Getting the scary warning “message blocking is active iPhone” when you are attempting to send a message can be incredibly annoying. Your crafted message gets rejected and you are left wondering what went wrong. The good news? Most cases were able to address this issue with basic troubleshooting. This guide goes through all the possible solutions as to how you can get rid of your dysfunctional messaging.
What does “message blocking is active on iPhone” mean?
The message blocking is active means that something is preventing your text message from reaching the receiver. This does not necessarily mean that you’ve been blocked by the other person. Instead, the error is telling you that there is an active restriction somewhere in your messaging pipeline. Your carrier, your phone’s settings or your recipient’s settings are blocking the message. The most likely culprit is your cellular provider, who may have imposed such restriction on you because of various account issues or issue with your service. Sometimes, the inability to send messages is linked to your phone settings and the network health. Thus, it is helpful to understand the root cause of the problem, which will help you fix it efficiently.
What causes the issue “Message blocking is active on iPhone”
There can be several factors that can cause this error and often these factors can overlap. Identifying your own situation helps to make the solution process quicker. The following categories divide these causes into manageable areas of trouble-shooting.
Carrier-level blocking issues
Your cellular provider manages your SMS. A number of account conditions lead to blocking. Unpaid bills cause carriers to disable messaging features as a means of collecting the bills. Similarly, spamming or reports against your number can cause the carrier to block you out.
Network & connectivity problems
Your physical connection on the network is extremely important for the delivery of the message. Weak signal strength can cause problems for making proper connection to cell towers. Similarly, Roaming restrictions and Airplane mode can also put you through these errors.
iOS settings blocking messages
Your iPhone has several different built-in features that can prevent messaging unintentionally. Like, Focus modes are used to limit notifications and communications with unwanted contacts. From there, Screen Time limits might block access to message apps completely. Also, iCloud-configured parental controls limit messaging features to the family. Some sender types or patterns of the content are automatically blocked with message filters. Lastly, Contact blocking lists (messages to specific numbers), iMessage settings conflicts arise when Apple‘s messaging system conflicts with regular SMS.
iMessage vs SMS conflicts
Apple’s messaging system doesn’t always play nicely with carrier SMS. iMessage tries to send first, and in the event that that fails, SMS should spring into action as a back-up. However, this can sometimes fall back, and triggers fail to do so.
SIM, eSIM, or account problems
Your SIM Card is the physical component that links your device to the network. SIM Card deactivation is done for various reasons. eSIM misconfiguration occurs while setting up or switching from one carrier to another. Also, worn-out or faulty SIM cards cannot supply a good connection.
There have been cases where number porting errors result from switching to a new carrier and the number transfer results incomplete. Similarly, eSIM profile corruption results in intermittent service problems. Lastly, SIM tray insertion issues will not allow the card to be detected properly.
Use a parental control app to protect teens from any potential risks on their phones.
How to fix “iPhone message blocking is active” on iPhone
Before starting some rather technical fixes, try the common troubleshooting steps to address this error. Follow this list of eight solutions in sequential order until your messages begin flowing again.
Solution 1 – Check your carrier settings and account status
Your carrier account is where your master switch for your SMS service is located. Check to make sure your account is working and SMS is enabled. Log on to the website of your carrier by using your account details. From there, check for account suspension notices, data plan details (to ensure it supports SMS messaging), and the billing status. Ideally, paying the bill and addressing any relevant notices should fix your message delivery issue.
Solution 2 – Review and manage blocked contacts on your iPhone
You might have blocked the recipient’s number by mistake and not even know about it. So, follow through with these steps to address the issue.
- Open settings and go to messages.
- Tap on the blocked contacts option.
- Find the person you’re unable to contact and unblock them.
Solution 3 – Reset network settings on your iPhone
The network setting governs the way your iPhone will communicate with the cell base stations and servers. Resetting them makes them free of any misconfiguration and keeps you your personal data. Here is how to start.
- Open general settings on your iOS device.
- Go to the Reset iPhone option.
- Tap Reset.
- Tap “Reset Network Settings.”
Here, your iOS device will restart and you can test out messages again to see if the issue is there.
Solution 4 – Restart your iPhone
The simplest troubleshooting step often resolves the issue. Restarting breaks temporary software glitches concerning the messaging system. So, just hold down the power button and slide across the “Power Off” option. Wait for a couple of seconds, and then turn the iOS device back on.
Solution 5 – Troubleshoot iMessage settings
In conflict with SMS, iMessage can prevent all message delivery. Confirm that your Apple ID is signed in correctly.
- Open settings and go to messages.
- Check phone registration under iMessage settings.
