Get the warning “Cannot Send Message. iMessage needs to be enabled to send this message.”? Check this guide to fix this message not sending issue quickly.

1. Imessage Meaning
2. Imessage Meaning

iPhone Message Tips & Issues

1. Imessage meaning Apple's text messaging system for iOS devices and Macs (OS X Version 10.8 and higher).
2. How to Set Up & Use iMessage on iPhone, iPad, & iPod touch.

IMessage is a powerful iPhone tool. Here are its 9 best features. From sending money with Apple Pay to throwing confetti all over someone's screen, we show you how to get the most out of iMessage. IMessage is a free service from Apple that enables users of iOS -powered devices to send text messages over Wi-Fi from mobile devices like the iPhone and iPod touch. Prior to iMessage, most users needed to use a text message plan from a mobile provider in order to be able to send text messages from their iOS-powered device.

What does “iMessage needs to be enabled to send this message” mean? I can’t get my messages to send and when I try that pops up. What is it and how can I fix it?

– A user from Apple Discussion

Imessage Meaning

With iMessage, you can collaborate with others in a conversation, decorate messages with stickers, share a song, and more – without leaving Messages.

However, sometimes when you send an iMessage to others, you probably will get this notice: Cannot Send Message. iMessage needs to be enabled to send this message. And even occasionally, when you send text messages, you will also get into this trouble.

Method 1. Enable Your iMessage

The first reason we could think about is that you have not enabled iMessage (How to Enable iMessage on iDevice and Mac) on your iPhone. Just like the words saying, you need to enable it.

Open the Settings app on iPhone > Tap on Messages > Switch iMessage to on and wait for it to activate. If you have enabled it before the problem happens, you can try disabling it firstly, and then enabling it again.

Enable Your iMessage

Method 2. Check If Apple iMessage Server Is Down

Another reason why iMessage Needs to Be Enabled to Send This Message issue comes is about the iMessage sever. If the server is not working, you can send messages. To check if it works or not, please go to Apple System Status.

Method 3. Reset Network Settings

Sometimes, the reason why messages cannot send is related to network connection problems. You can reset network settings to fix it. Go to Settings > Tap on General > Reset > Reset Network Settings.

Method 4. Reset iMessage Settings

If all the above three methods do not work, the fourth way you can try is resetting the iMessage.

Step 1. Open Settings and tap on Messages > Choose Send & Receive option.

Step 2. Uncheck the email address and phone number in the section of YOU CAN BE REACHED BY IMESSAGE AT.

Step 3. Tap your Apple ID and choose Sign Out.

Step 4. Restart the iPhone, activate iMessage from the Settings, and sign in to your Apple ID again.

Reset iMessage Settings

Method 5. Erase All Content and Settings

The last way to fix iMessage needs to be enabled to send this message is resetting all settings on your iPhone, and then setting it up as new.

Go to Settings > General > Reset > Erase All Content and Settings. Then set it up from your iCloud backup, if you have one.

Or you can also directly restore your iPhone with iTunes. Launch iTunes and connect your iPhone with computer > Click your iPhone icon and then click Restore iPhone. Make sure you’ve turned off Find My iPhone > Choose a proper iTunes backup file and click Restore.

But no matter iCloud restoring, or iTunes restoring, neither of them support backup previewing, which means you will not know what contents the backups contain. And you need to restore them all to your iPhone, including the items you don’t need.

So to preview and selectively restoring iCloud and iTunes backups, we sincerely recommend PhoneRescue for iOS to help your get the job done.

PhoneRescue for iOS is good at getting back various iOS data from iPhone directly, iCloud backups, and iTunes backups. While, what PhoneRescue is different, and better than iTunes and iCloud restoring are,

• PhoneRescue supports previewing iTunes and iCloud backup files. It means you can check whether the backup contains what you want before restoring.
• You can also selectively choose what types of data to restore. There is no need to restore the whole backup file to iPhone.
• Supports all kinds of data, contacts, messages, photos, notes, calendars, songs, and more.

Totally getting rid of iTunes & iCloud various restoring drawbacks. So why not give it a trial now?

