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iPhone Not Receiving Texts or iMessages: Fixes

Short answer: Missing texts are usually caused by iMessage settings, a blocked contact, Focus mode, or a carrier issue.

TL;DR: quick fix

Check Settings > Focus and make sure Do Not Disturb or another Focus is not silencing notifications.
Go to Settings > Apps > Messages (or Settings > Messages on older iOS) and turn iMessage off and back on.
Check Settings > Apps > Messages > Blocked Contacts to make sure the sender isn't blocked.

Is iPhone down?

Before you change settings, check Apple System Status. If there's an outage, wait it out.

How to fix it: step by step

Check Settings > Focus and make sure Do Not Disturb or another Focus is not silencing notifications.
Go to Settings > Apps > Messages (or Settings > Messages on older iOS) and turn iMessage off and back on.
Check Settings > Apps > Messages > Blocked Contacts to make sure the sender isn't blocked.
Make sure you have cellular signal or Wi-Fi. SMS from Android phones needs a cellular connection.
Restart the iPhone and install any iOS or carrier settings update (Settings > General > About will prompt for carrier updates).
Go to Settings > Apps > Messages > Send & Receive and make sure your phone number is selected. If a message shows a red exclamation point, tap it and choose Send as Text Message.
As a last step, Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset Network Settings (this removes saved Wi-Fi passwords).

FAQ

Why are some messages green?

Green bubbles are SMS/MMS or RCS messages sent through your carrier; blue are iMessages sent over Apple's service.

More iPhone fixes

Last checked Oct 2026 against the official help page: Apple Support. Menus can differ by app version; follow the official page if a step doesn't match.