:


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