- Toggle iMessages off and back on after a couple of seconds.
Solution 6 – Update iOS to the latest version
Software updates contain the necessary bug fixes for messaging and connectivity. Outdated iOS versions are the common cause of the blocking error.
- Open general settings.
- Find the “Software Updates” feature.
- Tap on it and install the update after download is complete.
Solution 7 – Check for specific iPhone model issues
Many people had this issue with the iPhone 7 with an outdated iOS version. Make sure that your model is running the latest available version of iOS for that device. Also, check available storage, as low available storage may impact messaging performance. Go to Settings, tap on General, then iPhone Storage. Free up space if the usage is more than eighty or ninety percent.
Solution 8 – Contact your mobile carrier for assistance
When personal troubleshooting fails you, your carrier has backend tools to fix the issue. Know when to escalate after you’ve already tried the common solutions without success. It is best to suspect that carrier-side blocking could be part of the problem or there are recent billing changes or service changes on your account.
Proven solutions for specific messaging errors
Now that you know how to turn off message blocking, it’s best to educate yourself on other message related errors. Some error messages indicate specific problems that have obvious solutions.
Free msg: unable to send message – message blocking is active
This particular error occurs quite often with T-Mobile and associated networks. The free msg “unable send message message blocking is active” error is from the carrier side, not device. Contact your carrier immediately – this error would typically require the intervention of your carrier. Check that your account is active and that SMS is enabled. Check for carrier account change notifications that you may have received. Ask your carrier to turn SMS on your account manually.
Message blocking is active from iPhone to Android
Message blocking is active iPhone to iPhone-to-Android scenarios are because of iMessage conflicts. Android phones do not support iMessage, so messages automatically convert to SMS. Your iPhone may have a difficult time completing this conversion in a proper manner. To fix this, make sure the Android phone number is in your contacts. Also, enable the “Send as Text Message” option in your iOS settings. Lastly, temporarily turn off iMessages and try sending the message one more time.
Best practices for iPhone messaging reliability
It is easier to prevent message blocking than to rely on the fixes above. Here are a couple of things that can help:
- Go through your block contact list on a daily basis.
- Make sure you’re on the latest iOS version.
- Check the carrier settings and always pay your bills on time.
- Ensure that you’ve got a strong network connection.
- Free up as much storage as you can and never let your iOS device go above 80 percent in filled storage.
All of these practices will ensure you never have to worry about message blocking issues.
Bonus for parents: how to safeguard minors from risky messages on iPhone?
Parents want to protect children from inappropriate messages without completely isolating them. You’ll have to find a balance between respecting their privacy and keeping a watchful eye on them at all times. Here are a couple of practices to help you along your parenting journey.
- Rely on iOS screen time features to restrict a child’s digital habits.
- Parents should approve contacts before allowing children to communicate with others.
- Set up focus mode to further limit a child’s access to the messaging app.
- Keep your children updated about online grooming cases, scams, and digital stranger danger.
- Review their messaging activity frequently.
All of these tips will go a long way in making your children digitally literate. However, if you’re still in the gray about your child’s digital activities, more robust solutions like FlashGet Kids exist. These type of parental control apps offer complete monitoring and restrictive solutions to parents. This tool provides advanced features such as keyword detection, remote screen mirroring, notification tracking, snapshots, and app blocking. So, if your child is a bit tech-savvy and going through a rebellious phase, you can rest easy while relying on FlashGet Kids.
Wrap up
The error “message blocking is active” sounds serious, but most of the time there are minimal problems whose solutions are very straightforward. Most cases are situations with carrier settings, misconfigured network options or connectivity problems and are not permanent blocks. Work through the eight solutions I’ve listed above in order and you will most likely be able to get it to work and not to resort to contacting customer support. Remember the first step is always to isolate the issue, and define your troubles. From there, you can address the problem accordingly.
FAQs
This error indicates your carrier has imposed a restriction on incoming SMS. Immediately after this, contact your carrier to verify SMS status. They’ll manually refresh your service status to fix the problem.
The fix depends on the reason for this error. Ideally, you can start by checking your block list, power cycling your phone, and refreshing your network settings to turn off the message blocking on iPhone.
Message blocking is a feature that blocks the delivery of SMS. Carriers, devices and apps can all offer message blocking. It protects from spam but can also block messages that are legitimate.
Because iMessage does not work on Android devices, the system requires SMS conversion. Enable the “send as text message” feature in your iOS message settings to fix the issue.
Yes, there is the option to restrict access to message apps through Screen Time. If you’ve set Communication Limits, then the allowed contacts only are able to reach you.
