iPhone 11 Can’t Make Calls or Send Texts After iOS Update? Here’s How to Fix It

If your iPhone 11 suddenly stops making calls or sending texts after installing an iOS update, you’re not alone. Post-update glitches can mess with essential features like iMessage, SMS, and phone calls. This guide walks you through all the possible issues and the steps to get things working again.

iMessage Says “Not Delivered”

This usually happens when your phone isn’t properly connected to the internet or if iMessage was disabled during the update.

Try this:

Make sure your iPhone is connected to Wi-Fi or cellular data.
Go to Settings > Messages and toggle iMessage off, then back on.
Check the Send & Receive section and ensure your phone number and Apple ID are both checked.
Restart your iPhone and try sending the message again.

Stuck on “iMessage Waiting for Activation”

This error pops up when iMessage can’t activate, usually due to poor internet or carrier-related hiccups.

Fix it like this:

Make sure your date and time are correct: Settings > General > Date & Time > Set Automatically.
Toggle Airplane Mode on for 30 seconds, then turn it off.
Go to Settings > Messages and turn iMessage off and back on.
Wait at least 24 hours for activation (yes, it can take that long sometimes).

iMessage Not Working At All

If you can’t send or receive iMessages, the issue might be with your internet connection or expired iMessage login.

Do this:

Check your Wi-Fi or cellular connection by opening Safari and loading a webpage.
Sign out of iMessage via Settings > Messages > Send & Receive > Apple ID > Sign Out, then sign back in.
Reset network settings: Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset Network Settings.

Can’t Make Phone Calls (But Can Receive Them)

This typically points to a problem with your carrier or account status.

Check these:

Call your carrier to make sure your account is active and bills are settled.
Try toggling Airplane Mode on and off.
Go to Settings > Cellular > Cellular Data Options > Voice & Data, and switch between LTE, 4G, and 3G.
Remove and reinsert your SIM card.

Can’t Receive Phone Calls (But Can Make Them)

If people say your calls aren’t going through to your iPhone, a setting might be blocking them.

Try these steps:

Check Do Not Disturb: Go to Settings > Focus > Do Not Disturb and make sure it’s off.
Disable Call Forwarding: Settings > Phone > Call Forwarding.
Check your Blocked Contacts list: Settings > Phone > Blocked Contacts.

Can’t Send Text Messages (SMS)

When your iPhone won’t send regular text messages (green bubbles), it’s usually a carrier or signal issue.

Here’s how to fix it:

Make sure you have a cellular signal.
Confirm your Send as SMS toggle is on: Settings > Messages > Send as SMS.
Restart your phone and try again.
If the message has media (photo/video), remember it will use iMessage or MMS, which requires internet.

Can’t Receive Text Messages (SMS)

Not receiving messages could be due to full storage or misconfigured settings.

What to do:

Go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage and free up space if needed.
Reset network settings: Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset Network Settings.
If only missing messages from one contact, check if you accidentally blocked them.

Extra Tip: Replace the SIM Card

If none of these steps work and you suspect a hardware issue, your SIM card might be damaged or misaligned. Visit your carrier and ask for a replacement SIM.

Still Not Working? Talk to Your Carrier

Some issues—like account suspensions or provisioning errors—can only be fixed by your service provider. Give them a call and confirm everything’s fine on their end.