Step 1. Run PhoneRescue on your PC > Choose Recover from iTunes Backups or Recover from iCloud (here we taking iTunes as an example) > Click right arrow to continue.

Recover Deleted Contacts on iPhone with iTunes Backup

Step 2. Choose the iTunes backup, which contains the lost data > Click right arrow > It will pop up a screen for choosing what kind of exact data types you would like to scan. Taking Photos as an example > Click on OK button to continue.

Step 3. It will start scanning all photos in iTunes backup. After finishing, select the photos you would like to recover > Click on To Device button to download them to your device directly, or To Computer button to save them to computer.

Select Photos to Recover from iTunes Backup

The Bottom Line

With these five methods, you can totally fix iMessage need to be enabled to send this message issue. When you try restoring way, sincerely recommend you giving it a trial with PhoneRescue. Also if you have found other practical methods, please share them in the comments below.

Product-related questions? Contact Our Support Team to Get Quick Solution >

You need iMessage to send message effects. Learn the difference between iMessage and SMS/MMS texts. Depending on your carrier, messaging rates might apply when you send SMS/MMS. If you use iMessage and Wi-Fi is unavailable, cellular data rates might apply.

Send a message with effects

With message effects, you can use bubble effects to change the way your message bubbles look, or use full-screen effects to animate the screen. You can even add a Memoji sticker with bubble effects or full-screen effects.

Add a bubble effect

1. Open Messages and tap the Compose button to start a new message. Or go to an existing conversation.
2. Enter your message or insert a photo, then touch and hold the Send button .
3. Tap the gray dot to preview bubble effects.
4. Tap the Send button .

To replay a message effect that you receive, tap the Replay button under the message. If you can't receive bubble effects, check your Reduce Motion settings.

Add a full-screen effect

1. Open Messages and tap the Compose button to start a new message. Or go to an existing conversation.
2. Enter your message.
3. Touch and hold the Send button , then tap Screen.
4. Swipe to the left to see full-screen effects.
5. Tap the Send button .

To replay a message effect that you receive, tap the Replay button under the message. If you can't receive full-screen effects, check your Reduce Motion settings.

Send a message with Camera Effects

With Camera Effects in iOS 12 and later, and iPadOS, you can liven up your conversations even more. Quickly create and share a photo or video with Memoji, filters, text, fun stickers, and more. Follow these steps:

1. Open Messages and tap the Compose button to create a new message. Or go to an existing conversation.
2. Tap the Camera button .
3. Tap the Effects button , then select one of the effects, like Memoji* or an iMessage app. You can add more than one effect to a photo or video.
4. After you select the effect that you want to use, tap Done.
5. Tap the Send button or tap Done to add a personal message. If you don't want to send the photo, tap the icon in the upper-right corner of the photo.

You need a compatible iPhone or iPad to use Memoji.

Respond to a message with expressions

With Tapback, you can quickly reply to messages with expressions, like a thumbs up or a heart. Here's how:

1. Open a conversation in Messages.
2. Double-tap the message bubble or photo that you want to respond to.
3. Select the Tapback that you want to send.

You can also use Tapback in group messages. To see who replied with a Tapback, tap it.

Send a handwritten message

You can personalize your messages by adding a note in your own handwriting. Your friends and family will see the message animate, as if it were being written in front of them. To send a handwritten note, follow these steps:

Imessage Meaning

1. Open Messages and tap the Compose button to start a new message. Or go to an existing conversation.
2. If you have an iPhone, turn it sideways and tap on the keyboard. On an iPad, there's no need to turn it sideways, just tap on the keyboard.
3. Write your message or select one of the options at the bottom of the screen.
4. If you need to start over, tap Undo or Clear. When you're finished, tap Done. Then tap the Send button .

Do more with Messages

• Learn how to use Memoji to mirror your expressions through messages.
• Use Digital Touch to send sketches, taps, and even a heartbeat.
• Use iMessage apps to create and share content, share a song, add stickers to photos, and more.
• If you have Reduce Motion on, you can't receive message effects.